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3 best point guard options for the New York Knicks to pursue

By Peter O'Keefe

Jan 12, 2022; New York, New York, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Jalen Brunson (13) goes up for a shot in front of New York Knicks guard RJ Barrett (9) during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 12, 2022; New York, New York, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Jalen Brunson (13) goes up for a shot in front of New York Knicks guard RJ Barrett (9) during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports /
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New York Knicks
Jan 4, 2022; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks forward Julius Randle (30) and guard RJ Barrett (9) walk off the court together after defeating the Indiana Pacers 104-94 at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports /

Why do the New York Knicks need a point guard?

The Knicks don’t necessarily need a superstar point-guard acquisition, although it would be helpful in the right circumstance. What they do need is someone who produces what a traditional point guard should – don’t turn the ball over, make plays, and ultimately make teammates better by providing good, open looks.

New York’s roster is completely bereft of this type of player. Immanuel Quickley, for all the talent he possesses, is a combo guard who at this point identifies as a scorer first and foremost. That’s the crux of the issues in a nutshell – too many isolation scorers without a point guard who could provide the easier shots to ultimately improve offensive efficiency.

The team ranked 24th in assist percentage and 25th in assist-to-turnover ratio, with the inability to find good shots evident with them finishing 26th in effective field goal percentage. The Knicks’ 2020-21 season, where they produced a spirited run to the East’s fourth seed, saw them buy into Julius Randle, the league’s most improved player, as a point forward.

That, combined with playmaking improvement from RJ Barrett and the inclusion of Walker, was seen to be the remedy to their playmaking issues.

But that season appears more and more like an outlier, with Randle’s efficiency (46/41/81 shooting splits) proving the key instigator to that remarkable campaign. In reality, though, the point guard problems remained ever-present.

Despite finishing with a 41-31 record, New York ranked 29th in assist percentage, 24th in assist-to-turnover ratio, and 23rd in effective field goal percentage.

Randle ranked sixth in isolation frequency last season, a position that belies his league-wide perception as a good but not great player. The idea of him as a point forward works in theory, but reality suggests that the assist numbers are more a product of simply having the ball in his hands a lot.

Elements of Randle’s point forward game can remain moving forward, should the Knicks actually retain a contract that now appears of poor value. However, the point-guard question needs to be answered before the Knicks waste another season in the doldrums of the NBA landscape.

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