January has been rough for the Knicks, with concerns about player substitution, bench production, and shooting efficiency. Amidst these struggles, Cameron Payne emerges as a possible remedy. Though an inconsistent player and not the strongest defender, Payne's ability to create shots and stretch the floor is crucial. He excels particularly in the first halves of games, but inexplicably, his role diminishes when it matters most in the second, reflecting a gap in Tom Thibodeau's strategy that frustrates fans eager for solutions.
Now, Payne is an inconsistent and imperfect player. He's an undersized guard who isn't an elite athlete, which limits his ceiling as a defender.
Payne provides things that the Knicks need badly right now. The 6'3" point guard is one of the few players on the team who can create for himself and others.
Unfortunately for Payne, and for many Knicks fans who want to see a bit more of Payne, Thibodeau's trust in Payne seems to go away in the second halves of games.
Despite having some really impactful minutes off the bench in the first halves of a lot of these games, Payne's minutes in the second half go down.
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