The New York Knicks had a rough start to the preseason at the point guard position, especially veteran Elfrid Payton, who averaged just 3.7 points per game over 22.3 minutes. His influence was not what the Knicks expected, but it’s still very early and the regular season has yet to even start.
Payton joined New York with the expectation that he would be competing for the starting job, and it seems that third-year player Dennis Smith Jr. will be the featured starter despite averaging just 6.5 points over 26.0 minutes. Smith has looked better in other categories as well including assists, rebounds, and blocks.