But Payton isn't looking at his personal stats, as reporters asked Thursday how he views his recent stretch with New York.

"I assess how I’m playing by how my team is doing. And we’ve been winning. So, we’re in the playoffs," he said.

Payton’s role on the team has changed drastically over the course of this season. He’s played over 20 minutes just three times in the last 20 games. Though the Knicks were 16-4 over that stretch of time, the playoffs are a different animal. The Hawks will lay off Payton (career-28.9 percent three-point shooter) to muck up the paint and disrupt Randle and Barrett.

Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau made it seem as if Payton is still likely to start at point guard to open the series in his media availability on Wednesday.

Other Options at Point Guard

The Knicks have multiple candidates that can start and fill Payton’s minutes on the roster.

Derrick Rose seems to be the easy option to consider as a starter. The veteran point guard and former MVP has been special. Rose’s ability to create his own shot either in isolation or in the pick and roll has been vital to New York’s second half of the season success. Over the past month, Rose has played like a borderline All-Star off the bench. He has 50-40-90 shooting splits and has averaged over 18 points.

Immanuel Quickley is another option. Likely a candidate for the NBA’s All-Rookie team, Quickley has been effective. His ability to shoot from deep is a perfect fit alongside Randle and keeps defenses honest. It would feel too soon to start a rookie point guard in the playoffs and Quickley has seemed to be a better fit off the bench. Actually, Rose and Quickley’s chemistry together with the Knicks’ bench unit has been a factor in the lack of a rotation shake up.

Alec Burks played point guard in small doses over his 10-year career. Burks has been solid as a pseudo-point guard this season, closing out a few games in lineups with Randle, Barrett, Nerlens Noel and Reggie Bullock. Like Quickley and Rose, Burks has looked good with the bench unit as well. Shooting 41.5 percent from deep, he provides a nice mix of size, perimeter shooting and offense in the backcourt.

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