New York Knicks: How will Mario Hezonja fit in next year?
The verdict
Mario Hezonja was a smart pickup for the New York Knicks. Both parties are looking to start fresh, and David Fizdale’s offense seems to mesh well with some of what Hezonja is best at. If Hezonja excels in the Big Apple, he opens himself up for a big payday next summer.
On offense, he is a decent knockdown shooter in spot-up situations and he has the ability to create his own shot off of the pick-and-roll. There is a chance that Orlando’s stagnant offense stifled what he could produce on that end of the floor. He now has the opportunity to test that theory in a new city under a new coach.
Mario Hezonja’s young NBA career hasn’t met the expectations of a top-five draft pick. However, the 2017-18 season showed a player that seems to be trending up. Those flashes of a valuable player caught the eye of the Knicks’ front office and earned him a low-risk, high-reward “prove-it” contract.
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With the Knicks essentially starting over, there isn’t any external pressure for him to dominate for a “win-now” team. However, he should want to improve for himself so that he can advance his NBA career and show what he can deliver at his best. If all goes well, we could finally see the Mario Hezonja we’ve all been waiting for.