Kyrie really did eye Knicks
BOSTON — It’s a constant reminder for the Knicks, a trip through the NBA blender that demonstrates what they don’t possess. Russell Westbrook was Thursday. Kyrie Irving Tuesday. James Harden on deck for next week. Then, eventually, it’s John Wall, Steph Curry, Mike Conley, Kyle Lowry, Dame Lillard, Kemba Walker, etc., etc.
It’s unquestionably a point guard’s league these days, and the Knicks are trotting out a combo of Ramon Sessions and Ron Baker. And, frankly, being overmatched at the position is nothing new for the Knicks. You have to go all the way back to Mark Jackson in 1989 to find their last AllStar point guard. The drought is remarkable. Which brings us to Frank Ntilikina, the highest point guard selection by the Knicks since Micheal Ray Richardson. There hasn’t been much to say about Ntilikina except he’s been hurt. He missed Tuesday’s game against the Celtics because of a sprained ankle, meaning his total production through Summer League, preseason and regular season amounts to the following sad stat line: two games, 26 minutes, five points, 1-for-9 shooting, two airballs, one giant billboard overlooking Madison Square Garden.
While it’s way too early to make a determination on Ntilikina’s future, that’s exactly what the Knicks must answer just three games into the season. According to Basketballinsiders. com, the Suns asked the Knicks for both Ntilikina, the eighth overall pick in June, and Willy Hernangomez, an All-Rookie selection last season, in a deal for disgruntled point guard Eric Bledsoe.
Thus far, the Knicks have resisted. If they can’t get a better deal and watch another team land Bledsoe, it places even more pressure on Ntilikina to live up to his draft position. He BOSTON — For those who thought it wasn’t possible that Kyrie Irving wanted to leave the Eastern Conference champs for the struggling Knicks, guess what? He really wanted to come home.
“It’s pretty easy, man,” he said. “They were on the list for a reason. They were close to home. That’s about it.”
Irving, who grew up in West Orange, N.J. and whose father is from the Bronx, had given the Cavaliers a list of places he wanted to go in a trade, which were reported as the T-Wolves, Spurs, Heat and Knicks.
He was ultimately dealt to the Celtics, who pummeled the Knicks on Tuesday, 110-89, with Irving dropping 20 points with seven assists.
“Any time a great player in this league has you on their list, you got to be happy about it,” Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek said. becomes the player the Knicks chose over both Dennis Smith Jr. and Bledsoe.
“We brought (Ntilikina) in and we’re trying to develop him when he’s not having injuries,” Jeff Hornacek said.
Whether the “we” Hornacek referenced includes himself with the front office is up for debate. Hornacek is a fan of Bledsoe from when he coached the athletic scorer for 2½ seasons with the Suns. He’s the win-now option that Hornacek can appreciate more than anybody as a coach in the tenuous position of Phil Jackson’s hire.
After all, it’s a point guard league. And if the front office is not willing to part with Hernangomez — who has been cut out of Hornacek’s rotation — it’s not a good sign for synergy.
“Well you have to look at the league and how a lot of teams are going smaller and it’s the penetration and getting the floor spread,” Hornacek said. “When you have a point guard like Kyrie who can do that, then the other guys are free to cut and move. So penetration is big in this league, whether you get it through a pass or a dribble, and a lot of these point guards in the league can break you down.”
The Knicks don’t have a guard who can break down the defense like Bledsoe. They had one in Derrick Rose and it didn’t work out. The Knicks didn’t even make an offer to Rose in free agency. nstead, they moved toward the Ntilikina era, which everybody is still waiting to get started on the actual basketball court.
“It’s frustrating for any player to be off the court and not be able to play these games. But I’ve got to be focused on what I can do and what I can do to be back very soon,” said Ntilikina, who is optimistic about returning for Friday’s game against the Nets. “As soon as possible I want to be out there.”
IStill, the Knicks weren’t happy enough to meet Cleveland’s trade demand of Kristaps Porzingis. Other than the Latvian, the Knicks’ assets had little appeal to the Cavaliers, who took Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder and Brooklyn’s 2018 first-round pick from the Celtics.
Prior that deal, the Knicks were listening to offers for Porzingis. That stopped once Phil Jackson was fired.
“I saw (Irving was interested in joining the Knicks) on Twitter,” Porzingis said. “I wasn’t even paying too much attention to my own trade talks — and even less to other guys.”
Still, as Porzingis said Tuesday, the Knicks are short on talent compared to a team like the Celtics. So playing alongside Irving would’ve been nice. It was just impossible to make that pairing happen.
“Playing with a guy like that would make the game a lot easier,” Porzingis said. “That’s dreaming how it would be. He’s not here with us. He’s in Boston. That type of player would bring a lot to this team.”