New York Knicks Desperately Need Backcourt Help

The New York Knicks are slumping again, losers of four straight, but they will look to snap that streak at home tonight against the Detroit Pistons. A common theme during the Knicks’ unfortunate stretch is the unremarkable play of Jose Calderon and Langston Galloway. The team’s primary point guards have struggled to generate anything on offense, with Calderon averaging six points and four assists per game and Galloway just seven and three respectively. Both players have unimpressive offensive stats for the season, even after Galloway’s hot start, and the Knicks need that to change in a hurry.

Calderon, known primarily for his shooting, is only 45 percent from the field and 38 percent from three-point range, both well below his career averages. He’s only even taking 5.7 shots per game and supplying 3.8 assists. He has never been one to push the ball in transition or attack the basket, averaging just 0.3 fast-break points and 0.9 points in the paint. That’s not enough production for a starting point guard, especially one who plays 26 minutes per game. Calderon has a usage rate of 12 percent — last on the team — which shows that not only is he not making plays, but he isn’t even trying to.

Galloway is on a similar path, falling into an unbearable slump during the month of December after leading the league in both offensive efficiency and three-point percentage at the beginning of the season. His shooting percentages have fallen drastically during his slump to under 40 percent from the field and just over 40 percent from three-point range after spending a majority of November around the 45 percent mark. His effective field goal percentage is at an abysmal 46.5 percent. Calderon’s shooting numbers might be far superior, but the sample size is so small that it’s difficult to gauge whether or not he has an impact on the game at all.

The Knicks desperately need a spark. They are 23rd in the league in offensive rating and 27th in effective field goal percentage. In today’s NBA, if you can’t score in the fast break or make threes you need to have multiple superstars if you want to win, and the Knicks are not that lucky. They are a poor three-point shooting team, and with Galloway’s percentage dropping to a more reasonable number, they desperately need help in that area.

Ideally, Arron Afflalo picks up his long-distance game and New York won’t need to make a move for a three-point shooter, but if not there are rumors that the Minnesota Timberwolves‘ Kevin Martin could be available. Martin is one of the league’s best long-range shooters and would be a great asset. Unfortunately, he is under contract through next season, and the Knicks are not likely to make a move that would compromise their long-term financial flexibility.

The Pistons’ Brandon Jennings is a calculated risk. He hasn’t played in 11 months, but according to Pistons head coach Stan Van Gundy, Jennings is ready to go. No return date has been announced yet, but it sounds like it’s going to be soon. Jennings has had notoriously poor shot selection which could hurt him in the triangle, but he is a risk worth taking, especially with an expiring contract. Jennings scored nearly five points in the paint and three fast-break points per game last season, creating offensive opportunities in ways that Calderon never could.

The Knicks have to do something, because their current crop of guards isn’t getting it done. Whether it is a three-point bomber or a penetrating point guard, somebody needs to come in and energize this lifeless team.

Chipper Murphy is a Beat Writer for the New York Knicks on www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @ChipperMurphy or Google. “Like” him on Facebook.