Ignas Brazdeikis

New York Knicks: Can Ignas Brazdeikis be an impact player next season?

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New York Knicks, Ignas Brazdeikis

With the New York Knicks drafting RJ Barrett with the third overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft, all of the headlines and focus was steered in his direction. However, their second-round pick could have a similar impact in year one.

Ignas Brazdeikis, who was expected to be a first-round selection dropped to the second giving the Knicks an excellent opportunity to snag him and utilize his offensive talents.

The 20-year-old was the first player to score 30 points in this year’s summer league competition. Against the Phoenix Suns, he put up 30 points, eight rebounds, with three baskets from beyond the arc.

Brazdeikis showed off impressive versatility and diversity with his offense this summer. His jump shot seems to be translating to the NBA, and he has the athleticism to compete against stronger and faster players.

In his last and only season at Michigan, Ignas shot 39.2% from three-point land and .462 from the field. He averaged 14.8 points per game over 29.6 minutes.

With the Knicks, some might think he will be a developmental player that competes in the G-league. Others think he can be an impact player right off the bat and provide offensive production early on in the season. He has looked more refined and impressive compared to RJ Barrett, but the Knicks’ first-round pick has more overall potential.

New York has had great success in the second round of the draft the past two seasons, snagging Mitchell Robinson last year. With Iggy now displaying serious potential, he could be a rotational player with the first team. The veteran signings this off-season pose a problem for the rookie as he will need to fend off quality talent to crack the first team and earn playing time.

Players like Wayne Ellington and Taj Gibson could keep Brazdeikis off the floor and in the G-league. Only 12 players can dress for a game which puts him on the outside, looking in.

Is Ignas Brazdeikis the real deal for the New York Knicks?

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New York Knicks, Ignas Brazdeikis

The New York Knicks drafted Ignas Brazdeikis with the 47th pick in the second round of the 2019 NBA draft. Understandably so, the million-dollar question is, will this 20-year-old Canadian raised and Lithuanian born scoring phenom become the real deal for the Mecca of basketball?

Knicks coaching staff, members of the media (if they’re allowed to enter) and other Knick players will find out a month from now in training camp. Since us Knick fans have nothing but time in early August, it won’t hurt to imagine and question why wouldn’t Iggy Braz be the real deal and the real steal of the second round like Mitchell Robinson turned out to be from the 2018 draft.

In Scott Perry we definitely trust.

The New York Knicks general manager has an eye for talent! Whenever has a Knick fan utter such words about an active GM for the franchise nearly every fan around the league enjoy taking shots at? It’s definitely been a while and it’s very refreshing watching a total rebuild with young talent including sharpshooting Brazdeikis. Give this kid a deadeye shooters badge 2K Sports!

The 6’7 215lbs of brute is right-handed with a smooth lefty three-point stroke. Ignas Brazdeikis learned toughness and perseverance from his father who was an MMA fighter. The former Michigan Wolverine leading scorer last season began playing the game at the age of 6 years old and never looked back. Brazdeikis, with determination and hard work throughout the years, turned himself into the ultimate fearless and natural scoring machine.

In college, Ignas Brazdeikis played the game with great passion and definitely fed off of the energetic crowd at the Crisler Center Arena in Michigan. Iggy Braz will definitely be looking forward to putting on a crazy show at Madison Square Garden in front of countless celebrities.

This potential second-round steal has a chance to endear himself to hungry Knick fan’s hearts. He showed flashes of dominance in summer league against the Phoenix Suns. Brazdeikis picking apart Phoenix was very encouraging to watch back in July. This type of performance got Knick fans drooling and thinking about endless possibilities and lineups Fizdale can insert this bucket getter in.

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It will be extremely difficult to keep this cold-blooded scorer off the floor especially if he shows he’s legit in training camp and in the preseason. Ignas Brazdeikis wants to obliterate his opponents then flex as he gets back on defense. This kid has the heart of a lion and he’ll catch many people by surprise once he is implemented into Fizdale’s system. Ignas Brazdeikis is the real deal in my opinion.

