New York Knicks Grades For First Quarter Of Season
Point Guard
Oct 30, 2014; Cleveland, OH, USA; New York Knicks guard Pablo Prigioni (9) celebrates against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena. New York won 95-90. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Jose Calderon missed the first 13 games of the season because of a calf strain, and is working himself back into basketball shape. Some of his numbers are down a little, while others are up. He will be a consistent producer for the Knicks, and his stats should come back to the mean as he gets some more games under his belt. The rebounding barrage he went on, getting 10 in two out of three games, will probably not happen again all season but it was something fun to see in a dismal first quarter for the Knicks.. . . JOSE CALDERON. B+
. . SHANE LARKIN. B-. Shane Larkin surprisingly won the starting job for the majority of the games that Calderon missed, but he was unable to really produce consistently. He still has a lot to learn as an NBA player, as this is essentially his rookie season after missing so much time in his rookie year and being at the back end of the Dallas Mavericks bench. But what he does offer the Knicks is a quick, energetic player in the backcourt, something their other options do not. He could be an adequate backup PG with some more seasoning.
B+. When <strong><a href=. . . PABLO PRIGIONI
The point guard position isn’t anything overly special for the Knicks, but you know what you’ll get from the position more often than not. The veterans, Jose Calderon and Prigioni, are a calming influence, while the younger Shane Larkin is a wild card that can bring a spark. The same problems from recent seasons, namely containing quick, opposing guards, sometimes rears it’s ugly head but Point Guard hasn’t been hurting the Knicks nearly as much as it did last season.