Who Should New York Start at SG?

A popular debate topic about the New York Knicks is who is best suited to be their starting shooting guard.

Should it be the precocious neophyte, Landry Fields, the three-point striker, Toney Douglas, or the athletic rookie and supposed Justin Bieber fan, Iman Shumpert?

Let’s start with the player who likely scored the highest on his SATs.

Landry Fields was the Knicks’ starting shooting guard for all but one game last season. Before Carmelo Anthony became a Knick, Fields was the NBA’s Rookie of the Year not named Blake Griffin or John Wall. Unfortunately for the Stanford alum, once Carmelo started suiting up for the blue and orange, his statistics and confidence went down like America’s diplomatic standing in the world during George W. Bush’s presidency.

OK, that was an exaggeration.

Fields was the NBA’s best rebounding guard last season. His average of 6.4 rebounds per game was tied with Dwyane Wade for the league’s best among guards, and he totaled 36 more rebounds than the Miami Heat superstar (521 to 485). His effort on the boards came on a Knicks team greatly lacking in size that needed every ounce of energy he provided.

If Fields can regain his pre-Carmelo form, it’d be tough to argue that he isn’t the Knicks’ best choice at 2-guard. His 6’7” frame and versatile skill set—he can shoot the three-ball, is athletic, plays good on-ball defense and has decent ball-handling and passing ability—allows him to contribute in numerous ways.

Fields morphing back into the player often described as the steal of the 2010 NBA draft depends on his teammates—especially Carmelo—allowing the offense to feature heavy ball-rotation and minimal stagnation. The one-time Modell’s Sporting Goods employee is a free-flowing type of player who isn’t very effective in an isolation-based offense. If the Knicks elect to play more of a slow-paced, ball-stopping brand of basketball, then they might be better off bringing Fields off the bench.

Let’s now take a look at the player who has the same initials as Tim Duncan.

Toney Douglas was the Knicks’ backup point guard last season. Douglas is a scoring guard and arguably the team’s best defender. He has spent time at shooting guard during his two seasons in the NBA, but his biggest setback is that he’s small for the position at just 6’2”. Still, his ability to score in bunches makes him so dangerous for opposing defenses.

Douglas logged about 570 less minutes than Fields during the 2010-2011 regular season. However, he did play about 42 more minutes than Fields in the postseason and was much more effective—averaging 10.8 points per game compared to Fields’ 1.8. Douglas did a decent job chasing the relentless Ray Allen, and he may have been able to prevent Jesus Shuttlesworth’s winning three-pointer (or at least make the shot more difficult) in Game 1 had Kevin Garnett not tripped him.

A big question with Douglas is whether or not he can increase his consistency on offense. Some games, he shoots the lights out. Other games, he goes 1-for-13. If he improves the erratic shooting—which might play a role as to why the offense scored better with him off the floor—his case to be the starter at shooing guard strengthens. Still, a starting backcourt of Billups and Douglas would be quite undersized, and the Knicks really don’t need additional scoring from their starting lineup.

Last but not least, the rookie.

Iman Shumpert was the Knicks’ first-round draft pick this past June. Shumpert’s selection at No. 17 overall was met with some boos by Knick fans—who may have liked a better-known prospect like Kenneth Faried or Nolan Smith—but he could turn out to be strong pick.

Shumpert’s athletic prowess and defensive ability could give the Knicks a huge boost at the shooting guard position. Still, is it a good idea to start an unproven rookie alongside two superstars and a former Finals MVP? Talk about pressure!

Of course, Shumpert could be the type of player who thrives in situations where others might cower in fear. Mike D’Antoni has spoken very highly of his rookie out of Georgia Tech, but then again, he also spoke very highly of Anthony Randolph—and that relationship didn’t end so great.

In my opinion, Landry Fields should be the Knicks’ starting shooting guard. He definitely needs to regain his confidence, and if he does, then the Knicks will have a very versatile, unselfish player to play along side Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups and Amar’e Stoudemire. Toney Douglas is a solid sixth man who can provide a scoring punch on the second unit, and Iman Shumpert must first prove himself in the NBA before earning the right to start for New York City’s basketball franchise.

Precocious neophyte for the win!