New York Knicks

Breaking Down The New York Knicks Pre-Season Opening Victory

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Alright, nobody panic (insert Steve Carell office gif), it’s only one game and it’s the pre-season. But, man is it good to have New York Knicks basketball back. When I say “back,” I mean just watching basketball. It’s going to take a few years until the Knicks are hopefully back back. However, I don’t know if we will agree with that statement come mid-season when the Knicks are 12-30, so let’s be optimistic.

Looking into the New York Knick’s first pre-season game:

Besides kicking off the Fizdale era with a 124-121 OT win over the Wizards, last night gave us some glimpses into the future of what Knicks basketball could look like. We’ll kick things off with the starting lineup, Burke, Hardaway, Knox, Thomas and Kanter was what we all figured. Burke has earned that spot and deserves, yet another chance, to be a starting point guard in the league. He displayed some smooth ball-handling and ability to create while knocking down a few jumpers.

Burke’s mid-range is his bread-and-butter, which Fizdale loves. Burke did miss a lot of reads on offense which needs to be addressed. However, Burke is not the long-term solution, Frank is. Burke will be playing for a contract, so expect him to have a decent year, then it’s Frank’s team.

Next, our first-round draft pick, Kevin Knox. Knox ended up with a double-double, 13 points, 10 boards. He already looked like he’s been in the league for 2-3 years. Knox look comfortable and I saw similarities to Celtics’ Jayson Tatum. Just from his first game, Knox can easily average 20 points a game this season. And that was with his 3-point shot not falling in the first half.

There’s so much to go into for the first pre-season game, so we’ll try to hit the main points.  Of course, everyone played. Some of the players we were most excited to see, besides Knox, was 2nd-round pick Mitchell Robinson, Frank Ntilikina, Noah Vonleh, Allonzo Trier, Emmanuel Mudiay and Damyean Dotson, to name a few.

One of the most intriguing players Knicks fans wanted to see was Emmanuel Mudiay. It was reported over the off-season Fizdale really likes his game. We were hoping Fiz can bring out the potential in Mudiay, but last night we saw the complete opposite. Mudiay doesn’t do much on the court. He can’t shoot, he can’t get to the hoop, and he can’t create. It was the pre-season opener for crying out loud, but he needs to show something, otherwise that trade will be another bust.

Our 2nd-round pick, Mitchell Robinson is going to be good. I love his athletic ability and his size. He needs to put on some muscle, but besides that, put the rock in the air and say “Go get it Mitchell.” Robinson has what it takes to be a tremendous two-way player. The one series he had the lob dunk then came down on defense and had a block. That’s what Fiz needs to build on. Also, Fizdale loves his toughness and how he didn’t back down to that punk Markieff Morris. Both were trash talking all game, but our rookie didn’t let him get the best of him. Let’s just hope he isn’t a hot head, but he kept his cool last night regardless.

As for the rest of the crew, Frank didn’t play as much as he should have. He was aggressive, but needs to take his shot more. Frank is our future point guard, but his offensive game needs to continue developing. Damyean Dotson came alive at the end of the game. However, we’ve seen that story before. Do it in the season Dotson, and be consistent. Noah Vonleh could be good and a valuable asset down the stretch. He has size and the ability create and muscle people. Vonleh will be one he border for making the team, so he’ll need to step it up.

Finally, Allonzo Trier. Besides Robinson being a possible steal, Trier could also be another one. He has the capabilities to be a valuable offensive stud off the bench, which was on display last night. When Trier was in the zone last night, he was shakin-n-bakin and showed what he could bring to the team, offensive promise.

Overall, we should be excited from what we saw last night. It was only one game in the pre-season, but there was a lot of good things that were seen from our draft picks and younger players. There were also numerous things to build on. We don’t expect the Knicks to be a playoff team, but as long as we’re taking a step forward instead of back, Knicks fans should be optimistic about the future.

