NBA Trade Speculation: Why Chris Paul Is the Perfect Fit for the New York Knicks

Hey look, it’s another Chris Paul, New York Knicks story!

Instead of examining the necessary steps for CP3’s landing in the Big Apple, allow me to tell you why Paul is the perfect fit for the Knicks.

Paul is a pass-first point guard who does have the ability to take over a game if necessary. While he may not be as good of a one-on-one scorer as his counterpart Deron Williams, the Wake Forest alum has a career average of 18.7 points per game on slightly higher than 47 percent shooting. He’s a career 85 percent free-throw shooter and is solid in crunch time.

Paul’s elite passing ability would fit in well on a Knicks team featuring two offensive juggernauts in Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire. His career average of 9.9 assists per game and his nearly 4-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio are more impressive after considering some of the weak supporting casts he’s carried over the years.

Where Paul could provide the biggest impact is on the defensive end of the floor.

It’s no secret the Knicks are a defensively challenged team. Last season, they allowed 105.7 points per game, which was third worst in the NBA. While head coach Mike D’Antoni and his offense-first, defense-never philosophy deserves a good portion of the blame, the players also deserve their fair share of scrutiny due to the serious lack of effort.

If arguably the NBA’s best point guard is on the floor, his teammates better hustle on defense or else he’ll let them know. Also, with Paul on the team, expectations will rise greatly, so everything will be magnified—especially a defensive lapse.

While it won’t be easy getting Paul into a Knicks uniform, the formation of an Anthony-Paul-Stoudemire Big Three would instantly turn the Knicks into a championship contender.

The Miami Heat’s trio of Chris Bosh, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade would be better than New York’s prospective one, though they wouldn’t be able to match how well Anthony, Paul and Stoudemire complement each other offensively.

Anthony and Stoudemire would be well served playing alongside a pass-first point guard with incredible vision and passing ability who can get to any spot on the floor without picking up his dribble.

Anthony and Paul are good friends off the court, so CP3’s words could mean more to Anthony on the court. If Carmelo gets into a heavy ball-stagnation mood on offense and starts chucking up bad shots that hurt the team, his possible point guard of the future would let him know it’s not working. It’s reasonable to believe Melo has heard that before, but it would likely mean more coming from someone who’s a better overall player and arguably the NBA’s best point guard.

While Anthony and Paul might have a bit of an adjustment period, it’s doubtful the same will be said about Stoudemire and Paul. Stoudemire spent six seasons with Steve Nash running the show in Phoenix, so he knows how to play alongside one of the league’s best distributors and playmakers.

If Paul can help David West average around 20 points per game, just imagine the positive impact he could have on Stoudemire. CP3 and STAT in pick and rolls could obliterate defenses.

While there’s a boatload of speculation regarding Chris Paul’s future, little has been cemented.

What is concrete, though, is that Paul would be the perfect fit for the Knicks. His leadership and presence would be invaluable to the franchise, and he’d make them championship contenders for the first time in a long time.