SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Knicks’ point-guard trilogy will continue, says interim coach Mike Miller.
Though the Knicks posted their first victory in three weeks Wednesday in San Francisco against the Warriors with Dennis Smith Jr. missing the game with a migraine, Miller still planned to have the struggling Smith in the rotation as the Knicks faced the Kings on Friday at Golden 1 Center.
It has created a three-man logjam at point guard with Frank Ntilikina, Elfrid Payton, who had missed 17 games, and Smith.
Miller’s mission is being a “downhill’’ team and creating more points in the paint. That is considered Smith’s specialty — his explosive driving ability.
In the three games since David Fizdale was fired, Miller has been pleased by the Knicks’ attack mode and the advanced stats bear it out.
The Knicks have logged 79 paint touches per game (times the ball gets inside the lane) — which is 10 more than in the 22 games under Fizdale. That stat is adjusted for the overtime the Knicks needed to beat Golden State 124-122.
More telling is the Knicks are scoring 48.5 points in the paint per 100 possessions (7th-best in the league) under Miller compared to 41.7 points under Fizdale — which was a league low.
Miller believes a three-man PG rotation will keep up the attack mentality with fresher legs.
“We really feel we have three guys we can go with that bring different things to the table,’’ Miller said. “They’re good players that bring different things to the games you have to prepare for. We want to continue to attack the paint. Being able to play different guys at that position, it keeps us more aggressive.”
Ntilikina is the least aggressive as an attacker, but he has been looking to do so more.
“We want to play downhill,’’ Miller said. “The more pressure we can put on the defense with our downhill penetration and attack, it’s better for our offense.”
It’s been rough slog for Smith, who took a two-week leave from the team after his stepmother passed away. After vowing to be a better perimeter shooter this season following a summer working with since-fired assistant coach Keith Smart, Smith has regressed. He’s shooting just 31 percent.
As the key piece to last season’s Kristaps Porzingis trade, Smith appears safe from sitting the bench and getting a DNP-Coach’s Decision for now.
“Dennis is a downhill player,” Miller said. “He’s good at it. We want guys to see that and continue playing aggressively.’’
“Yeah, that’s been a point of emphasis. Getting two feet in the paint and making a play,’’ Smith said.
It is an added challenge for all three point guards sharing the minutes and never getting a full run. While Ntilikina starts, Payton has finished and Smith has been in an awkward in-between role.
“Whenever I’m out there I compete,’’ Smith said. “Just coming out, whenever I’m in, trying to maximize everything, play the right way, keep guys involved and attack. I play to my strengths within those minutes.”
Ntilikina, who only got the starting nod after Smith took a leave and Payton went out with a hamstring strain, downplayed the awkwardness.
“The three point guards, we’re focused on winning,’’ Ntilikina said. “This mentality of coming on the court and giving everything we can give. We’re not focused on the minutes. And that’s the mindset we’ve got to have really, trying to make this team improved. We don’t care about when a coach is going to call. When he’s going to call we’re going to be ready and just play.’’
The only way the logjam eases up is by trade. Payton is eligible to be dealt Dec. 15 as a 2019 free-agent signee. Miller said it is not set in stone he’ll finish games with Payton, but has liked how he’s handled the fourth quarters.
The Knicks broke their 10-game losing streak without Smith on Wednesday. Now they tried to win with him in Sacramento on Friday.
“I don’t look at the negative of a cloud, monkey on the back,’’ Smith said. “I looked at it as we got a win, it should boost our morale and we got to carry that swag into the next game.”
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