The New York Knicks made what was seen as a minor move at the trade deadline this year. They sent center Jericho Sims to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for point guard Delon Wright. With Mitchell Robinson returning shortly after the deadline, Sims would have been further out of Tom Thibodeau’s rotation. Doc Rivers hadn’t been playing Wright meaningful minutes in quite some time. Neither were the Knicks, up until recently. With injuries to Jalen Brunson, Cameron Payne, and Miles McBride, the 32-year-old Wright has started each of the last five outings. With Payne returning on Saturday, and Brunson set to return Sunday, Thibodeau has an interesting decision to make regarding the Knicks backup point guard role, especially come playoff time.
The Knicks Backup Point Guard Conundrum
Delon Wright Has Started 5 Straight Games
On Saturday afternoon, the Knicks cruised to a 121-105 victory over the Atlanta Hawks, their fourth win in the last five games. Those five contests have coincided with when Wright was inserted into the starting lineup. Saturday was the fifth time that Wright has started for New York. The ten-year veteran only appeared in five of the team’s first 19 games after joining the Knicks. He played 29 minutes against Atlanta, totaling 10 points, two assists, and two steals.
In his five starts, Wright has posted averages of 9.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.8 steals. Standing at 6-foot-5, Wright provides length at the point guard position which helps allow him to play solid defense.
Wright got the start against the Hawks even with Payne returning. Perhaps not too much should be read into that though since Payne was returning from a four-game absence dealing with an ankle sprain. The 30-year-old has received the backup point guard minutes for the Knicks pretty much all season. He continued to after Wright was acquired as well. Likely shaking off a bit of rust, Payne had three points, three rebounds, and five assists over 21 minutes playing versus the Hawks.
A high-energy player, Payne provides long-range shooting ability, although his percentage has dipped a bit as the season has gone along. He is averaging nearly seven points per game this season with a four-to-one assist-to-turnover ratio.
Who Will Be Part Of The Knicks Bench Rotation In The Playoffs?
With Thibodeau notorious for not having deep rotations in the postseason, it doesn’t seem likely that a healthy Knicks team plays both Payne and Wright minutes. Thibodeau will likely utilize an eight or nine-man rotation. McBride and Robinson (and likely Landry Shamet) will certainly soak up some minutes off the bench. Even Precious Achiuwa isn’t a sure thing, as his minutes have dwindled in games Robinson has played.
There’s even a chance neither Wright or Payne are in the postseason rotation. Maybe Thibodeau instead gives the backup point guard minutes to McBride, something he’s done in the past but less so this season.
It will be quite interesting to see how Thibodeau divvies up the minutes during the postseason. In the meantime, the Knicks have a magic number of two to clinch being the third seed in the East. A combination of two wins and/or losses by the Indiana Pacers will secure them that spot.
Photo credit: © Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