Knicks’ Kristaps Porzingis Shows His Worth Despite Injury

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When New York Knicks‘ Kristaps Porzingis went down with a significant knee injury, it was expected that he would be out well into the 2018 season. The drafting of forward Kevin Knox has fueled a resurgence in energy for an organization that has struggled in recent years.

Porzingis isn’t expected to return until after the All-Star Break, and some say he might not play at all, but the fact of the matter is that his influence is much more than just ‘on’ the court.

Center Enes Kanter didn’t anticipate the Knicks’ star play to return with such high energy, especially after months of being a ghost and riding his own wave.

“He’s so engaged, man,’’ Kanter stated in awe, according to the NY Post. “Unbelievable. I talked to him on the sideline. He’s jumping, ‘I’m so pumped. I can’t wait to go [play]'”

Just the pure excitement from Kanter offers a boost of confidence and optimism for the season ahead. The Knicks are finally putting together a solid roster with legitimate depth and youth.

“I’m very excited about him,’’ Kanter said. “That shows how much he loves the team and cares about the team. He’s coming to sidelines and so pumped for us and he’s not even playing. To see an All-Star guy cheering for you, it gives you extra motivation. I think it’s important for him to come to every practice and cheer for us. To see a franchise hurt and just jumping and pumping you up, that gives you extra motivation.’’

The New York Knicks are in good hands:

The Unicorn seems to be taking a different approach to his role on the team while he rehabilitates from a torn ACL. His leadership and authority will be a good tool for the rookies on the team, and his return will be even more significant.

Would Jimmy Butler Be A Good Fit With The New York Knicks?

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Two days ago, Jimmy Butler requested a trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves. According ESPN’s Woj, Butler listed three teams for his preferred destinations, which were, the Nets, Clippers and Knicks. However, late yesterday, reports surfaced that Butler would most likely prefer to go to the Clippers along with another superstar.

I’ll try to make this as quick and painless as possible because it is relatively simple for Knicks fans. We do not need to trade for Jimmy Butler. Butler is 29 years old, not necessarily as young as people think. Knicks are currently on the right track in their youth movement, don’t screw it up by trading or overpaying for Butler.

Trading for Butler shouldn’t even be a thought unless it’s dumping contracts or older players like Noah, Lance, Lee, Kanter or Hardaway. People will say, “well Hardaway is young”, yes, but I’d trade him solely based off his contract. And for the amount of money Kanter is getting paid for minimal minutes, yeah he can go too.

Also, if Butler and Knicks both want to partner up, why trade for him when he can come next season in free agency? But, you can’t give him a max contract, not for an aging shooting guard. Butler is not a fine wine lie LeBron or Durant meaning he is not getting better with age. Butler is a good two-way player, but he’ll want big money and the Knicks have made that mistake before.

Knicks twitter went crazy yesterday when this news dropped and fans responded with mixed reviews. Some wanting zero part of Butler, with others drooling over the idea of him coming to the Big Apple. The truth is the Knicks don’t need to trade for Butler, let’s not make the Melo trade and give up a stupid amount in this situation. If he wants to come, come in free agency, but don’t trade for him.

The real, real truth is the Knicks don’t need Butler in general. The Knicks want youth and Butler is not young anymore. This organization has made countless mistakes in the past for overpaying or trading for aging vets. Let’s not continue this trend, yet again. Develop those young draft picks and continue on the youth movement.

Knicks’ Enes Kanter Knows The Recipe To Sign Kevin Durant

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While most would bet their money on Kevin Durant re-signing with the Golden State Warriors, it would be ignorant to not consider the potential for any other team to snag him in free agency. In this specific scenario, the New York Knicks would grab him, but how?

Knicks’ center Enes Kanter opened up on SiriusXM NBA Radio about the potential for Durant to come to the Big Apple, and how it could happen:

“It is New York. If you are with New York, you’re king of America and king of the world,” Kanter said…

“We are New York. He’s a free agent. We need to use that. We are the best city in the world. That could draw a lot of attention for free agents. I would love for him to be my teammate again. When he was my teammate he was an amazing teammate, amazing character, scorer and basketball player on court and off the court, too. I would love to see him be my teammate again.”

