Ian Begley, ESPN Staff Writer 10y

Burning Q's: Who is Melo's Robin?

With training camp less than one month away, we’re examining some burning questions facing the New York Knicks.

Today’s question: Who is the Knicks' best secondary scoring option? Who is best suited to complement Carmelo Anthony in the triangle?

The Knicks had trouble finding consistent scoring behind Carmelo last year.

New York's second-highest scorer last season, J.R. Smith, shot just 41 percent from the field. Not good.

That failure to find consistent scoring behind Anthony is one reason -- among many -- that the Knicks missed the playoffs last year.

This season, New York will be installing a new offense under head coach Derek Fisher and president Phil Jackson. In the past, Jackson's teams mostly had Hall of Fame caliber secondary scoring options (Scottie Pippen, Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol).

Unfortunately for Fisher, the Knicks won't have a future Hall of Famer to play alongside Carmelo this year.

Below, we take a look at two secondary scoring options for the Knicks this season:

J.R. Smith:

Smith was generally given a green light last year under ex-Knicks head coach Mike Woodson. That philosophy yielded mixed results for New York. Smith struggled in the first two months of the season following offseason knee surgery, shooting just 34.8 percent from the field.

But in the second half of the season, Smith surged. He averaged 16.7 points per game and hit 42 percent of his 3-pointers.

Can that production carry over in the triangle offense? Some statistics suggest it may.

Smith performed well in catch-and-shoot situations last year, a skill that can be put to use in the triangle.

The veteran shooting guard hit 45 percent of his catch-and-shoot jumpers, including 46.2 percent on catch-and-shoot 3s, per SportVU. That 3-point percentage was the sixth highest among players who attempted at least 1.5 catch-and-shoot 3-pointers per game, according to the stats site.

On the flip side, Smith has been guilty of over-dribbling in the past. That approach doesn't fit well in the triangle offense (or most other offenses, for that matter).

When considering Smith as a secondary scoring option, it's worth noting that the Knicks went 7-9 last season when J.R. took at least 15 shots.

Amar'e Stoudemire:

Not long ago, Stoudemire and Carmelo were expected to form one of the top forward combinations in the NBA. Due in part to injuries and in part to ineffective schemes, that hasn't happened.

At one point, it seemed like the two couldn't play together. In fact, when Phil Jackson famously called the Knicks roster "clumsy," he was referring to the Carmelo-Amar'e pairing.

But Amar'e may be able to thrive in the triangle -- and alongside Anthony -- this season.

Stoudemire can find opportunities to operate in the mid range and at the elbow in the triangle -- two areas where he has been effective.

He also could find chances to play in the post and in the pick-and-roll.

Also, some numbers from last season show that Amar'e was effective when paired with Melo.

Stoudemire shot 59.7 percent when he shared the floor with Carmelo. He shot 49 percent when Anthony was on the bench.

Stoudemire didn't have the same effect on Anthony, though. Anthony shot 46.2 percent when he was on the floor without Stoudemire and 42.7 percent when he was with STAT.

Still, it should be noted that Stoudemire finished last season in strong fashion. He scored 16.1 points on 57 percent shooting in the final 20 games. And he did so while in the starting lineup with Carmelo. So it's worth wondering if Amar'e -- assuming he stays healthy -- can give the Knicks consistent scoring behind Carmelo this season.

Question: Who is the Knicks' best secondary scoring option? Who is best player to complement Carmelo in the triangle? J.R. Smith? Amar'e Stoudemire? Tim Hardaway Jr.? Should it be done by committee?

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