The New York Knicks could have one of the deeper benches in the NBA

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New York Knicks, Ignas Brazdeikis

The New York Knicks added a lot of depth this off-season. While fans may not agree with many of the additions, their bench runs deep.

One of the newest Knicks, Bobby Portis, believes the Knicks bench can be one of the best in the league.

Portis was quoted saying, “I think we’ll be a top bench after the Clippers…with our bench we have really good weapons in me, Marcus (Morris), Taj (Gibson), Alonzo Trier, Wayne Ellington. The list goes on.”

Portis is bringing a very positive attitude and energy to this squad. He was already on record saying he loves being the underdog and the Knicks are big-time underdogs this season. On paper, the Knicks do have a solid bench. But, one of the best in the league is a little stretch.

What will the New York Knicks bench look like?

The bench will most likely consist of Morris or Kevin Knox, Gibson, Portis, Elfrid Payton, Trier, Frank Ntilikina, Ellington, Kadeem Allen, Damyean Dotson, and Ignas Brazdeikis.

They cover almost every position with young quality backups. With all players showing potential to start, playing time will be an issue. Coach Fizdale will have his hand’s full distributing playing time.

To start the season, he could swap Knox and Morris, starting Morris, to add some rebounding and defense over an unproven second-year lottery pick.

The bench will need to let their play do the talking. All of this optimistic hype Portis is bringing to the Knicks is great, but let’s see how that translates to the court. Everyone is counting the Knicks out already, so proving they do, in fact, have one of the deeper benches in the league, should be their goal.

New York Knicks: How will David Fizdale distribute playing time in 2019?

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New York Knicks, Kevin Knox, RJ Barrett

The New York Knicks are beyond the point of babysitting. They’ve signed multiple pricey free agents and will be looking to utilize their talent instead of prioritizing the development of their youth.

The 2018 season was used as such — allowing options like Kevin Knox, Allonzo Trier, Mitchell Robinson, Damyean Dotson and more to rack up minutes with no consequences of failure. This upcoming season will be different. The front office wont hold back from playing the best players and we have to be ready to see options like Knox struggle to get on the court.

While we saw good things from Knox this past Summer League, the struggles will emerge again as they did last season. Whether he can fight through them or not is the question. However, just because the Knicks brought in players like Julius Randle and Marcus Morris doesn’t mean they can’t rotate frequently to ensure their players are gaining essential experience.

Building chemistry will also be a hurdle they must face head-on. Meshing rookies and youth with veterans isn’t always smooth, it will take playing time together to really help the team develop a cohesiveness.

I anticipate head coach David Fizdale favoring the players with the most potential at this point. He will undoubtedly start Randle, Morris, Robinson, and Dennis Smith Jr. The final slot could be handed to Knox, Dotson, Trier, Barrett…

Barrett, a 6-foot-7 winger, will earn his fair share of minutes, but his potential actually poses a problem for Fizdale who will have to floor an everyday lineup with a concentration of talent at power forward. Fizdale has been criticized in the past for his lineups — he consistently played Emmanuel Mudiay over Frank Ntilikina who absolutely ‘needed’ playing time.

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Finding a balance for Barrett, Robinson, Knox, Trier, Smith Jr., Ignas Brazdeikis, and veterans Elfrid Payton, Taj Gibson, Morris, Randle, and Bobby Portis will be difficult. They also have Wayne Ellington, a three-point sharpshooter.

The reality of the situation is that the Knicks could very well be a .500 team if they rely on the veterans. However, it’s still important that the youth players earn plenty of time on the court.

What role will Ignas Brazdeikis play with the New York Knicks this season

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New York Knicks, Ignas Brazdeikis

While the New York Knicks selection of R.J. Barrett attracted almost all the fanfare for the Knicks during the NBA Draft on June 20th, 2019, there was also the selection of Ignas Brazdeikis in the second round with the 47th pick.

Brazdeikis, a forward, averaged 15-5-1 on 46/39/77 in his one season of college ball for the University of Michigan basketball team.

Where will the New York Knicks feature the pair?