All the things Kanter states in his answer are correct. The appeal of New York is enticing, the money is available, and he would have familiar faces to rely on.

Coming to New York might be the decision that puts Durant in on a different level. He’s been criticized constantly for making the move to Golden State, a team full of All-Star players. Going to the Knicks would put him alongside youngsters in Kevin Knox and Mitchell Robinson, as well as Kristaps Porzingis. If he could bring a championship to NY he would be considered a legend for eternity.

EXTRA:

Even if the Knicks managed to bring on Durant, it would likely force them to let Kanter walk, who’s earning $18.6 million in 2018.

Remembering The Trade That Brought Carmelo Anthony To The knicks

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New York Knicks, Carmelo Anthony

Seven and a half years later, how did the Melo trade go?

Now that Melo is long gone from the New York Knicks, how did the trade actually turn out?

February 21st, 2011 was one of the most exciting days for me as a Knicks fan. After hoping to hit a Grand Slam with landing Lebron and or a player like Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, the Knicks hit a single with the exciting, yet oft-injured, Amare Stoudemire.

Amare was great for those first few months when he was the primary scoring option surrounded by roles players. The Knicks were competitive and playoff bound, but we all knew they needed another significant star. 

In July 2011, then Denver Nuggets star Carmelo Anthony was set to become an unrestricted Free Agent and had express serious interest in coming home and joining the Knicks. New York had cap space to sign another max deal and did not need to make a big trade.

Well, the Knicks being the Knicks did not want to take any chances and traded pretty much the whole supporting cast to Amare’s show. The Knicks traded away Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari, Timofey Mozgov, their 2014 first-round draft pick and 2016 swap rights. In return, they received Melo and Chauncey Billups.

At the time, like any fan of a team that acquires a top 10 player, a lot of fans were extremely excited. Melo was one of the best pure scorers in the league and immediately became the best player on the Knicks since Patrick Ewing. Chauncey Billups was a nice piece as well (even though they wasted their amnesty clause on him). 

Some fans had some valid hesitations with the trade. A lot was given up including fan favorite Wilson Chandler and up-and-coming Danilo Gallinari. Also, trading future first-rounder’s usually isn’t a good thing. Why trade all that if they can just sign him in the off-season? A very reasonable concern. 

Looking back at all the assets they traded away, none of those players ever became close to the player Melo was. Chandler is a lifelong role player, Gallo has been injured often and never really became the star Knicks fans wanted him to become when they drafted him. Felton was solid, but no one lost sleep over that decision and Mozgov was half-decent but again, no one lost any sleep.

The draft picks that they traded turned out to be Dario Saric and Jamal Murray. Both of whom are already contributors and Murray seems to be on his way to stardom. Would the Knicks have drafted both of them or even had those exact picks? There is no way tell.

Carmelo Anthony was the best player to walk into the Garden on a nightly basis during this century. The 54 win team in 2013 was by far the best season the Knicks have had since they last made the NBA Finals. The real reason they did not ultimately succeed in bringing a championship to the streets of Manhattan, is simply because of poor management. The Andrea Bargnani trade was an absolute albatross. Melo always played better with a good point guard and the Knicks got over-anxious and signed Tyson Chandler and left no room for CP3 who pretty much did everything except tell the Knicks to save cap space for him. As previously mentions, the amnesty was wasted on Billups and should’ve been used on Amare. Melo and Amare were never a good fit next to each other and neither made the other one better.

Overall, I think it was a good trade. They had a perennial All-Star who did not back down from Lebron or Boston. None of the players they traded turned out to be great and in an era where team success is predicated on having 3 Hall of Famers, those kind of guys help but ultimately don’t win anything for you. 

If the Knicks management did a better job building around Melo, they would’ve been a better team and could have attracted some better free agents. It was the right trade even if they could have gotten him less than 5 months later for without mortgaging the future. As we see today (see George, Paul), minds can be changed in just a few months and there aren’t any guarantees.

