Backcourt Bump Around
What good is the Mike D’Antoni system without a Point Guard? It’s like owning a Ferrari, but not the keys to start it up. Only 13 games into the season and the Knicks have already had three different players start at the point, and they are currently waiting for their fourth, Baron Davis, to get healthy.
New York has made great strides in the past year when it comes to strengthening their roster. The additions of Carmelo Anthony, A’mare Stoudamire and Tyson Chandler have given that team a face and an image of pending success. However, while the Knicks have remedied some of their more glaring deficiencies, the most important one being their softness under the basket, in doing so they have left a void in the Point Guard position.
After letting Chauncey Billups walk, the Knicks signed a replacement who regularly has difficulty walking. The oft-injured Baron Davis was who they entrusted to run the point in the Big Apple. However, before the season had even begun, Davis had already suffered an injury which has cost him the first three weeks of the season, and counting. And while Baron certainly has the skill set to operate in a D’Antoni system, he is past his prime and has developed as many negative habits as positive ones. On a team already filled with free wielding “Chuckers”, the last thing they need is yet another, and that’s just what Davis has become. There’s only one ball on the court, and with the likes of Carmelo, A’mare and Baron, three players who regularly stand idly by, waiting for their chance to shoot the rock, we are going to see a lot of stagnant offense in a system that thrives on movement.
In the meantime, until Davis gets healthy, the Knicks will be turning to the rookie guard, Iman Shumpert to run the point. D’Antoni is set on starting Shumpert one way or another, whether it’s at the 1 or 2 guard spot. The question is though, will this constant backcourt shake up have a negative effect on the rookie’s development, and more importantly the team’s chemistry? Only time will tell, but the sub-.500 Knicks better get their lineup situated sooner rather then later.
Buy New York Knicks Tickets | Buy New York Knicks ApparelLeave a Rant
and oh, if you want a pic to show with your comment, go get a gravatar!
FEATURED PARTNERS
