Amidst a disastrous season in New York, Allonzo Trier has solidified himself as a core piece of the Knicks’ future. Since inking a two-year deal in December, he has continued to prove his worth on the court.
Young Phenom
Proving himself, though, was foreign to Trier. Since 2009, he has been nationally known for his basketball talent. While most sixth graders were studying in school, Trier was being featured on the cover of The New York Times Magazine as a 13-year-old sixth grader.
Trier continued to dominate the playing field throughout middle school and elevated his game further in high school. He finished his senior year averaging 26.2 points per game and 5.4 rebounds per game while earning McDonald’s All-American honors. The combo guard committed to the University of Arizona as a five-star recruit and the No. 18 prospects in ESPN’s Top 100 in 2015.
College Struggles
Sights were set on the NBA following a phenomenal high school career, but college wasn’t as rewarding. Trier was suspended 21 games at Arizona after testing positive to PEDs twice.
It also didn’t help that the FBI investigated Arizona head coach Sean Miller for allegedly paying top prospects to enroll at Arizona. However, it is not known whether Trier accepted money to play.
Trier averaged 18.1 points per game in his junior and final season at Arizona, but very few teams were interested. The former 13-year-old cover athlete went undrafted, but the Knicks signed him to a two-way contract soon after the NBA Draft.
An NBA Dream Come True
For the first time ever, Trier had to fight for a roster spot, and he didn’t disappoint. It took him 27 games to earn that coveted two-year, $7 million contract. He averaged 11.3 points per game on 47 percent from the field and 39 percent from deep all while playing 23.2 minutes per game.
https://twitter.com/DraftLead/status/1102798177542066177
Since signing his new deal, Trier hasn’t let up his play. He’s averaging 10.6 points per game on 46-percent shooting from the floor on the season. Most recently, he exploded for 29 points against the Sacramento Kings. Trier’s scoring output marks his ninth 20-point game, though he has yet to take more than 20 shots in a game. His consistent and efficient scoring has been a a huge positive for the the tanking Knicks.
Trier turned 23 years old in January, so his upside going forward isn’t favorable. He will still be at the forefront of the Knicks’ rebuild, however. His competitive nature and consistency shown throughout not only this season but his entire career will brush off on older and younger teammates, coaches and most importantly, fans.
