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He is low key,  he  plays hard nose defense, and he has game. His name is Toney Douglas. Last summer the Knicks acquired Toney Douglas as the 29^th draft pick. When he was first drafted he was known only for his scoring and defense. However, this season he has shown that he is able to play the point guard position as well as the shooting guard position.

For a quarter of the season he  spent on the bench waiting for his time to shine. His time is now. In  less than a hand full of games Douglas has been playing excellent basketball in a Knicks’ uniform. We have seen him deliver at both ends of the court.

Currently Toney Douglas is shooting 46% from the field, 39% from 3, and 82% from the line.  Douglas averages 16 points a game for every 36 minutes. Here are some areas that I feel Toney Douglas has excelled in:

Offense and Defense

1. Shooting the from beyond the arc
2. His ability to take his man off the dribble driving to the left and right side of the court.
3. His midrange shot.
4. Playing good man-to-man defense and getting steals in the passing lane.
5. Hitting  shots in the clutch

Shooting 3 Point Shots

In this first clip you will notice Toney Douglas shooting 3 point shots from beyond the arc. Notice that he releases  his shot at the very top of his jump. He also keeps his wrist up to have a great follow through. By him being consistent with his 3 point shooting this allows him to spread the offense.

Driving

You will notice in this clip that Toney Douglas is able to break his man down with ease. He is not the fastest point guard in the league but he knows how to take his man off the dribble. He normally dribbles between the legs to distract defenders and then use his crossover to either go left or right. Because of his good shooting this opens up a way for Toney Douglas’ driving ability.

Midrange Shot

Besides Toney Douglas being a good 3 point shooter I think his midrange game is even better than his driving and 3 point shot. Douglas has the ability to knock down the midrange shot with ease. For him it is more like a layup. I would like to see him utilize his midrange for coming off screens or for curl plays. Whether Douglas is shooting from the baseline or close to the foul line area, the shot is going in.

Passing and pick and roll

In this next clip you will notice how easy it is for Douglas to make the extra pass once he starts driving. He also does a good job of keeping up his dribble to wait for the cutter or the defender to play help defense.

Steals /Playing Lanes

Toney Douglas is getting steals and playing the passing lanes just like he did in college. Some players get steals by just playing the passing lanes. Some players are good at picking the pockets of their opponent.  Toney Douglas is able to do both. In this clip notice when Toney Douglas gets a steal in the passing lane he normally is in  a position that the passer can not see him. Also observe when Toney Douglas steals the ball from his man he normally use his left hand. This is important because most righthanded players use their right hand when going for a steal. Douglas chooses to use his left hand.

Scoring In The Clutch

In the short time that Toney Douglas has worn a Knicks’ jersey  he has become fearless under pressure. He has proven that he can score in big situations. Some superstars in this league duck and run for cover when it comes time to take the big shot. In this clip you will see Douglas hitting key baskets to win games for the Knicks.

Areas that Need Improvement

1. Develop a floater

Going into next summer Toney Douglas needs to work on a go to move. A floater in the paint would be nice. He has shown that he can do this but he has to do this consistently. This will help him avoid getting charging calls against him.

2 . Get Stronger

He needs to get stronger. He already is at a disadvantage when he has to guard taller shooting guards in this league. The best he can do is bulk up. This avoids opponents trying to post him up all the time.

3. Passing

 He needs to work on his passing ability. Douglas needs to study tapes and practicing passing drills so he can come back ready to start if he is given the opportunity again.