Breaking Down New York Knicks By Position: Shooting Guard

The 2014-2015 season is an important for the New York Knicks. They are under new management from the front office with Phil Jackson, to the coaching staff headed by Derek Fisher. There has also been a huge turnover on the roster, as the Knicks attempt to build their roster to be tailored to the Triangle Offense, while also not digging into the precious cap space they have manufactured for the upcoming offseasons. With that, a series of articles will be written to break down the Knicks position by position, going in depth about who the starter will be, and the role each player will have behind the starter. The second position we’ll take a look at is the shooting guard spot.

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Starter: Iman Shumpert

All throughout training camp and the preseason, Fisher has preached that he wants continuity and chemistry in all the lineups he uses. He wants cohesion on both ends of the court, balancing offense and defense. With that philosophy, Shumpert is the best suited player for the starting job.

Shumpert is the best one-on-one defender the Knicks have on the team, and by far the best defensively on the perimeter. With defensive lacking point guard Jose Calderon also starting, it is imperative the Knicks have a capable defender next to him, and Shumpert fits that bill.

Shumpert has been the middle of trade rumors for over a season now, but those have quieted down since Phil Jackson took over as President. Shumpert is one of Jackson’s favorite players, and one that should thrive in the Triangle Offense. His penchant for moving without the ball and making cuts will be better utilized in this offense than the one former coach Mike Woodson ran. Too often in that iso-heavy offense Shumpert would sit in the corner, wasting his athleticism and ability to move without the ball.

Going into the 2013-2014 season the Knicks had high aspirations for Shumpert, but they soured on him as his great play in the 2013 post season did not carry over. The Knicks soured, and they began shopping him.

With Jackson running the show Shumpert looks to have a spot on the team and should start at shooting guard. If he can regain his form he showed during that post season run, the Knicks will be happy to have kept him. He should thrive in the new offense, and should provide solid defense in the starting unit that can use it.

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Backups: J.R. Smith, Tim Hardaway Jr.

Smith, the 2013 Sixth Man of the Year had a rough 2013-2014 season for the Knicks. He started the season off on the wrong foot, being suspended for five games at the beginning of the season and recovering from offseason knee surgery. He found his footing towards the end of the season, but he no longer has the backing of Woodson who was a father figure to him. He will have to earn his minutes, not be handed them.

Smith will provide the same streaky shooting that he has in his career. He says he wants to be a leader this season, and taking a look into his history it is hard to believe that it will happen but he wouldn’t be the first player to grow up as he approached his 30’s. His self-admission about the Triangle offense isn’t easy for him to pickup on will not get him more playing time either.

Hardaway is the third player in the log jam at shooting guard the Knicks have, and is thought to have the most upside of any of the three. His offensive prowess is unquestioned, he just leaves a lot of be desired on the defensive end of the court and in really every other facet other than scoring the basketball. Until that improves, the Knicks cannot trust him getting big minutes. His three-point shooting is a weapon the Knicks can use to their advantage, but if he doesn’t improve on the other end of the court he is hard to be trusted.

Smith and Hardaway Jr. should come off the bench, but each can make a case to start instead of Shumpert. The Knicks had their most successful stretch of games last season with Smith in the starting lineup, and that could be something Fisher goes back to this season. Hardaway Jr. is too unproven yet to be a starter, and is fine coming off the bench as a go-to scoring option. The Knicks could conceivably play Shumpert, Smith and Hardaway Jr. all at the same time, as all three can handle the ball if needed and play small forward as well.

Feb 5, 2014; New York, NY, USA; Portland Trailblazers shooting guard Wesley Matthews (2) controls the ball against New York Knicks shooting guard J.R. Smith (8) and New York Knicks shooting guard Tim Hardaway Jr. (5) during the fourth quarter of a game at Madison Square Garden. The Trailblazers defeated the Knicks 94-90. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

This will be the toughest position for Fisher to allocate minutes to, and will be worth keeping an eye on throughout the season. As it stands currently, Shumpert should start the games but he won’t necessarily finish them. The game flow and matchups will determine who plays at the end of games, as Fisher and the Knicks will have plenty of decisions to make handing out minutes to their trio of shooting guards.

Click HERE to read the break down of the Point Guard position.

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