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7 Bold Predictions for Baron Davis' New York Knicks Debut

Matt ShetlerJun 7, 2018

After watching the New York Knicks' offense struggle mightily throughout the seasons first 16 games, there has been a public outcry for Baron Davis to hurry and make his Knicks debut as soon as possible.

That time may be right around the corner, as Davis should be in the Knicks lineup sometime during the club's upcoming road trip.

But what does Davis actually bring to the Knicks?

He's not the savior that many Knicks fans want him to be or even need him to be. He is an upgrade at the point guard position, though, and that's what the Knicks desperately need.

Davis in the lineup doesn't make the Knicks offense instantly better, but it should be a step in the right direction.

Here's some bold predictions of what to expect from Davis as he's close to making his debut.

He Will Be Rusty

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Davis won't get major minutes off the bat.

Mike D'Antoni is going to have to ease him into the lineup.

He's a guy with a bad back that hasn't played a meaningful basketball game in a long time. With only a handful of practices under his belt by the time he's ready to go, D'Antoni will have to pick and choose wisely when to use Davis the best.

Until his conditioning gets to where it needs to be, he's just going to be part of the guard rotation for now.

Amar'e Stoudemire Will Get More Touches

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With Davis running the offense, he will keep people involved. A superstar like Stoudemire won't go nearly the entire second half without the ball in his hands when there is a real point guard running the show.

The right people will get the ball, and eventually, the offense will run smoother.

The biggest impact Davis can have is by moving the basketball. The Knicks can't win averaging 18 assists per game.

The Fourth Quarter Won't Be Melo-Ball

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Another big difference is that Davis should be the primary ball handler in the fourth quarter.

Don't get me wrong, Anthony will still get his shots late in games, and he deserves to. But the difference will be that every possession won't begin and end with the ball in Anthony's hands.

Other guys will get touches in the fourth quarter.

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Iman Shumpert Will Become the Starting Shooting Guard

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Landry Fields and Toney Douglas aren't shooting it well, and Shumpert has impressed.

Once Davis is able to take on starter's minutes, he should be joined by the rookie who will be back in his comfort zone playing off the ball.

It's Pick-and-Roll Time

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Things will pick up in the Knicks offense if they can just get back to running the simple pick-and-roll effectively.

They have two big guys in Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler who have earned their NBA paychecks coming off pick and rolls, but Toney Douglas and Iman Shumpert have struggled to run the simple pick and roll.

It's a staple in D'Antoni's offense, which means you need a guard that can run it.

If they get back to running a simple pick and roll, the offense will slowly start to flow better.

Turnovers Will Decrease

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Initially, things could be sloppy with Davis in the lineup, but eventually, the turnovers should decrease.

Just having a veteran that knows what he wants to do with the ball will make a big difference in the long run.

Throughout his career, Davis has averaged a little over two turnovers per game to go along with a little over seven assists per contest.

The Knicks young guards combined average closer to three turnovers per person and under three assists per person.

It Can't Be Any Worse

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With Davis running the offense, it can't get any worse then things currently are now. Knicks fans will take that any day of the week.

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