 

Remembering Carmelo Anthony’s Two Biggest Shots As A New York Knick

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Reminiscing on the former New York Knicks’ Carmelo Anthony era is bittersweet. There were plenty of highs but also plenty, plenty of lows. The Knicks only made one playoff appearance during the Melo Era, but he did bring great joy and excitement to the Garden that went missing after the 1990’s and early 2000’s. Anthony brought excitement with his two biggest shots in the same game 6 years ago.

Easter. 2012. Knicks vs. Bulls at the sold-out Garden.  Not so much a rivalry like it was during the Ewing, Jordan era, but the players, and especially the fans, still got up for these games. The Bulls were atop of the Eastern Conference being led by reigning MVP Derrick Rose.  The Knicks were fighting for the 8th spot in the playoffs and slipping.  Not ideal.  Since the Knicks were unsure of their playoffs hopes, unlike the Bulls, this game was treated as if it was Game 7 of the Eastern Finals.

The Knicks playing for a playoff spot, played the Bulls tight the entire game.  Anthony and Rose would be exchange baskets pretty much all game until the 4th quarter came.  It was Melo’s time to takeover.  The crowd was locked into this game along with the nationally televised audience.

The Bulls had a 3 point lead, 91-88, with Derrick Rose at the free throw line.  Rose misses the backend of his 2 free throws and J.R. Smith pulls down the board, quickly looking for, who else, Melo.  Melo gets the ball with 17.5 seconds left in the 4th quarter and begins up the floor.  The Garden is already on their feet.  Everyone in the county knows the ball is going up.  However, we didn’t think it be that quick.  With Taj Gibson trying to check Melo, he takes two dribbles past mid court and launches a 3 from the right side of the court, a little farther from the foul line extended.

First, when Melo chucks 3’s like he did in this situation, it just looks awkward and doesn’t look like it should drop.  However, this had a differrent feel to it.   With the ball being launched into the air every fan who wasn’t already on their feet stood up. With Jeff Van Gundy and Mike Breen calling the game brought extra excitement to the shot as Melo crossed halfcourt…

Mike Breen – “Should the Bulls foul?”

Jeff Van Gundy – “No.”

Mike Breen – “Anthony for three…BANG!”

What a call!  Hilarious commentary and fantastic shot, right in the grill of Gibson.  Melo and Garden went wild. It truly felt like a playoff game.  Melo forces overtime, capping off a 10-0 Knicks run to end the game. Fast forward.  The Bulls control the overtime, again take the lead and the Knicks are again playing from behind.  Seventeen seconds left, Knicks with the ball and Coach Mike Woodson lets them play.  Thank god, because we can’t stand timeouts in big situations, ruins the flow of the game.

Melo with the ball at the top of the key.  Now, Luol Deng is trying to check Melo.  Melo has his players clear out and takes a slow dribble to basically the same exact spot from where he tied the game in the 4th quarter.  Everyone knows it’s going up.  This time, with Melo staring down Deng, puts up a much nicer looking shot, as compared to his game-tying 3, and the basket couldn’t have been bigger for Melo that day.   Van Gundy and Breen on the call.

Breen – “Mike Woodson not calling timeout.”

Van Gundy – “I like that move.”

Breen – “In the hands of Anthony. Anthony for 3…PUTS IT IN! KNICKS BY 1 WITH 8.2 REMAINING!”

Again the Garden, Melo, literally everyone went nuts.  What a time to be alive.  I can still remember how exciting that game was.  This was during the time when people thought Melo wasn’t clutch.  This performance shut up all the haters.

It was Melo’s best performance as a Knick since coming over from Denver.  His 43-point outburst helped the Knicks get the W and ultimately make the playoffs as the 7th seed, before getting bounced by the Heat in the first round.  However, those two shots from Melo were the biggest and most exciting shots of his Knicks career.  Seeing the Garden erupt like they did for those two shots is something that we all wish to see again soon.