Many have speculated where Barrett will play, will he play more shooting guard or small forward, and will he start to open off the season or will Damyean Dotson, Allonzo Trier or Wayne Ellington start at the 2 on opening night.

Here I will examine the answers to those questions but for the Knicks other draft pick, Brazdeikis:

At Michigan, Brazdeikis was utilized as more of a power forward but it is generally believed that he will be more of a small forward in the NBA, mostly due to his build and 6’7 height. However, it is also believed he could play sporadic minutes at power forward, like Kevin Knox.

So how do the New York Knicks stack up at the forward positions where Brazdeikis plays? At Brazdeikis’ secondary position, Power Forward. In maybe the most notable development in the 2018-19 Knicks season, the Knicks traded away star power forward Kristaps Porzingis in a deal that also saw Tim Hardawy Jr., Courtney Lee and Trey Burke in exchange for Dennis Smith Jr. and two first-round picks.

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This left the Knicks with a hole at that position going forward. As the Knicks let the other power forward on the 2018-19 team, Noah Vonleh and Luke Kornet walk, power forward was to be a major need for the Knicks to fill in free agency, the Knicks marquee signing was Julius Randle, who is a lock to start at the 4 for probably the next two seasons if not more.

Then the Knicks also signed Taj Gibson, Bobby Portis and Marcus Morris. While the Knicks were mocked by some for signing a high number of power forwards, only Gibson looks to be a lock on play most of his minutes at the 4, as Portis is likely to backup Mitchell Robinson at center, and while Marcus Morris has logged the vast majority of his minutes for the Celtics at Power Foward, he was mostly a small forward the previous four seasons for the Suns and Pistons, which leads the door for him to potentially start for the Knicks at small forward this season.

Speaking of small forward…that is projected as the primary position Brazdeikis will play in the NBA. So how do the Knicks stack up there? Well, 3 players on the Knicks played the majority of their minutes at the 3 last year, Kevin Knox, the team’s first-round draft pick and Damyean Dotson, 2017 second-round pick, and Mario Hezonja, who is now on the Portland Trail Blazers.

Besides that, Reggie Bullock has logged 53% of his career minutes at the 3, but he may miss part of the season and play shooting guard (same for Dotson) when he comes back. (All position playing totals are according to Basketball reference)

So where does that leave Brazdeikis? Well, Randle, Morris, and Knox are definitely ahead of him along with Dotson if the Knicks play him at the 3, and Bullock probably too. That leaves Brazdeikis at best as probably the third-string option behind 4 players to start the season, and there is a possibility he spends some time with the G-league Westchester Knicks.

Both of those things aren’t necessarily bad though, as many second-round picks start off in the same situation. It is imperative that if Brazdeikis gets increased minutes due to Bullock’s injury, he could capitalize on those minutes to put himself in front of Bullock in the pecking order when he returns from injury.

The Role that Ignas Brazdeikis will play for the Knicks in the 2019-19 season is going to be an interesting development to watch and in my opinion, will be one of the more interesting things to watch out for in this season.

 

New York Knicks: RJ Barrett’s strengths are now his weaknesses

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New York Knicks, RJ Barrett

The New York Knicks drafted Duke star RJ Barrett with the third overall pick in the most recent NBA Draft, and while he enters the league with ample abilities and skills, most of his strengths have now become weaknesses.

Refining his existing talents will be the goal in his rookie season with the Knicks, and it will take time for him to develop them to a point where he can once again dominate.

The 19-year-old told media in Vegan on Friday that he’s currently working on “everything” in regards to his finishing ability, which has been his primary strength throughout his career in basketball. Facing off against tougher defenders and more physical players will be an obstacle for him this year, but he’s working diligently to overcome the adversity quickly.

Barrett has struggled during Summer League games at times, starting his first two games with a combined 21.1 field goal percentage, 18 points, and 2-of-13 from three-point land.

However, he’s picked up his production in recent games, the most recent — 21 points, 35.3 field goal percentage, and 10 rebounds. Finishing the night with a double-double, his second consecutive, showed that he is capable of scoring at a high level and being an impact player.

