Tick tock the new season is rapidly approaching. Let’s stick a pin in that for now though and instead turn our attention to heroes of years gone by.
We’re spending the next few minutes looking at the best Point Guards in New York Knicks history.
Number 5. Michael Ray Richardson
Kicking off our list of the best Point Guards in New York Knicks history is Michael Ray Richardson. Richardson arrived with incredibly high expectations upon him when he first entered the league in 1978. It didn’t take him very long to reach those expectations though; then he built on them. He was only with the Knicks for four years but they were great years.
His impact was influential to their future success. He led the league in assists with 10.1 per game and steals with 3.2 per game in just his second year in the league. Richardson also wound up being named to the All-Star team in three of the four years he spent in NY!
Number 4. Dick McGuire
Next up it’s Dick McGuire. He was in the NBA way back in 1949 but time doesn’t forget top talents and he deserves his place in our list. His stats never really jumped out the page at you but his leadership was off the charts. The ability to be a true leader is something that cannot be taught but McGuire definitely had that and it was vital to the team’s success throughout his time with the Knicks.
He was named to the All-Star game five times with New York and averaged 5.6 assists per game during his career in the Big Apple. His jersey has since been retired by the team and in 1993 he was rightly selected into the NBA Hall of Fame. He sadly passed away in February 2010.
Number 3. Stephon Marbury
Stephon Marburycould split opinion. Was he unfortunate to sit on some terrible New York Knicks teams or would he have been less memorable in a better outfit? For us, it’s the former. Even with some questionable players alongside him he was still able to post some incredible numbers to show off.
He joined New York from Phoenix Suns in 2004. Marbury didn’t waste any time settling in and averaged 19.8 points and 9.3 assists for the rest of that season alone. He consistently put-up similar numbers the next couple of years before his production dropped and the team waived him. Throughout his career with the Knicks, he averaged 18.2 points and seven assists per game. You could question elements of his game but not his scoring.
Number 2. Mark Jackson
Mark Jackson was – and still is – a fan favourite for the Knicks. The Knicks drafted him in the first round back in 1987 and he quickly settled in. He averaged 13.6 points and 10.6 in just his rookie season! With stats like that Jackson was a shoo-in for the Rookie of the Year trophy by the time that the season ended.
He also made an All-Star team while with the Knicks as his scoring improved to a peak of 16.9 points per game! Eventually, Jackson ended up leaving and playing alongside Reggie Miller with the Indiana Pacers. You simply can’t take away from his impact on the Knicks though – even if just for a short time.
Number 1. Walt Frazier
Walt Frazier, otherwise known as Clyde Frazier, was and still is one of the best point guards that the Knicks have ever had on their roster. Just looking at his accomplishments during his time in New York will tell you all that you need to know. He was a seven time All-Star, a seven time All-Defensive First Team player and won two NBA Championships. Throughout that time, he averaged 19.3 points and 6.3 assists for the team.
It’s not just the Knicks fan base that worship Frazier though. Basketball fans in general love him with many having him up there alongside the best players in the history of the NBA. How can you argue with that?
There you have it the best point guards in New York Knicks history. Is there anyone we missed? Should we have mentioned Jason Kidd, who edge.twinspires.com classifies as one of the best point guards of all time?
Since he only played one season at the end of his career we thought there were other names more worth of a place in this list.
