Meet Langston Galloway, the New York Knicks' Latest Project
Finally, there's something to feel good about in New York.
Undrafted rookie Langston Galloway, 23, out of Saint Joseph's actually gave Knicks fans a reason to keep watching through the pain of what was just another brutal beatdown, this time by the Houston Rockets Thursday night.
He scored 19 points in just his second NBA appearance in the 120-96 loss, taking full advantage of available minutes created by injuries and the J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert trades.
"I had a lot of fun," he told Mitch Abramson of the New York Daily News. "I was just going out there, trying to help my team any way possible. The biggest thing is just trying to get us back into the game, and that’s what I was trying to do."
Galloway had spent time with the Knicks' summer league team in July and had been playing for their D-League affiliate in Westchester, where he was averaging 16.4 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.
Though a productive four-year college player at Saint Joseph's—you might remember his 25-point performance that came up just short against the eventual national champion Connecticut Huskies during last March's NCAA tournament—Galloway never really entered the NBA draft conversation, given his projected limitations.
At 6'2", he was a scorer who averaged below three assists in each of his four seasons. Galloway even regressed his junior year before breaking out as a senior, having averaged 17.7 points in 2013-14.
But he's found a path to the league that dozens of other higher-profile prospects have not. Galloway's toughness has certainly helped play to his likability as an NBA guard.
He's the type of kid who'd jump right back into it after getting his tooth knocked out. He's hit game-winning free throws with a second on the clock and game-winning threes on final possessions. Acquiring Galloway was a good move, per a tweet from former college basketball coach Tom Penders in October:
But if anything is going to allow him to stick, it's that jumper, which connected on 343 three-pointers at a 42.6 percent clip over his college career. Last season, he shot a scorching 44.3 percent from behind the arc, while making 3.2 threes per game.
He recently hit 39 threes in 19 D-League games. Galloway nailed seven of them against the Delaware 87ers back on Nov. 22:
Against the Rockets, we saw a little bit of everything, from his three triples and couple of finishes in transition to his eye-opening one-handed putback slam.
For the 5-34 Knicks, who lack athleticism, burst and overall energy, it's not hard to see why president Phil Jackson has taken a liking to Galloway, who was also leading the D-League in steals (2.7) before being called up.
Offensively, his ability to shoot and hit driving lanes also holds value in the triangle offense.
Galloway's NBA calling is ultimately off the bench in a spark-plug role, the same one he played against the Rockets on Thursday night. In terms of NBA comparisons, he reminds me a bit of Nuggets combo guard Randy Foye.
I wouldn't get too carried away with his breakout at the Garden, but he's certainly earned himself an extended audition. And with the Knicks in tank mode, and Jackson still expected to cut more future salary—possibly point guard Jose Calderon—you'd like to think Galloway could quickly become a regular in New York's rotation.
For management, this isn't just about finding guys to finish the rest of the season with. Jackson is expected to go after a number of high-priced free agents this summer, meaning he'll need lower-end contributors on cheap contracts to fill out the 2015-16 roster.
Cue Galloway, who now has the opportunity every D-Leaguer hopes to get. I'd imagine when his 10-day contract is up, he'll receive a new one that lasts a bit longer.
There aren't too many reasons to continue tuning into Knicks games, but Galloway has emerged as one of them.
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