The New York Knicks have an exciting off-season ahead of them. Finding out who will be the starting point guard will take several months and the preseason. However, there’s a clear front runner in Dennis Smith Jr., who has been working tirelessly on his perimeter shot to help produce more for an inefficient offense.
The lack of a Jumper forced struggles upon him in 2018, yet he hit on. 413% of the shots from the field and averaged 14.7 points per game in 2018. His assist totals were solid as well, recording 5.4 per game, but his three-ball was very porous connecting on .322% from beyond the ark.
Smith Jr. will be competing against Frank Ntilikina and Elfrid Payton for starting time. It is expected, however, that Dennis will be the starting option only due to the ineffectiveness of the French-born player and the former New Orleans Pelican.
The Knicks are putting a lot of faith into Dennis Smith Jr. in 2019–20. After losing out on Kyrie Irving and Kemba Walker in free agency they were unable to sign a superstar to fill the position and increase the production on the offense. They do believe, though, that Smith can be the future due to his elite athleticism which gives him an advantage over the two remaining options on the roster.
Additionally, his improved perimeter shot should give him the actual legs to improve his game and show his potential going into his third season as a professional basketball player.
At this point in time, Frank is likely not going to be the starting option — he was a potential trade piece prior to the deadline for the Knicks, but interested teams wanted a first-round pick for his talents. He will likely come off the bench and provide support on the defensive side of the ball considering his offensive struggles.
Another low-key option is Kadeem Allen, who is going into his third season, second with the New York Knicks. He played in 19 games in 2018 averaging 21.9 minutes per game. He is also a more defensive player, only averaging 9.9 points per game, which is still higher than Frank’s. His field goal percentage, however, was .461% from the field. He has the potential to earn some starting minutes, but I anticipate him coming off the bench if he manages to make the roster at all.