The New York Knicks have a solid group of rookies:

Fellow rookie, Ignas Brazdeikis, has been a force during the Summer League, looking the part of an NBA player. He will likely be a solid rotational player in 2019 while Barrett earns starting playing time. It will be exciting to see both compete and play together as they shape the future of the Knicks’ team.

One observation that’s exciting is Barret’s hustle and tenacity. Grabbing loose boards and pushing the tempo on the offensive side of the ball, he’s full of energy which is a great look as he continues to grow into his role.

Instead of settling, Barrett has been proactive in perfecting his abilities, most of which used to be his strengths.

New York Knicks: Could Ignas Brazdeikis be better draft pick over Barrett?

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New York Knicks, Ignas Brazdeikis

While it’s too early to tell whether Duke star and New York Knicks 3rd overall draft choice RJ Barrett will become the force he’s expected to be, second-rounder Ignas Brazdeikis has shown incredible production so far.

The Summer League is generally a time where the teams can gauge their young talent and begin to see them take developmental steps before the regular season. Barrett, who’s averaged 21% from the field, has underwhelmed, but it’s not something we should worry about given his age and youth.

However, appreciating the success of youngsters is important. Brazdeikis has been on fire since starting with the Knicks, putting up 30-points in his latest effort against the Pheonix Suns, hitting a game-tying three-point shot with 25 seconds remaining on the clock.

What are the New York Knicks getting from the Lithuanian?

As a freshman with Michigan in the Big Ten conference, Ignas showed great offensive versatility and the ability to make an impact in that facet. He averaged a solid 14.8 points-per-game in 2018 (sports reference), but with more talent around him at the NBA level, I believe he will continue to grow and produce efficiently.

The Canadian earned Big Ten Rookie of the Year honors, displaying a diverse array of skills that will help him succeed at the next level. The 6-foot-7 forward has above-average ball-handling skills for his size, which enables him to push the ball up the court with speed and effectiveness.

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He created a lot of fast-break opportunities with this skill and I anticipate he will continue to utilize it in his rookie campaign. The ability to stretch the court and play fast is something that the Knicks have failed to do in the past — stopping opposing team’s momentum and creating some of their own was difficult, but Brazdeikis offers that to the Knicks.

Being a crafty finisher and athletic player on offense will help him earn playing time, but he will need to develop his defense if he wishes to be a regular player on the floor. There’s much he needs to work on, but he’s starting out at a good level at just 20-years-old.

 

How have the New York Knicks looked so far in the Summer League?

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The New York Knicks are 0-2 in this year’s summer league. This is not the start fans were hoping for.  A lot of fans, especially from the Knicks, tend to overreact to these games. How a player performs is either criticized or over-hyped.

Most Knicks followers were very excited to see rookie RJ Barrett play and go head-to-head against his good friend Zion Williamson.  If you watched the game, Zion played better than RJ.  Fans were already overreacting.  We are here to say… relax.  It was Barrett’s first game as a Knick, he is young, 19, and he was most likely nervous.

Barrett is a natural scorer and playmaker.  Just because he had a bad shooting performance in his first two professional games does not mean that fans should panic.  Barrett is going to be just fine.

Kevin Knox kills the summer league but falters during the regular season.  Knox did the same thing last year and swept Knicks fans off their feet.  However, it did not seem to carry over into the season, as it was a roller coaster.  Fans got so excited for Knox that his first was underwhelming. But, he too is young.  Knox seemed to have a better more fluid shot, especially in the first game against the Pelicans. Let’s hope that he brings that shot into the regular season.

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Mitchell Robinson has been a force down-low.  His defense has been good and he continues to be a blocking stud.  Robinson is only going to get better each game, so no need to worry about him. Maintaining his health will be a priority, though.

Ignas Brazdeikis appears to be another second-round steal for the Knicks. But again, it is the summer league and yes, he did go off against Phoenix, but the Knicks might have found another gem. Iggy was stroking it from all over.  He was aggressive and not afraid to take his shot. Brazdeikis needs to bring that fire every day and he can be a very good role player.

