NBA Draft 2020: 5 franchises that need to add a point guard
By Trevor Marks
New York Knicks
It may come as a shock to many casual observers, but the New York Knicks could really use a long-term answer at point guard. Yes, the same Knicks who routinely find themselves linked to any and every point guard who’s available via trade (Chris Paul) or free agency (Fred VanVleet). Yes, the same Knicks who have trotted out a revolving door of guards in the last three years, including the likes of Frank Ntilikina, Elfrid Payton, Dennis Smith Jr., Trey Burke, and Emmanuel Mudiay.
Yes, those Knicks.
Sarcasm aside, New York is justified in its frenetic and well-publicized exploration of the trade market, free-agent class, and draft to find someone capable of filing that glaring hole in the backcourt.
As currently constructed, there isn’t a real initiator on the roster — not even last year’s third overall pick, RJ Barrett, who’s better off operating as a secondary option. And though Ntilikina made notable strides in his third year in the league, upping his efficiency (.417 to .497 TS%) and playing with more aggression on both ends, he’s still lagging behind on the offensive end (-3.6 OBPM), leaving his future in New York in doubt.
His fit next to Barrett isn’t a clean one, either. In the games that both players appeared in, lineups with Ntilikina and Barrett on the floor had a minus-10.49 net rating across 638 minutes, per PBP Stats. (For comparison’s sake, lineups with only Barrett on-court were a minus-7.48 in 849 minutes. Lineups with only Ntilikina on-court were a plus-5.18 in 410 minutes.)
Depending on how the Knicks brass feels about its chances at acquiring one of Paul and VanVleet, the 2020 NBA Draft is the simplest method of procuring backcourt help, especially with the Nos. 8, 27, and 38 picks. LaMelo Ball could be a dream target in the lottery (even with his iffy fit under coach Tom Thibodeau), but that would require a trade-up with one of the top-four teams, and it’s unclear whether the Knicks can put together an attractive package.
Nevertheless, there are still plenty of attainable prospects in the lottery and around that first/second-round bubble. French two-way guard Killian Hayes is arguably the second-best guard prospect in this year’s class, with his combination of instinctual defensive play, pick-and-roll wizardry, and burgeoning talent as a pull-up shooter.
New York will likely consider Alabama’s Kira Lewis (scoring upside and elite speed) and Iowa State’s Tyrese Haliburton (passing creativity and IQ) but should prefer the former over the latter, due to Haliburton’s struggles getting to the basket and creating off the bounce.
If New York goes the point guard route in the lottery, then that player needs to be capable of bending a defense — as a driver, pull-up shooter, and/or pick-and-roll orchestrator — which makes Hayes and Lewis the best options in the lottery.
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If they opt for the best player available with the No. 8 pick, then they can always double back and select one of the million guards projected to be available in that 25-40 range, such as Grant Riller, Tre Jones, Malachi Flynn, Cassius Winston, Tyrell Terry, Devon Dotson, and Nico Mannion. Not all of these players possess starter upside, but any competency that the Knicks can add to the backcourt would be a welcome addition.