SG Position Will Make or Break New York Knicks In 2014-15

By Matt Constas on October 2, 2014

The NBA‘s dying breed is the shooting guard position. Once a spot in the lineup that donned some of the best players in the league, the two-guard has become a position without too much elite competition. Michael Jordan is long gone, and superstars like Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade seem to have put their best days behind them.

With that being said, the New York Knicks have a pretty solid trio of players at this position, and unlike most teams, it could be their deepest and most important position for the upcoming season.

A lot of teams have solid backcourts, especially if you ask Dion Waiters or John Wall, but not many squads can boast about having three talented players at the shooting guard position alone. With J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert and Tim Hardaway Jr., the Knicks are one of the few that do have something to brag about. This is something they are aware of as well, and will look to take advantage of during the season.

Derek Fisher, who said that the starting lineup is not set in stone by any means, feels that all three of these players could be the starter. Smith even acknowledged his excitement about the trio. These three dynamic players all have something to offer to this team that will be a huge help in the long run.

Two of the three are more tailored to offense, but all three can bring something on that end of the court. Smith, when he is actually focusing on basketball, can hit any shot and score in any way that he wants to, something not a lot of people in the league can do. Hardaway Jr., as a rookie, displayed unique size and athleticism to go along with a 36.3 percent mark from beyond the arc from the position. Shumpert, who is not too efficient from the field, is a freak athlete who can turn defense into offense within the blink of an eye.

Defensively, each player will have to take on a key role. Shumpert is the defensive star of the trio and possibly the team, so he will have the assignment of guarding the opposing team’s best guard and in some cases their best player. Carmelo Anthony may have to stray away from guarding the man playing in his natural small forward position, and Shumpert or maybe Smith will have to take on his assignment.

For example, when playing the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Knicks may choose to put Anthony on Kevin Love, forcing Shumpert to take on the task of guarding LeBron James. On top of that, you have to account for Kyrie Irving. When the Knicks play deeper teams, they will have the luxury of having guys like Smith and Shumpert defending star players. Hardaway’s defense is not quite at that level yet, but he will be able to learn from them and Fisher.

Chemistry was a key problem for the Knicks last season, and getting in a flow on both sides will be important seeing how poorly they played. With both Fisher and Smith promoting the trio early in camp, it seems like they have the confidence in themselves to improve and come together as a unit. While working together with their different skill sets, they will be able to feed off of each other, something they could not do last season.

Smith and Shumpert had one of the worst +/- combinations on the team, and Anthony’s worst +/- match was with Hardaway. Chemistry and figuring out how to play together will have a significant effect on the team’s success.

The Knicks have a unique set of guards, especially in a time where shooting guards are not as emphasized as they used to be. Their advantage is that they have three long and athletic players who can all take on multiple roles for the team on both sides of the ball. It will be interesting to see how isher uses them, but Smith, Hardaway and Shumpert will all have an equal opportunity to make a huge difference for the Knicks in 2014-15.