In all likelihood, the Knicks will enter the 2020-21 season with Elfrid Payton as their starting point guard. There is nothing wrong with that, of course. Payton is a solid NBA point guard with a knack for engaging others. Last season, he averaged 10.0 points and 7.2 assists to go together at 4.7 rebounds, starting 36 games for New York.
But it’s no secret that the Knicks are hoping one of their young point guards can make the leap forward in the lead role.
Frank Ntilikina has all the physical tools. At 6ft-4,200lbs, Ntilikina has the size, length and athleticism to be a well-rounded point guard. Defense has always been his forte, and that will bode well for him under Tom Thibodeau, but imagine if his attack could match that defense. The 22-year-old averaged his career best 6.3 points and scored the best shot numbers in his career (39.3% in total, 32.1% from three), and at times it looked like he was about to take the its game to the next level. It just hasn’t happened yet.
On the other hand, Dennis Smith Jr.’s numbers have declined in each of his three professional seasons. After averaging an impressive 15.2 points and 5.2 assists at the start of 69 games as a rookie with the Mavericks in 2017-18, Smith showed some potential after being awarded the Knicks in the Kristaps trade. Porzingis, averaging 14.7 points and 5.4 assists in his first midseason with the team. But he took a big step back in 2019-20, averaging just 5.5 points and 2.9 assists, seeing his playing time drop to 15.8 minutes per game. The ninth overall pick in 2017 has the athletic ability to thrive in the NBA, he just didn’t put it all together during his time with the Knicks, and this could be a defining season for him.
And then Immanuel Quickley – the Knicks’ number 25 pick – helped spur a comeback in the fourth quarter in the team’s third preseason game against Cleveland. “I’ve been a point guard all my life. I feel like I’m versatile playing with the ball, with the ball,” said Quickley.