New York Knicks Rumors: 3 Free Agent Guards the Knicks have eyes on
By Matt Shetler
It’s no secret that the New York Knicks must add a backup point guard once free agency begins on July 1.
With Raymond Felton the only point guard currently on the roster and the future of Pablo Prigioni in doubt, priority No. 1 for Knicks general manager Glen Grunwald is to upgrade the lead guard position.
The problem is the Knicks must find a way to do it for under $3 million, which is a lot easier said than done in today’s NBA.
April 15, 2013; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Detroit Pistons point guard Will Bynum (12) shoots during the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at The Palace. Detroit won 109-101. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
According to Marc Berman of the New York Post, the Knicks have three guards in their sights: Will Bynum, C.J. Watson and Devin Harris.
Berman also notes that Bynum is the Knicks favorite, something I had reported a couple of weeks ago.
But let’s take a look at what each one brings to the table.
Will Bynum: Bynum is a guy a little like Felton, which isn’t necessarily a good thing. He will provide some scoring off the bench as that is his forte. He had a nice season in Detroit last year averaging 18.8 points Per 36 minutes. He has strength for his size and can get to the rim, but he doesn’t bring much else to the table.
Bynum is a lousy perimeter shooter (26.9 percent career three-point percentage) and not a great distributor (3.2 career assists per game), but he would be an upgrade over what the Knicks have now. But it gets worse as Bynum makes Felton look good in terms of defending. His size is a liability and he gambles and fouls way too much as he is always among the leaders inn point guards when it comes to foul rate.
C.J. Watson: Watson had a nice little run for the Bulls during the 2011-12 season when he averaged 14.1 points an over two three-pointers made Per 36 minutes. His numbers dropped off a bit last season in Brooklyn but he shot a career-high 41.1 percent from behind the arc.
As expected, pretty much all of Watson’s offense will come from behind the arc as he is not a good finisher in traffic. He also is not a great distributor as he averaged only 3.2 assists Per 36 minutes last season, although that number was over six his last two years in Chicago. Defensively he has quick hands and can pressure the ball, but overall he’s not a great half-court defender.
Devin Harris: Once a big name, Harris has fallen off the map as of late. Since averaging 21.3 points per game for the Nets during the 2008-09 campaign, his numbers have decreased in every season, all the way down to the 9.9 points per game he averaged with the Atlanta Hawks last year.
He’s not a great three-point shooter as he has knocked down only 31.8 percent of his long-range attempts in his career. While he can’t shoot a lick, Harris still has some quickness and can get to the basket and gets to the free-throw line at a pretty decent rate (5.7 career attempts per 36 minutes). Defensively though, just like the others, he is subpar.
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