Despite being 0-2, the Knicks are still in a good position. It will take time for Barrett to get comfortable and that is when he will flourish.  Overall, the summer league does not mean much.  It is just an opportunity to see the potential up-and-coming players for one’s team and get us talking.  Do not overreact and just enjoy basketball being back.

New York Knicks: Ignas Brazdeikis can be steal of the draft

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New York Knicks, Michigan Wolverines, Ignas Brazdeikis

The New York Knicks didn’t even bring in Ignas Brazdeikis for a workout thinking he would be drafted well before the 55th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. Moving up with Sacramento Kings to the 47th pick to steal the Lithuanian might have been one of the most sneaky-good moves of the draft.

The 6-foot-7 forward is a proficient scorer but needs to develop his defensive skills at the professional level. The Knicks, however, were keen on grabbing the talented Michigan product – paying the Kings $1 million in cash considerations.

The New York Knicks rookie commented on his drafting spot:

“I was kind of surprised I wasn’t drafted in the first round,’’ Brazdeikis told The Post on Wednesday after the Knicks’ summer league practice. “But I’m happy with the situation I’m in. It’s a great situation for me, and I’m proud to be a Knick. I’m definitely going to prove a lot of people wrong.’’

Dropping out of the first round offered immense value for the Knicks who selected RJ Barrett with the 3rd overall pick. Adding a player of Ignas’s quality will prove to be beneficial after a bit of growth and chemistry building with his new teammates.

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President Steve Mills commented previously on the forward’s abilities, stating:

“There was toughness and competitiveness he exhibited in those games. Scott and I looked at each other, he’s high on the list, but I don’t think he’ll make it out of the first round. He’s physical, tough, can shoot. As our analytics guys laid it out, he should be a contributor on an NBA roster.’’

Assuming he would go between picks 25-40, the Knicks were surprised he dropped as far as he did and didn’t wait to scoop him up before another team realized his potential. As a productive scorer, averaging 14.8 points, 0.8 assists, 0.7 blocks, and 4.3 defensive rebounds per game, Brazdeikis will play a part in the Knicks’ plan this upcoming season, but I anticipate he will require a year of NBA experience to unlock his potential.

New York Knicks gain steal in 47th overall pick Ignas Brazdeikis?

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New York Knicks, Ignas Brazdeikis

The New York Knicks moved up eight spots (55 to 47) with the Sacramento Kings to grab Michigan forward Ignas Brazdeikis in the 2019 NBA Draft. As Ignas fell, the Knicks knew they had to make a move for the talented scorer — a player that will hopefully make an impact on a team full of youth and hope.

“Well this guy is going in the first round,” Mills, the Knicks team president, previously stated, according to the NY Daily News. “We’re not going to have a chance to get him. And as we watched the draft play out, our analytics guys, he rates out really high as a rotational NBA player. So we said, when there’s an opportunity to go get him, we decided that was something important for us to do.”

Ignas has the ability to be a true sixth-man — a player that can come in spark offensive production. His speed and impact on the game are impressive, which is why the Knicks didn’t think twice about moving up to grab him.

The statistical analysis by the Knicks have him being a solid rotational player – add in a solid combine performance and he’s a value pick at 47. Averaging 14.8 points-per-game with Michigan in his freshman year, the Knicks know what they’re getting from the winger.

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Pairing him with RJ Barrett in the draft, the Knicks walk away with two solid players that can develop into true assets. Clearly, Barrett will play a more immediate role on the starting team.

“I’m a relentless player, I don’t fear anyone or anything,” Brazdeikis said. “I don’t back down from anyone, either. I’m very confident in myself and my abilities as well. I go as hard as I can every single game. I do whatever it takes to help the team win. I’m aggressive. I feel like I know who I am as a basketball player.”

Despite his glaring confidence, Ignas has his fair share of deficiencies. Defense and elite athleticism to name a few, however, he’s great around the rim and shot 39% from behind the arc last year. He can be a better version of Steve Novak in a sense.

It will be interesting to see how the Knicks use him in his first year as a professional.