 

 

Remembering the Best One-Two Punch in Knicks History

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It was a simple basketball game on April 2, 2000 with the New York Knicks and the Los Angeles Lakers. This was the time when the Knicks had a dynamite team consisting of Patrick Ewing, Marcus Camby, Latrell Sprewell, Larry Johnson, Allan Houston, Charlie Ward and the man of the hour, Chris Childs. On this date, Chris Childs instantly became a Knicks legend.

First off, the Knicks had those, now, fire road uniforms with the dark blue and the black siding on both the jersey and the shorts. Back then, they were not well received, but now, they’re hot. Besides their fire uniforms, that team was also fire, tough and edgy. They were not afraid to push their own weight around, still having that grit from the Pat Riley era.

Now, the Knicks were down pretty much all game. The Lakers were just a better team. Kobe was in his fourth season and still had something to prove. Kobe was young and from rewatching the game, had dirty antics. But, then again, what basketball player doesn’t at some point in their career. However, this was not the day to test those antics on Chris Childs.

In numerous articles from the New York Post, Daily News, Complex Magazine and podcasts, most recently, Childs recalls Kobe being “dirty” basically the entire game leading up to the old one-two! Child also recalls telling Kobe to quit the shenanigans or he, Chris, was going “to take off on you. I’m going to take off on you.” Childs pointed out the antics to the refs and remembers them shrugging their shoulders and not doing anything about it. Kobe then chirped back at Childs saying, according to Childs, “You ain’t gone do anything.” Wrong words buddy.

Side note, Chris Childs came off the bench and hit some timely buckets for the Knicks and his stroke was looking strong, so he was feeling good. Allan Houston missed a jumper and Kobe got the rebound and started down the court. Kobe dumps the ball into the low-post for Shaq, guarded by Ewing and Kobe runs down along the baseline, curling up into the paint. Knicks are forced to switch. Childs switches to Kobe…

Kobe runs under Ewing, Childs follows and they get jammed up. They begin to get in each other’s face, jawing at one another. Words were definitely exchanged and Childs appeared to give Kobe a little shove, harmless. They continue to chirp at each other, now they’re forehead-to-forehead. Childs shoves his head into Kobe, backing him up. Kobe then tries to take a swing at Childs with his elbow, WITH HIS ELBOW, and backs up. Wild move, first off, and then to not even put your hands up or not know that retaliation is coming next? Come on man.

Childs looked stunned with the elbow swing. With Kobe backing up and not clearly defending himself, Childs said enough was enough. He warned Kobe. Childs was not going to let this young buck show him up, even if he did go on to become one of the greatest ballers ever. Childs quickly, QUICKLY, saw that the Black Mamba was defenseless and hit him with a quick, POP, POP, one-two baby. Kobe the tries to get a punch in before the teams get involved and break it up, but not before Chris Childs had his own Mamba Mentality and hit Kobe with the old one-two.

Looking back, those Knicks game and 1990’s/2000’s NBA basketball games were awesome. All toughness and grit. Fights galore. Ah, the good ole days. Sometime there needs to be a little rough-tough games, keep players on their toes. Childs and Kobe’s fight was not the best fight ever, but at the time, it was like wow. Especially in this situation, where we can clearly see the punches from Childs being thrown. Chris Childs hitting Kobe was his most signature moment as a Knick, probably his entire career. However, he was a solid player, but Knicks fans will remember him for those quick hands.

Knicks’ Mitchell Robinson Has The Perfect Mentor In New York

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New York Knicks, Mitchell Robinson

With the 2018-19 NBA season sneaking up on us ever so quickly, the New York Knicks are preparing to change the narrative of a hungry franchise. The past few years have been difficult for the Knicks, as they have struggled to earn wins and put together a balanced team. Signing Tim Hardaway Jr. and Joakim Noah mark two potentially devastating blows to the cap-space, limiting the potential action of the new management in free agency.

