The New York Knicks are set up to be a top seed in the Eastern Conference this season. With a true No. 1 option in point guard Jalen Brunson, an elite scoring center in Karl-Anthony Towns, and defensive stoppers O.G. Anunoby and Mikal Bridges, they can go toe-for-toe with any team in a playoff series.
After a solid offseason of adding more depth to the bench, there is still one more open roster spot that they can use, and there are a handful of options still available on the free agent market.
With the addition of Jordan Clarkson, the Knicks appear to be set with scorers at the guard position. But what they could use is a distributor with defensive capabilities.
A Free Agent Guard That Could Fit What the Knicks Are Looking For
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Former No. 1 overall pick and Rookie of the Year Ben Simmons has had a turbulent NBA career. Once a key cog of "The Process" in Philadelphia, Simmons has not been able to latch on anywhere as a starter, let alone a rotation player. Could New York offer him a fresh start in a role best suited for him?
SNY's David Vertsberger named five current free agents that the Knicks could bring as the finishing touch to their roster, and Simmons was one of those players.
"Simmons can still push the ball off a defensive rebound and bring it up in the half-court, but has lost all aggressiveness on offense." [Wrote](https://sny.tv/articles/5-potential-targets-knicks-last-veteran-minimum-spot) Vertsberger. "He rarely looks to drive and when he does, it’s rare he actually attacks the rim with any real intent to score or draw in the defense."
"He can screen and make connective plays from there, a tantalizing prospect under Mike Brown’s Domantas Sabonis playbook -- but this and some decent defense won’t make him anything more than a spot minutes specialist."
Simmons certainly isn't the same player he once was for the Philadelphia 76ers, but he still has strengths that can be used by a team like New York. The Knicks' defensive woes were a major talking point last year, especially in the postseason. Brunson and Towns can score buckets at will, but at times their defense leaves more to be desired. Simmons isn't the defensive stopper he once was, but it's not like the Knicks will be asking him to guard the opposing team's No. 1 scoring option; that job is left up to Anunoby and Bridges.
When Brunson is on the bench, Simmons can come in and provide some passing and screening that the other guards on New York's roster can't. His size and length defensively can also create problems for the opposing team's offense.
While Simmons found himself out of the Los Angeles Clippers' rotation by the time the playoffs rolled around last year, maybe the Knicks' new head coach, Mike Brown, who has been praised for his ability to develop players, can pull something out of Simmons that other coaches have been unable to do thus far.