Which New York Knicks Player Will Make Biggest Leap in 2014-15?
The New York Knicks expect to make a significant improvement in 2014-15 on their poor showing last season, but to do so they'll require a number of individual players to raise their performances big-time.
Fortunately for the Knicks, they have a handful of young players we can realistically expect to improve this year, especially with the likes of Derek Fisher, Kurt Rambis and Jim Cleamons on the coaching staff and Phil Jackson in the front office.
Let's go through a few of New York's top prospects and predict who will make the biggest leap in 2014-15.
Iman Shumpert
For the last few years, Iman Shumpert has been the Knicks' marquee prospect, but after multiple injuries and a huge blow to his confidence under Mike Woodson, things have not been easy for him.
Ideally with a new head coach, new offensive system and a generally less tumultuous environment, Shumpert will be able to flourish moving forward, but there are no guarantees. He needs to assert himself and make good on his obvious talent and athletic ability, as there's only so much difference outside changes can make if he doesn't get involved.
According to Hollinger's stats on ESPN.com, Iman Shumpert's usage rate of 13.5 last season ranked him 63rd out of 70 qualifying shooting guards, so it's no surprise he was only able to average a career-low 6.7 points per game.
With that said, it was only 18 months ago that Shumpert made a very impressive return from his first knee surgery, improving his stroke to the tune of 40 percent shooting from beyond the arc in 2012-13. That kind of development is still very possible, especially with the chance for a fresh start in the Knicks' new era.
The triangle will bring ball movement, so while Shumpert tends to struggle creating for himself, he should have plenty more opportunities as a spot-up shooter on the wing.
Defensively is where New York should really want to see Shump step up. It already has enough offense at the 2 spot with Tim Hardaway Jr. and J.R. Smith, but a defensive stopper on the wing could make a huge difference on that end of the floor.
Shumpert has certainly shown flashes of great defense. Even through his struggles last season, he was arguably the team's best wing defender. His defensive win share of 1.6 according to Basketball-Reference.com ranked him behind only Tyson Chandler and (believe it or not) Carmelo Anthony on the Knicks' roster.
If he learns the new system quickly and gets the support he needs from Fisher and Company, there's no reason Shumpert shouldn't at least improve his efficiency on offense and make some serious strides toward his All-Defensive potential in 2014-15.
Tim Hardaway Jr.
While Shumpert is looking to bounce back from a tough campaign, Hardaway is looking to build on a very strong start to his NBA career after earning a spot on the All-Rookie team.
Drafted at No. 24 overall, Hardaway has quickly earned a "virtually untouchable" label in the eyes of the Knicks' organization, according to Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com, which isn't really surprising considering the offensive potential he displayed in his rookie season.
Hardaway struggled to get minutes behind Shumpert and Smith early on but finished the season averaging 15.8 points per 36 minutes, fantastic numbers for an inexperienced player.
Plenty of work still needs to be done, namely increasing his efficiency and diversifying his game outside of the three-point shot, which will almost certainly be his focus this season.
In summer league, we saw Hardaway take a leadership role as one of the "veterans" of the Knicks roster, occasionally running the offense and taking it upon himself to get to the rim as opposed to simply waiting outside for a shot opportunity to present itself.
It's clear that Hardaway has bulked up over the summer, which will no doubt help him continue to attack the basket, but he plans to use that to his advantage on the defensive end too, which is great news for New York.
Depending on how minutes are distributed, it's very possible that we could see Hardaway increase his scoring to around 15 points per game, ideally coupled with a raise in field-goal percentage.
Hardaway appears to be one of the most confident and motivated players on the roster, which will surely work in his favor. Time will tell, but it appears that the Knicks have unearthed a gem in Hardaway, which should show during his 2014-15 performances.
Shane Larkin
While Shane Larkin wasn't a member of the Knicks in his rookie season, it's still very possible that he could improve on his season with the Dallas Mavericks.
Larkin broke his ankle before he could even play a game for the Mavericks, eventually playing only 48 games that season. He never really had a chance to build momentum for himself and with a solid guard rotation ahead of him managed just 2.8 points and 1.5 assists per game.
Now that he's had time to fully heal and work with Fisher in the triangle offense, we should see more of Larkin's raw ability in 2014-15. We've already seen his lightning speed in preseason; there's no doubt he's one of the fastest players in the entire league.
Running the triangle in what is essentially his second rookie season is not an easy task, but according to Marc Berman of the New York Post, New York actually likes the way his speed occasionally pulls the team out of the offense—to the point where they're favoring him over Pablo Prigioni as Jose Calderon's backup.
Once he gets into his rhythm, Larkin can make a huge difference for the Knicks. They've been one of the slowest teams in the league for a while now in large part due to their makeup at point guard. Paired with the rest of the team's young players, he has the potential to transform the second unit into a high-energy machine.
It may be cheating considering how little Larkin got to play in his rookie season, but if he earns a role in the rotation, Larkin's production should shoot up rather significantly in New York.
Quincy Acy
Like Larkin, Quincy Acy wasn't on the Knicks last year, but that doesn't change the fact that he's turning heads this preseason.
When he was acquired along with Travis Outlaw, it seemed the Knicks just wanted to get rid of Wayne Ellington's contract, but as it turns out they may have actually received a solid forward for very little in return to the Sacramento Kings.
According to Berman, Acy has a good chance of starting for New York at power forward with Carmelo Anthony moving back to small forward to accommodate the triangle offense.
Grit is the name of the game for Acy, a former second-round pick who's undersized for the 4 spot. The Knicks could really use a player like that in the frontcourt to pull down rebounds and play physically on the defensive end.
Acy isn't the most talented young player on the roster, but his energy alone will make a huge difference for the Knicks, and the opportunity to start should lead to a significant improvement on his career numbers of 3.2 points and 3.2 rebounds per game.
The Verdict
The good thing for the Knicks is that they suddenly have a nice collection of young talent, which will help significantly in their rebuilding—or rather retooling—process.
It's possible that New York could see improvements across the board from its young players, but the primary player to focus on is Shumpert, who's at a crossroads in his young career.
The Knicks have a huge decision to make in 2015 regarding Shumpert, while the pressure is on him to prove himself worthy of a new contract when the focus will be on adding talent in free agency.
As far as all-around talent is concerned, Shumpert has displayed more than any other player on this list. The issue for him is turning that talent into consistent production on both ends of the floor.
With no surgeries this offseason and a system more suited to his style of play, we should see Shumpert bounce back in 2014-15 and remind everyone just how important a player he is to the franchise's future before he hits restricted free agency.
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