Things have changed for the New York Knicks.
Ridiculously quickly, I might add.
Though they have long needed a quality starting point guard, they weren’t initially expected to chase one in free agency this summer. There aren’t a ton of exceptional floor generals available, the Knicks already have Jose Calderon, Tony Wroten Jr. and Jerian Grant, and above all else, the triangle doesn’t call for an expert NBA quarterback.
But then team president Phil Jackson hired head coach Jeff Hornacek, who is expected to build an offense using both the triangle and his own faster-paced brand of basketball. The Knicks, in turn, are ready to spend on a high-end point guard. And they apparently have eyes for both Mike Conley and Jordan Clarkson, according to ESPN.com’s Ian Begley:
The club will have at least $18 million to spend in the offseason, and could also explore the trade market to acquire a guard. They and any other team with needs in the backcourt will have interest in free agent Mike Conley. Restricted Lakers guard Jordan Clarkson also has fans in the Knicks organization, but it seems as if Los Angeles will retain the second-year player.
Both Conley and Clarkson will be upgrades over whatever the Knicks already have. There’s no arguing that. But this list actually sort of highlights why they may be better off waiting until next summer to pursue a point guard.
Conley is an exceptionally talented point man and wildly underrated. For the last five years, the Memphis Grizzlies have basically played like a top-10 offense when he’s on the floor, compared to a bottom-five slop fest when he’s off, according to NBA.com. But he has never run a faster-paced attack before. So unless the Knicks don’t plan on drastically picking up the rate of play next season, he’s a risky signing—especially after his Achilles injury.
Clarkson, meanwhile, isn’t really a point guard at all. He’s more of a combo guard, not a born playmaker. He drives to the basket more than Jose Calderon, so he could probably survive at the 1 in New York’s system, but his three-point shooting is iffy, and the Knicks would need to pay him handsomely based on a two-year sample he delivered for a crappy Los Angeles Lakers team.
Yes, again, both Conley and Clarkson are upgrades. But the Knicks will have more sensible options available to them next summer, when the salary cap jumps yet again. They’re better off waiting on the point guard front, perhaps hoping some combination of point Carmelo Anthony, Jerian Grant and, assuming his return, Langston Galloway can help them get by on offense in the meantime.
