Will Baron Davis’ Return Right New York Knicks’ Sinking Ship?

While there are no excuses for New York’s increasing number of embarrassing losses, their recent struggles can be attributed to the team’s lack of a true floor general. Toney Douglas and Iman Shumpert are not true point guards, Mike Bibby is past his prime and Anthony is no bonafide facilitator.

If the Knicks had the luxury of boasting a competent point man, a lot of their current problems would become less prevalent. Amar’e Stoudemire would not be forced to create for himself, there would be someone to balance the touches between New York’s two stars, and there wouldn’t be a different player bringing the ball up the court every possession.

Success can only come with continuity. If a team is putting different combinations of players on the floor every night while constantly shifting around their roles, cohesion is not going to be developed. That’s the fire New York is currently toiling with, and now, more than ever, it’s clear the Knicks are getting burned.

But help is on the way.

Baron Davis is reportedly on his way back to the court after missing the start of the season with herniated discs. While New York will unlikely see the Davis of four years ago, his presence is going to be felt in the best possible way.

Many believe that Davis’ impending return is being overstated and that this struggling Knicks team is placing too much faith in a washed up, out of shape 32-year-old. The point guard may be 32, but other than that such notions could not be further from the truth.

Davis is in the best shape he has been in years. He is visibly slimmer and can be seen going through drills on the court prior to tip-off. And he’s not washed out. If anything, it seems he has never been more motivated.

From the New York Post:

Baron Davis said he believes he can eventually make the Knicks an “unstoppable’’ offensive team.

“Once we hit our stride offensively and once our offense catches up with our defense, we’ll be unstoppable,’’ Davis said. “I’m confident this season we’ll turn it around and we’ll hit our stride.’’

Davis believes that he has enough left in the tank to help the Knicks turn their season around, and there is no reason to believe otherwise. New York doesn’t need another All-Star, they simply need someone to balance the ball-distribution within their star-studded offense.

And Davis will do just that. He has directed NBA offenses for over a decade, and knows what it takes to satisfy the appetites of superstars. That’s a virtue that simply cannot be overstated.

So while the Knicks are currently in disarray, don’t expect their ship to continue sinking until it hits rock bottom. Davis will help New York charter a course for success, not disappointment.

Smooth sailing is just around the corner.