NY Knicks: Building the Case for Jason Kidd to Start at PG
The New York Knicks have the extremely tough task this season of replacing fan favorite Jeremy Lin with another starting point guard.
With all of the point guards from last year’s roster, Toney Douglas, Baron Davis and Mike Bibby, no longer with the team, it will be up to one of the Knicks' offseason additions to take on this role.
The player most people assume will do this is Raymond Felton. Felton was acquired by the Knicks in a sign-and-trade the night before they decided not to match the Rockets' offer for Lin.
The dark horse to earn this starting spot, however, is Jason Kidd.
Kidd brings a ton of skills and experience to the table that contrast what Felton would bring to the team.
Here is my case for why Jason Kidd should start at point guard for the New York Knicks.
He Will Improve the Team’s Rebounding
1 of 5The Knicks were only 18th in the NBA last season in total rebounds per game.
Jason Kidd will certainly improve this stat for the Knicks since he is one of the best rebounding point guards of all time.
Kidd played a career-low 28.7 minutes per game in 2011-12, but still averaged 4.1 rebounds per game. For his career, he has an incredible average of 6.4 rebounds per game.
Kidd is 64th on the list of most rebounds in NBA history with 8,402.
Even at age 39, Kidd still has an emphasis on rebounding and will significantly improve the Knicks in this area if he is the starting point guard.
He Can Run the Fast Break
2 of 5He may have lost a step, but Kidd can still get out in the open floor and run all game long.
With high flyers like J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert and Tyson Chandler, and great outside shooters like Carmelo Anthony and Steve Novak, the Knicks thrive in the fast-break offense.
Kidd not only gets the team down the floor in a hurry, but he knows when to push the ball all the way to the basket and when to pull up and find an open teammate behind the three-point line.
With Kidd starting, the Knicks will be running right out of the gate. This will set the tempo for the remainder of the game and hopefully get the Knicks out to early leads on a regular basis.
He Will Find Melo and Amar’e for Open Looks
3 of 5Jason Kidd has always put an emphasis on making the players around him better.
Throughout his entire career, Kidd has always looked to get his teammates shots before himself. Kidd’s career points per game average is 13 and his career assists per game average is nine.
Last year was the first time in Kidd’s 19-year career that he averaged fewer than 7.7 assists per game.
With Kidd as the starting point guard, Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire will significantly benefit on the offensive end. Kidd knows how to play with all types of players and will go out of his way to make them both the best scorers they can be.
Felton Has Only Played in 9 Playoff Games
4 of 5The goal for the Knicks this season is to make a deep run into the playoffs.
Raymond Felton has only been to the playoffs twice in his career and neither trip has been very successful.
His first time in the playoffs was with the Charlotte Bobcats during the 2009-10 season. They were swept by the Orlando Magic and only kept one game closer than nine points.
His second playoff appearance was the following season with the Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets earned the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference that season, but they only managed to win one playoff game before getting knocked out by the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Jason Kidd has been to the NBA Finals more times than Felton has even been to the playoffs.
That experience Kidd has is invaluable and will make a huge difference for the Knicks once they reach the postseason.
He Has a RING
5 of 5Building on the last slide, the Knicks need a point guard who has experience playing in the big games. Kidd has been to the championship three times during his career and understands what it takes to win it all.
The only player on the team last season who had a championship ring was Tyson Chandler. Chandler completely changed the attitude of the team defensively, but didn’t make much of an impact on the offensive end.
Kidd will bring that same presence to the offense if he starts. He knows how to run an offense that is capable of winning a championship. Felton doesn’t.
Felton may be more athletically gifted than the 39-year-old Kidd, but he can’t match Kidd’s intangibles.
If the Knicks want the best chance of making it to the final game of the 2012-13 season, Jason Kidd should be the man in the starting point guard role.
