The point guard position for the New York Knicks was filled with doubt and uncertainty heading into the regular season, and veteran Elfrid Payton proved to be the top option among the three, despite only scoring 11 points in the season opener. His impressive defensive attributes allowed him to take control of the games and help the Knicks come close to victory, and he earned the start against the Brooklyn Nets in a hard-fought game.
Payton finished the night shooting 4-for-10 with 10 points and two assists. His -7 +/-was the lowest on the starting team, and his defense fell off a cliff after a stellar first game performance in the facet. However, the player that seems to be falling out of favor with head coach David Fizdale is Dennis Smith Jr., who played five minutes and shot 0-for-4 with one assist. Smith finished the game with a -8 +/-, the lowest on the team.
The New York Knicks could leave Dennis Smith Jr. in the dust:
Frustration could be setting in for Smith Jr., who has been emotional in the past over playing time and usage. If he continues down this path of low percentage field goals attempts and lousy defense, Fizdale could forget about him altogether.
One exciting thing we saw on Friday night was how Fizdale approached the point guard position. He initially used Payton as the first option, but then inserted Allonzo Trier and RJ Barrett into the position due to the struggles from Smith and Frank Ntilikina.
Ultimately, Trier had a stellar game working out of PG and his natural guard position, putting up 22 points on 6-of-7 shooting from the field and 3-for-4 from downtown. He also connected on 7-11 free throws. I expect to see plenty more from the formerly undrafted player in the Knicks starting rotation.
Trier made it a priority to increase his three-point attempts this season, and he has ‘so far, heaving up four in his second game of the season. Connecting on 75%, we will see plenty more from him in that regard.