Why The New York Knicks Must Start Their Rookies

By Nathan Grubel | Oct 8, 2015

Jul 14, 2015; Las Vegas, NV, USA; New York Knicks guard Jerian Grant (13) dribbles the ball during an NBA Summer League game against the 76ers at Thomas & Mack Center. The Knicks won the game in overtime, 84-81. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports /

Oh, it’s so good to be back.

The NBA season is up and running with preseason action, and the New York Knicks got their first taste of it Wednesday night playing in an exhibition game against Brazilian club Bauru. The Knicks came out on top with a 100-81 victory at Madison Square Garden.

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Head coach Derek Fisher had his team ready to go on offense, as the Knicks shot an impressive 48.7 percent from the field, including 40 percent from three-point range.

The brightest spots from the game may not have come from the veterans, however. Rookies Kristaps Porzingis and Jerian Grant had solid debuts despite some evident first-year flaws.

It’s no surprise that some jitters were present among Porzingis and Grant. After all, their first NBA game was being held in the most famous sports arena in the world in front of thousands of anxious fans hoping that this could be the year they start seeing some actual progress towards a bright and competitive future.

"I'm not nervous, just excited. My first game in my new home." -- @kporzee

WATCH http://t.co/k9ArtfCRzl pic.twitter.com/xWGOYWZmOc
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) October 7, 2015

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But what fans got to see wasn’t a couple of disappointing performances. Rather, Porzingis and Grant showcased their potential and why they were sought after by the Knicks organization.

Offensively, the two flowed in and out of the triangle system fairly well, being able to adapt on the fly and help run a successful pick-and-roll when necessary.

Even though that’s not the primary set New York wants to run, it was great to see a bit of it thrown in with positive results, seeing as though every offense in the league utilizes it because of its simplicity as well as its great correlation with a spread offense built around the three-point shot.

Porzingis was especially active in the offense, as he constantly looked to set screens, post up and move around the court for potential open looks. It’s easy for rookie big men to initially get lost in an offense, especially if the team isn’t trying to run a lot of pick-and-rolls at the top of the key.

Center Robin Lopez got a lot of touches both in the high and low post which took away a lot of Porzingis’ looks initially. But Porzingis didn’t stand there when he wasn’t involved, and I liked to see that from a young player who has a lot to learn about the American game.

Porzingis did get to step up and deliver on some three-point looks, a good sign for a team looking to spread the floor.

REPLAY: @kporzee for 3! #Knicks https://t.co/LnFjxOfQkN
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) October 8, 2015

Where Porzingis struggled at times was when he tried to do too much on offense. A primary example was a play in which he called for the ball in the post. Porzingis caught the pass, and tried to face up his man and dribble around him.

Ultimately, Porzingis thought he had the step on him and made the move to drive at the basket from the baseline, but instead got trapped in the corner which led to a bad pass out and a turnover for the Knicks.

In Europe, Porzingis faced a lot of competition that was both smaller and weaker than he was, making those kinds of moves easier to pull off. Granted, Porzingis wasn’t facing another NBA squad Wednesday night, but this is why the main focus of his offseason routine was to add weight and muscle to his skinny frame so that he could take advantage of his athleticism on plays like that.

Recognition on both ends of the floor is where Porzingis’ game will begin to grow. He has all of the tools to be a great player, but it’s going to take him time to better understand the NBA game and how fast and physical it’s going to be every night.

Speaking of patience and learning, that seems to be a common theme with Grant as well.

Grant had his moments running the point, finding teammates both off the dribble and in the pick-and-pop, as he finished with four assists on the night to only one turnover.

For 28 minutes of action, four assists aren’t a lot for a player looking to play the majority of his minutes at the 1, but he did spend time off the ball with Jose Calderon acting as the squad’s floor general. I was surprised to see as much of that as I did because the Knicks should be focusing on developing his point guard skills.

Regardless, it wasn’t his passing that got him into trouble throughout the game. The main issue was Grant’s decision-making in terms of shot attempts.

Grant forced a lot within the offense, driving the lane and going for shots when he shouldn’t have. A few times he had teammates open beyond the arc, which could have led to better quality looks than contested layups at the rim.

In time, Grant will recognize those situations more and learn to take advantage of his passing ability rather than put his head down and try to make things happen himself. The professional game is different than in college. At Notre Dame, he could put his head down and charge at the basket whenever he wanted to.

He won’t be able to do that as much while wearing a Knicks uniform, and if he does, he can expect to see a good amount of time on the bench.

Both of the team’s rookies have skills and athleticism that can translate to big-time success. They need ample playing time so they can make their mistakes and learn from them instead of watching helplessly on the bench.

If a lack of familiarity of the league is the only real issue holding these guys back, then I say to insert and keep them in the starting lineup so that they can continue to develop and mature with valuable experience.

Other Notes:

Carmelo Anthony shined in his return to the court, notching 17 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the field. He was aggressive within the offense and looked comfortable running the court and playing with energy. His spectacular performance, albeit in 20 minutes of playing time, should be a huge positive for the Knicks moving forward.
The Knicks looked much more comfortable running the triangle in general. With mobile bigs like Porzingis and L0pez being able to hit mid-range shots and plenty of athletic cutters like Grant and Derrick Williams to keep the offense flowing, the team should be able to have much more offensive success than last season, in which the team only put up 91.9 points per game, which ranked last in the league.
Defense is still going to need to be cleaned up, as the Knicks allowed Bauru 43 three-point attempts on the night. Even though they only made 11 of them, a lot of the looks were completely open, which would prove to be problematic against more efficient offenses such as the San Antonio Spurs. Steady ball movement seems to be a trouble spot that New York will have to address before the regular season.

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