The New York Knicks are finally seeing the healthy Daymean Dotson they hoped for. Dotson has been coming off off-season shoulder injury and now is 100% healthy.
Dotson is starting to get more minutes but head coach David Fizdale needs to be more consistent with his minutes. He should be playing Dotson 15-20 every game. Dotson is only averaging 12.9 minutes this season for the Knicks.
Since he has been healthy and in his last 5 games, Dotson has been averaging 19.6 minutes a game. That’s exactly what he should be playing for the Knicks. He provides the Knicks with positives on both sides of the floor. He is a excellent defender and has the ability to shoot the ball anywhere on the court.
Monday’s game, Dotson played 18 minutes but was able to contribute 11 point while shooting 50% from the field. However, he was only 1-5 from beyond the arc. Which is fine because even if his 3-pointer is off, he can still contribute shooting the ball elsewhere.
The New York Knicks don’t have a true shooting guard yet. RJ Barrett, you can say as been the shooting guard for the Knicks despite being listed at a small forward. In the Knicks starting lineup, officially, there is no player listed at shooting guard.
The other shooting guards on the team are Wayne Ellington and Allonzo Trier. Ellington hasn’t been shooting like he has in the past and Fizdale has soured on Trier hasn’t appeared in a game since 11/12 against the Bulls for only 5 minutes.
If Dotson is able to remain healthy, he can be a solid bench player for the Knicks. Down the road, Dotson could be the starting shooting guard once they figure out their long-term plans at point guard and small forward positions.
Eventually, Barrett will be at small forward for good and the Knicks will need a permanent shooting guard. Can Dotson be the guy that steps into that role and be the shooter that fans think he can be? It depends on how the rest of the season and coaching situation goes. Right now, Dotson is in the right place to succeed.