The New York Knicks’ bench could turn the corner this season if their backup floor general keeps playing the way he has over their last three games.
Cameron Payne can help turn the Knicks’ bench offense around
Knicks point guard Cameron Payne was brought on board to run the offense in the second unit, provide noteworthy outside shooting, and break defenses down while getting into the lane. On the season, the 10-year veteran is averaging 7.2 points and 2.6 assists on 40.6 percent shooting from the three-point line.
While his individual numbers have been solid, the Knicks’ reserve unit has not been able to overcome their dreadful offensive woes this season. They’ve been nestled at the very bottom of the league’s leaderboard in bench scoring for a large portion of the campaign. They rank dead last among all 30 teams, averaging 20.2 points per game.
Yet, Payne has turned things up of late. He dropped 11 points in the Knicks’ 126-101 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Jan. 10. The Tennessee native then scored 18 points in New York’s huge 140-106 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday — his second-highest point total of the year — before rounding things out with a 10-point game in the team’s 124-119 loss to the Detroit Pistons on Monday.
Knicks: Tom Thibodeau loved Payne’s play against Bucks
Per New York Basketball, Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau raved about the 30-year-old’s penultimate showing, saying this after the Bucks win:
“Huge, huge, huge. Those were big minutes…That bench play was really good––we needed that,” Thibodeau said.
The Knicks don’t have a single player who is currently scoring in double figures off of their bench. Miles McBride used to be that guy for them, but he’s since regressed to an underwhelming 9.3 PPG. Thus, Payne can help New York up the ante with more aggression in looking for his shot and converting with proficiency.
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The Knicks have an elite offensive starting unit, but if their bench does not follow suit, and fast, the front office may need to look for a solution in the trade market. Whether or not a trade materializes, they’ll need more than a notable acquisition to help their bench do what’s required for them to seriously push for an NBA championship come spring, which Payne’s elevated play can solve if sustained from here on out.
