The chant rained down on Madison Square Garden Wednesday night as Knicks fans are frustrated with their point guard play. Toney Douglas is the starter but he is a score-first guy who does not fit with Mike D’Antoni’s system. Landry Fields is at the two but he has struggled this season and is shooting 21.1 percent from three. Baron Davis is injured and Mike Bibby is Mike Bibby.
Iman Shumpert is the hope, the fan favorite, if for no other reason than he is the only guy untarnished (and he had 18 points on Wednesday in his first game back from injury).
Knicks fans may get their wish — Shumpert may start as soon as Friday, D’Antoni told the New York media on Thursday. But Frank Isola of the New York Daily News adds this note on twitter.
Whether it is Shumpert or Baron Davis or anyone else, two things need to happen for the Knicks at the guard spot. One, if they are going to play D’Antoni’s system, they need to push the pace actually run more. They have the 11th fastest pace in the league this season, they are slowing down.
Second, and more importantly, they have to play defense. It is that end of the floor where the Knicks remain a real disaster.
Right now, without a true point guard, the Knicks remain a roster that fits poorly with the style of the coach. Shumpert alone is not going to solve the Knicks problems.