As I broke down in my last article…
…there are many things us Knick fans should and should not be looking for from each player in the upcoming season. While what we should look for in each player is different, one thing stays constant among all players on the roster; a step forward. Here are some more things we should be looking out for in a couple more players on the Knicks roster.
Tim Hardaway Jr.
LOOKING FOR: For Hardaway, Knick fans would love to see him be more of a force on the defensive side of the ball. His offensive game has never been in question for he is a solid SG/SF in the right lineup. The Knicks will again look to him for some instant offense whenever he touches the ball.
https://twitter.com/KnickFilmSchool/status/1014324808530714624
NOT LOOKING FOR: The worst thing that could happen for Hardaway would be for him to shoot himself to the bench. The Knicks need him to be a force on both sides of the ball and serve as a complimentary piece to Porzingis and potential Kevin Knox. However, Hardaway often finds himself as a very streaky shooter in a position
Trey Burke
LOOKING FOR: The Knicks are looking Burke to stay as aggressive as he was down the stretch last year. The argument could be made that at the end of the season, Burke was their best offensive player averaging nearly 19 points a game in the last 10 games of the season.
NOT LOOKING FOR: Burke getting lost in the shuffle of point guards would be concerning for the Knicks. With the addition of Mudiay as well as the development of Frank Ntilikina, it can be very easy to slip down the minutes list if his play does not match what he did last year.
Emmanuel Mudiay
LOOKING FOR: Mudiay was showed some impressive flashes last year as well as some not-so impressive flashes. The Knicks utilized him as a two guard alongside Burke/Ntilikina at times as well. However, in today’s NBA, shooting under 20% from three point land is not acceptable from a guard. Look for Mudiay to develop a more well rounded game in the year to come.
NOT LOOKING FOR: Mudiay has been seen as one of the more unimpressive draft picks in recent drafts and his numbers tell the story. While he has shown flashes of being a real player in this league, his lack of consistency has caused him to be traded and moved to the bench in the last year. The Knicks would hate to see “the same old” Mudiay with little to no improvement in the coming season.
Mario Hezonja
LOOKING FOR: The Knicks new young small forward is coming off a solid season with the Orlando Magic. Increasing his PPG average every year so far, he projects to average around 11-13 points a game this season. With this in mind, Hezonja sees himself in an opportunity to grow alongside a majority of the Knicks young roster. The hope is that Hezonja will provide scoring and defense off the bench to give Kevin Knox a breather when needed, as well as filling in for a PF in a smaller, more dynamic lineup
NOT LOOKING FOR: Like any young player, the Knicks wouldn’t like to see any signs of regression in Hezonja’s game or proving that last season was somewhat of a fluke. He has gotten better and better every year of his career and the Knicks will hate to see anything otherwise for this coming season.
Mitchell Robinson
LOOKING FOR: Along with Kevin Knox, Mitchell Robinson lit up the summer league and certainly caught the eye of many people in the organization. He showed outstanding athletic ability from the power forward/ center position with monster dunks that shook the rim as well as the bleachers from the crowds reactions. Robinson should look to eat up center minutes behind Enes Kanter and even power forward minutes with the absence of Kristaps Porzingis.
NOT LOOKING FOR: Robinson was a second round draft pick and the reason being was that many scouts didn’t seem to think his game was ready for the NBA level. Robinson has proven these people wrong in the summer league so far and the Knicks would hate to see these scouts have been correct.
