Elfrid Payton seeks to silence skeptics as Knicks starting goalie

The biggest surprise in the modest free agent signings of Knicks president Leon Rose late last month was the return of Elfrid Payton after the Knicks turned down his $ 8 million squad option.

But it was no surprise to Payton, the Knicks’ starting point guard for most of last season and a client of Rose’s former creative artist agency.

“From the start we always had plans to come back so I wasn’t really worried I guess,” Payton said on a Zoom call Wednesday, day two of training camp.

Just like Payton was overlooked, so too are these Knicks.

With a leadership situation just as modest as last season, league watchers believe these Knicks are going to scratch the barrel again. Payton soaks up the disrespect.

“I feel like we’ve been numbered,” Payton said. “So go ahead, compete and show what we can do. It’s definitely something that we want to use as motivation, as if we don’t have enough already. But it’s definitely something we talked about in the locker room, even during those brief days we’ve been together.

Rose was probably considering signing Payton again for a more modest deal as a backup. Still a favorite of GM Scott Perry, Payton signed a one-year contract for $ 4.7 million – a figure that indicates he was designated to fill the chamber exceptions window.

However, the Knicks never hit the salary cap to be eligible except for the chamber, so Payton, 26, just counts as cap space.

And now Payton is the narrow favorite to be the starting point keeper on Opening Night after some of Rose’s options were scrapped – Fred VanVleet, DJ Augustin, Rajon Rondo and Jeff Teague all signed elsewhere.

All the noise of a Payton replacement turned into noise.

“It’s not my job,” Payton said when asked if he was convinced he would be the starter. “My job is to work as hard as possible and live with the results. It is not for me to choose who starts. It’s not for me to worry about what other people say. I control what I can control and that is the amount of work I do each offseason. ”

Austin Rivers, a combo guard, could give Payton the biggest battle in what is a five-a-side competition. Rivers signed a one-year guarantee of $ 3.3 million.

Returnees Frank Ntilikina and Dennis Smith Jr. and first-round pick Immanuel Quickley are far behind contenders.

On a Zoom call, Smith discussed his disastrous 2019-20 season which began with the passing of his stepmother, forcing him to take time off. Injuries and sloppy play made Smith a strange man at the point guard.

“I would just say understand that nothing happens to you, that it happens to you,” Smith said. “And I had to go through a lot of different things mentally – not even physically – mentally, I had to go through a lot of different things to figure this out. But sweet waters were never made [skilled] sailors, so I’m taking it all in stride, and I’m going to keep improving. ”

After a hamstring injury early in the season, Payton returned in December but not in time to save David Fizdale’s job. But Payton got the ship right after the Knicks got off to a 4-18 start. They were decidedly better off with Payton as the floor general. He averaged 10 points, 7.2 assists and 4.7 rebounds.

“I still have confidence in myself and I’m improving things,” said Payton, whose weakness is the 3-point shot. “I guess it’s always good to have proof of that.”