There are certain NBA players whose accolades speak volumes. There are others whose games require eyeballs on the TV screen to understand just how effective they are game-in and game-out. Then there are players like New York Knicks point guard Cameron Payne, who fit in the middle of that Venn diagram.
Payne is approaching the 2024-25 NBA season with the opportunity to take the Knicks’ backup point guard slot by the reigns. The talented 6-3 floor general was a smart add by the Knicks’ front office this offseason and has all the tools necessary to give New York the 12-15 minutes they need nightly behind franchise player Jalen Brunson in a season that will carry more stakes than any previous one spanning over two decades.
Cameron Payne could be just the point guard the Knicks need off the bench in 2024-25
First taking a look at Payne’s production last season, the Murray State product produced the following points, assists, steals, and shooting percentages across 47 games in a crowded Milwaukee Bucks rotation, and across 31 games for the Philadelphia 76ers:
Bucks: 6.2 PPG, 2.3 APG, 0.5 SPG, 45.5 FG pct., 39.7 3PT pct — 14.9 minutes per game.
76ers: 9.3 PPG, 3.1 APG, 0.6 SPG, 41.3 FG pct., 38.2 3PT pct. — 19.4 MPG.
Payne showed two sides to himself on the campaign. While remaining as efficient as ever from distance, the nine-year veteran proved that he could shoot well from the floor in more limited minutes, and score with greater volume with a greater workload. Further, Payne proved to be reliable on defense in the passing lanes, with per 36 minutes steals averages of 1.1 and 1.2 SPG respectively.
The former No. 14 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft will likely see even less time on most nights than the 14.9 MPG he saw with the Bucks to begin the previous campaign — no pun intended. Brunson’s 35.4 minutes per night last season ranked No. 11 overall in the league. Miles McBride will also be gunning to retain his prominence in the Knicks’ lineup after bursting onto the scene post-All-Star break. Thus, Payne will likely have that 12-15 minute window to operate in, and his numbers suggest that he can be effective while keeping his turnovers down.
What the numbers don’t and won’t show for Payne next season
Outside of raw stats, Payne is a point guard who can add another element to the Knicks’ bench that will perfectly complement their sixth man Donte DiVincenzo, and seventh man Josh Hart next time out. The Tennessee native plays with a quick tempo both in transition and in the half-court. He is a fearless shooter and can find his shot without hesitation off the catch or the bounce.
The Knicks played so well in 2023-24 thanks in large part to the onus they placed on moving the ball more and upping their pace. Payne will help them further those efforts next season and also thrives in the pick-and-roll, where he is adept at making the right reads, shooting when he has space, or getting into the lane and letting off floaters. Payne hasn’t developed a reputation as a shutdown defender in the Association, but he is no slouch on that end either and has a gritty attitude that will fit right into Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau’s framework.
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The bottom line on Payne
Ultimately, the Knicks need a backup point guard who can shoot, find guys in their spots, be efficient, and gel well with their group of guys. Payne checks all of those boxes and then some. He figures to be a crowd-pleaser at Madison Square Garden, as he was at the Footprint Center during his four-year run with the Phoenix Suns from 2019-20 to 2022-23. Payne is also a perfect player to have on the floor when a run is needed. At the end of the first quarter into the second, opposing teams will need to keep a close eye on him, as he can spark runs on his own with his assertiveness on offense alone.
Should Brunson go down with an injury at any point in the year, Payne will be a great option to fill his shoes and feed the Knicks’ three other primary scorers in Julius Randle, Mikal Bridges, and OG Anunoby — the former two of which could theoretically pick up the slack as 20-plus point-per-game scorers and the latter in Anunoby having shown the potential to flirt with 20 a game when given enough touches. Payne’s averages with the Bucks from the 2023-24 campaign seem well within reach. He will need to fend off the young and hungry rookie guard Tyler Kolek who will also be out to carve a spot for himself in the rotation and outplay McBride as a distributing guard to do so, though.