Luckily, teams are seldom built through free agency, but rather the development of youth. For the Knicks, this is exactly what we’re going to witness.

The drafting of Kevin Knox and Mitchell Robinson marks the beginning of a new era – one where New York can enjoy the growth of two young prospects and not the signing of aging veterans. Knox is a dynamic forward that can penetrate the rim and score from any position on the floor.

Robinson is a big-man looking to take over after the inevitable departure of Noah. He’s a lanky player that is stellar on defense and well-rounded on offense.

The influence of a mentor on New York Knicks rookie, Mitchell Robinson:

Having a mentor for a young player is essential, and while Noah’s contract has been a burden for the Knicks, he has much to offer when it comes to the growth of Robinson.

In the prime of his career, Noah was averaging between 10-12 points per game and over one block. He was menace around the rim and had the player intelligence to control the game from the paint. This is the type of experience he has to offer Mitchell, and it will only help him grow into the player he’s meant to be.

While Enes Kanter is expected to start at center, Robinson cannot be ruled out to earn some serious playing time. In fact, it’s possible he becomes the second-choice backup after Kanter.

Robinson set Summer League records for offensive rebounds and blocks per-game, further promoting his skill-set and ability to transition to the next level. After watching his Summer League tape, you can visibly see his vision and patience in and around the rim. He always seems to be in the right spot at the right time. He will only continue to improve with the right guidance and physical growth.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EoutQ1kjjU

New York Knicks: Looking Back On The ‘Linsanity’ Era

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In honor of Jeremy Lin’s birthday being a few days ago, August 23rd, let’s look back on that brief ‘Linsanity’ period for the Knicks, how exciting it was and what could have been done differently.

Flashing back to the Linsanity period for the Knicks:

First off, the period of Linsanity was absolutely remarkable. We, Knicks fans, had a no-name come off the bench, quickly emerge as a fan favorite and was an unstoppable force, because no one knew who this guy was and what his game looked like. Lin was signed by the New York Knicks on December 27th, 2011. Lin was signed by Knicks after Iman Shumpert went down with a knee injury. If it wasn’t for Shumpert’s unfortunate injury, Linsanity does not happen.

Lin barely got any time even after being signed until he finally got his chance against in the, then, New Jersey Nets. As he entered the game, every Knicks probably sat in their lazy-boy saying, “Who is this guy?!?” I know I did. Jeremy then caught our eyes by racking up the stats for that game. Lin rained in 25 points, dished out 7 assists, snatched 5 rebounds and was the reason the Knicks got the ‘W’ that night. All fans probably thought that this was a feel good story, thinking this was a one-time-thing, not knowing what the future would hold.

Jeremy continued to be the true spark the Knicks needed at the time, since Carmelo Anthony and Amare were sidelined. They won two straights games, solely because of Lin, then defeated John Wall and the Wizards with Lin rolling down broadway for a big time slam suggesting that this is turning into something special. His next game, he poured in his career-high 38 points against Kobe and the Lakers. Lin had the sold out Garden and threw the Garden faithful into a frenzy. Linsanity had officially begun.

Next game, came his signature moment as a New York Knick in Toronto. Lin continued to impress and during this close game, I just had that feeling that something was going to happen, in our favor. The game came down to the finally seconds, 5.7, Knicks with the ball and who else would try to win the game? You guessed it, Jeremy Lin.

Walking, strutting, stunting, dribbling down the middle of the court and I remember getting goosebumps watching that, knowing something was about to happen, and then BANG! Jeremy Lin from the top of the key, game winning triple. That is one Knick moment I will never ever forget. It literally brought me off my seat, jumping into the air.  After that unbelievable shot, which I still remember seeing Lin jump and down, nodding his head skipping towards the opposite end of the court.

But then, Anthony returned to the lineup and Linsanity was pretty much over from there.  Lin was not the same player.  Melo was again the focal point of the offensive and teams found out how to deal with Lin.  Then, Lin ended up requiring surgery from a torn meniscus.  It was the end of Linsanity and, truthfully, very saddening.  He would return for the first-round of the playoffs, but wasn’t at 100% and did not contribute.

