The New York Knicks will be without the services of Daymean Dotson for the entire pre-season. Dotson is still recovering from right shoulder surgery earlier this year.
It is also up-in-the-air if Dotson will be ready for the beginning of the season. Dotson is still not able to participate in contract drills for an unknown timetable.
This comes as a big blow to the Knicks shooting guards. The Knicks do not have a true healthy shooting guard on the roster at this point, with Dotson out. Maybe Allonzo Trier?
If healthy, Dotson could have been a serious candidate to start this season. Unfortunately, that is not the case now.
Dotson is one of the Knicks top two-way players. He has showed that given the opportunity he can score while also providing good defense for 94 feet.
With Dotson most likely not going to start, due to his injury, the shooting guard or two position is up for grabs.
With his performance in the FIBA World Cup, this could be the opportunity that Frank Ntilikina needs. Ntilikina should be given a chance regardless. Rookie RJ Barrett could step into the starting role depending on how he performs in training camp, but most likely he will start on the bench.
Trier will put up a fight for the two position along with Wayne Ellington. Trier would get the nod as long as his defense improves as Ellington is more of a 3-point specialist.
There will be a lot of battles for certain starting positions. Dotson not being fully ready-to-go opens the door for others to capture the moment. Nothing is set in stone, according to coach David Fizdale. The starting line-ups will be juggled a lot at the beginning of the season until Fizdale finds what works best for the Knicks.