Schmeelk: Jackson Has Big Work To Do To Fill Out Back Of Knicks Roster
By John Schmeelk
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The Knicks have 12 guaranteed contracts on their roster. Most fans say "that's all you need," but New York needs to have a deep bench with the age and injury history of some of its best players.
If Brandon Jennings becomes the starting point guard for an extended period of time, is his backup dependable? It's the same for Joakim Noah at center.
Here's where the Knicks stand with guaranteed contracts:
Point guard
Derrick Rose, Brandon Jennings
Shooting guard
Courtney Lee, Justin Holliday
Small forward
Carmelo Anthony, Lance Thomas, Mindaugas Kuzminskas
Power forward
Kristaps Porzingis, Kyle O'Quinn
Center
Joakim Noah, Willy Hernangomez, Marshall Plumlee
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O'Quinn and Hernangomez can be interchangeable at power forward and center. Kuzminskas could also play power forward in small lineups, as can Anthony and maybe even Thomas.
With a dozen players on the roster, there are three more spots that need to be filled.
One more point guard isn't a luxury, it's a must. Rose is going to miss games, either due to actual injury or knee maintenance over the course of the season. Jennings tore his Achilles' tendon two years ago. The Knicks need a capable third point guard.
During Summer League play, the Knicks had two guards that played well enough to earn a tryout in camp, but neither is a true point guard.
Former Stanford standout Chasson Randle is point guard size at 6-foot-2, 185 pounds, but he is a scorer and not a distributor. When he left college in 2015, he was the Cardinal's all-time scoring leader. He's an excellent shooter, but he hasn't shown the playmaking or defensive ability Phil Jackson looks for from his point guard. He might get a tryout in the fall, but his combination of size and skill set will limit his long-term ability to make an impact in the NBA.
Ron Baker, an undrafted rookie, played four years at Wichita State as a shooting guard. When the Knicks tried him at point guard earlier this summer, he struggled mightily. When they moved him over to his natural position at the 2 he was far more efficient. His athleticism is limited and his shooting isn't elite enough, at least not yet, to make up for it.
While either Baker or Randle might be able to compete for a spot behind unproven Holliday, who the Knicks have high hopes for as a "3 and D" player, counting on either as even a third point guard would be risky. The Knicks will try to find a veteran point guard somewhere to play when Rose eventually misses games.
Mario Chalmers is coming off an Achilles' injury but could be a logical target if he is willing to play for the veteran's minimum. Ty Lawson is another option, but he is a risk for off-the-court reasons. Finding someone good enough that's willing to take the minimum will be the real trick.
With the aforementioned Holliday having very little NBA playing experience, the Knicks would be wise to have another option behind him. Baker and Randle could be possibilities, but a veteran could be on the radar as well.
The player that impressed me the most during summer league play was DaJuan Summers. A second-round draft pick back in 2009, Summers has played sparingly in the NBA for four years. At Georgetown, he played the kind of system basketball (Princeton Offense) that should allow him to succeed in the triangle offense.
Summers played last season in the D-League for the Knicks and got off to a blistering start, averaging 25 points and 10 rebounds while shooting 36 percent from 3-point range in his first three games, before suffering a serious injury to his Achilles' tendon. At 6-8 and 230 pounds and with the ability to hit the open 3 and shoot the mid-range shot, he seems like a good candidate as a stretch 4 behind Porzingis.
Summers could be with the Knicks in a tryout situation in the fall, and if no other veterans are brought in to compete at either forward position, he might have a real shot at making the roster. In his late 20s, this might be his last real shot to latch on in the NBA. Kuzminskas might be Summers' biggest obstacle, since both play similar positions.
The Knicks gave Plumlee a one-year guarantee, but he is no lock to make the roster, either. With Noah's extensive injury history, counting on the combination of a rookie import in Hernangomez, veteran O'Quinn and undrafted rookie Plumlee is dangerous. The Knicks should try to find another big man, unless Jeff Hornacek is willing to play smaller a lot more often than Jackson's teams have over the last couple of seasons.
The Knicks' front office still has a ton of work to do to have this roster ready for next season. Jackson took a lot of chances on injury risks this offseason, making the back end of the roster even more important. Last season, the Knicks fell apart when Anthony and Thomas got hurt, and that can't be allowed to happen again.
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