Now, after the season concluded, came the big question.  Do the Knicks resign Lin?  Knicks had the early bidding rights to Lin and I can still remember where I was during all of this.  I’m not a big proponent of resigning players to a 3 to 5 year deal after coming an injury.  However, from the Linsanity period, I still felt like the Knicks needed a young point guard.  

Who better at the time then Jeremy Lin?  Fan favorite, that spark and he put people in the seats.  Did he want big money off an injury?  Yes.  Did he deserve big money?  No, but he deserved to be compensated for the Linsanity stretch.  The Knicks also could match whatever deal any other team would offer to Lin, so the Knicks were in the drivers seat.  However, there had been reports of some jealousy in the Knicks locker room with the vets upset over the Linsanity period.  Tough, I thought.  It’s a business.  But, I did not want to see the Knicks lose Lin.

I was sitting elbows up at Dogfish’s taproom in Delaware when the news came on the television.  “Jeremy Lin has agreed on a 3 year deal with the Houston Rockets for 25 million dollars.”  I was drained.  But, the Knicks had a chance to match, so there was some hope at the end of the tunnel.  However, that was quickly flushed again.  During the same time I was at the bar, beginning to drink away my sorrows from being a Knicks and now possibly losing out on Lin, the news came on the television again. “The New York Knicks won’t match the Rockets offer.”  Linsanity in the Big Apple was officially over.

Do I think the Knicks should have matched and resigned Lin? Yes.  Do I think it shouldn’t have even gotten to that point and the Knicks should have resigned him before even testing the market?  Triple yes.  The Knicks would have been a different and better team if they were able to retain Lin, but it just wasn’t in the cards.  As I look back on that period, it was one of the most exciting times to be a Knicks fan. 

The man from Harvard gave the city so much excitement and hope that has been something we have not seen until we got our unicorn, Kristaps Porzingis.  Is there more exciting ‘sanity’ periods coming in the near future for us fans, ‘Knox-sanity’ possibly, we don’t know.  What we do know, that we are all in this for the long haul.  Whatever next ‘Sanity’ periods comes along we will be there, strapped in for another rollercoaster of a ride. 

New York Knicks’ Trey Burke Finally Living Up To Offensive Expectations

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Despite being a top 10 pick in the NBA Draft in 2013, New York Knicks point guard Trey Burke has struggled to find his rhythm as a professional.

With the Washington Wizards, Burke only managed to complete 53% of his shots near the rim; for a point guard, that’s abysmal. With the Knicks in 2017, that percentage skyrocketed to 71%. Being an efficient scorer near the basket will allow head coach David Fizdale to operate his offense in a more open style, enabling Kevin Knox to work off of Burke’s speed.

Burke’s two point shot percentage increase by over 10% from 2016 to 2017. This could be a result of the Knick’s offensive scheme or the expectations lifted off of the six-year veteran’s shoulders.

How did Trey Burke improve as a player for the New York Knicks last season?

One of the more interesting aspects of Burke’s improvement is exactly how it happened and what he changed to increase his overall efficiency. One of his major struggles was the method he actually used to initiate contact and approach the rim. The difference from last season was that Burke would lean into his defender, allowing him to protect the ball and maneuver from an advantageous position. If he chose to rise to the hoop for a layup, it increased the probability that a foul would occur.

Increasing his offensive prowess will force the opposing defenders to stay honest, playing with the intention of keeping him contained. Having Knox and Kristaps Prozingis to open up the court will allow him to utilize his superb passing abilities. Burke finished last season with a 36.4% assist percentage – the highest of his career.

Additionally, he increased his free throw attempts per 36 minutes from 1.9 to 2.6 in 2017. His overall game saw a major improvement, and being that Frank Ntilikina is still yet to prove he can be an offensive threat, we should expect to see Burke get a solid amount of playing time this season.