Point remains a problem with Payton, Smith out
It looks like the Knicks will have to wait until after their upcoming two-game road trip to receive any point guard reinforcements.
Elfrid Payton has been ruled out for games at the Pistons on Wednesday and Mavericks on Friday due to his nagging hamstring injury. Coach David Fizdale also made it seem very unlikely Dennis Smith Jr. will be able to return either after being away from the team to mourn his stepmother’s death.
“What you saw last game, that’s the guys that are going to be playing,” Fizdale said after Tuesday’s practice, before the team flew to Detroit.
That means Frank Ntilikina will get his third straight start at point guard and rookie RJ Barrett will also see some time on the ball.
Payton was seen shooting at the end of practice, but Fizdale said he is doing “very little” and will be reevaluated after the trip. Smith’s stepmother’s funeral was Monday, and Fizdale didn’t rule out the possibility he could rejoin the team on the trip, but the coach doesn’t believe he would be ready to play in either game.
“I don’t want to put him in a bad situation,” Fizdale said.
The Knicks have struggled without Payton and Smith, as playmaking responsibilities have been forced on others. Payton, in particular, had played well before his injury, averaging 8.0 points and 3.8 assists per game.
“Our pace has really suffered,” Fizdale said. “Obviously having that second ball-handler that can get us organized and can defend the position. Frank’s done a heckuva job holding it down with RJ and [Allonzo Trier] patching it up, but it would definitely be nice to get him back.”
➤ Mitchell Robinson will return to the starting lineup against the Pistons, though Fizdale declined to say if it will be permanent. He’s making the change (a game after starting Bobby Portis in place of Robinson to create more floor spacing) to match up with Andre Drummond.
“I want to always have the flexibility to change things up if I feel the need to based on matchups,” Fizdale said. “But we feel like we’ve got to put Mitchell out there to deal with that monster.”
The other starters — Ntilikina, Barrett, Marcus Morris and Julius Randle — will remain the same.
➤ Veteran big man Taj Gibson didn’t get off the bench in the past two games, but Fizdale said he will play on the trip. The Brooklyn native was squeezed out of the rotation to give Morris more time at power forward, which did work as he averaged 28.5 points in those two contests. Gibson has produced averages of just 2.0 points and 2.0 rebounds in 10 minutes of action a night so far.
“I’m a professional at the end of the day, ready and waiting for whatever opportunity [comes my way],” Gibson said. “I’m a team-first guy. I’m always ready. I’m always going to practice hard, do what the team needs me to do.”