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The New York Knicks have a lot to be thankful for this season. They added a multi-time All-Star center and a (seemingly) ideal third star to a team that was already incredibly capable. Yes, they lost some important pieces, but everything should amount to a net gain. So, while there seems to be uncertainty around the Knicks, it’s mostly coming from fans and the media outside the team. The team itself seems satisfied with where they are, and they seem to understand that introducing new pieces takes time. Just ask Josh Hart.
Still, boiling the most pleasant surprise down to just one player or attribute is tricky. Sure, it would be easy to say Karl-Anthony Towns. Or Josh Hart. Or maybe even Jalen Brunson. But when push comes to shove, it's Cam Payne through the first 20 games.
Reactions to Cam Payne were incorrect
Cam Payne was vilified by some Knicks fans before the season. Fans thought he was goofy. They thought his shot was broken. They held a grudge from the 2024 playoffs when he was a member of the Philadelphia 76ers.
But Payne is doing essentially what he has done in recent seasons. He gets in passing lanes, annoys opposing teams, and knocks down shots—which is exactly what the Knicks’ front office was hoping for. He’s averaging 8.3 points and 3.4 assists in 17.8 minutes per game on the year. And while Payne has his share of detractors, it’s hard to argue with his output.
Payne is shooting a scorching 43.9% on three-pointers, which would register as the second-best shooting year of his career in years in which he played eight games or more. He's also shooting the second-best field goal percentage of his career (44.0%).
Payne missed four consecutive games with a hamstring injury earlier this season. New York went 1-3 in that stretch, after starting 3-2 However, something began to click for Payne and the Knicks once he returned. New York is 8-3 since Payne’s return, including a blowout win on Sunday night against the New Orleans Pelicans.
Most importantly, Payne has an aggregate plus-minus of 47.3 since returning from the injury. He’s connected on 47.4% of all field goal attempts and 49.0% of three-pointers since returning. Payne has also been more effective scoring and dishing the ball, as he's posted 9.5 points and 3.5 assists per game over New York's last 11 games.
Looking ahead to a Knicks post-season with Payne
Most pleasant surprise or not, Brunson is obviously the Knicks' most important player. He has played 34.9 minutes per game so far this season. That’s down from 35.4 in 2023-24. Now, one-half of a minute is obviously not a major difference. But those 2023-24 minutes are skewed by a few things, including the presence of Immanuel Quickley through the first two-and-a-half months of the season.
But Thibodeau leaned on Brunson even harder in the 2024 playoffs. Brunson played 43.8 minutes per game through six games in the first round and 36.4 minutes per game through seven games in the second round. Imagine if Payne were around to relieve him for some of those minutes. If Brunson weren’t already burnt out, he was headed that way. But New York had no reliable backup point guard. Miles McBride is obviously better suited to play off the ball, as was Donte DiVincenzo. And that was really it in terms of smaller guards on the roster.
This season should look a whole lot different from a point guard rotation standpoint. And that was the goal. Not adding a big time regular season guy. Signing Payne was more about reliable depth; adding someone who could keep the team on track when Brunson needed a breather. And that should result in a more rested Brunson down the stretch, which is everything for the Knicks. Payne's accurate shooting and seamless fit are just icing on the cake.
