Ex-Knick Mudiay says Fizdale has potential to ‘flourish’

Four seasons into his NBA career, Emmanuel Mudiay has two goals for Year Five: Make the playoffs, and learn everything he can from Jazz coach Quin Snyder and veteran guard Mike Conley. That’s why the former Knicks point guard joined a loaded Utah Jazz team on oneyear deal, presumably on a minimum contract, this summer.

“I’m kind of just tired of going back early into the summer, not knowing what to do with myself,” Mudiay told the Daily News during a visit to Five-Star/NBPA youth summer basketball camp on Monday. “I looked at it as an opportunity to just go learn, try to get as much knowledge as I can over there.”

Mudiay admits his career has had its fair share of ups and downs. He committed to Larry Brown and Southern Methodist University out of high school, then pulled out to pursue a professional career overseas. He went to Denver as the seventh overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, but shot just 36 percent from the field and averaged more than three turnovers per game as a rookie. The following summer, the Nuggets drafted Jamal Murray, whom they just gave a five-year, $170 million contract extension this summer. They gave the keys to the point guard position to Murray, then traded Mudiay to the Knicks in 2017.

“I’ve been through some tough times a little bit, but it just made me who I am today,” he said of the struggles that plagued him earlier in his career. “For me, it’s been mostly the mental aspect. Trying to get my head clear. As for the talent, I’ve always had faith and confidence in my talent.”

Under head coach David Fizdale, though, Mudiay was able to revive his career in New York. Last season, despite the Knicks having a terrible year with a franchise-worst record of 17-65, Mudiay posted career highs of nearly 15 points on 45 percent shooting from the field, and 33 percent shooting from three. “This year wasn’t the year to judge him for his work, but he’s taken teams to the playoffs before,” he says of Fizdale. “So I think it’s only a matter of time. If they keep putting the right people around him, then he’ll flourish.”

Mudiay describes Fizdale as “steady” and a “great confidence guy.” He also believes second-year forward Kevin Knox will have a rookie-to-sophomore jump in production as well. After all, Knox averaged 13 points per game but shot just 37 percent from the field, and below 35 percent from three. Those numbers improved after March 15, but Mudiay, who has experienced the ups-and-downs firsthand, encouraged Knox throughout the season.

“Just kept telling him to stay confident, don’t get too low on yourself,” Mudiay recalled. “With him, it’s been learning the speed of the game, but every rookie goes through it. Not only him but everyone goes through it in the NBA, whether you’re a 10-year vet or a rookie. You’re going to have your ups and downs, and you just have to stay steady.

“The man still averaged 13 points. He’s a natural scorer. I think this year he’ll take a little jump to get a little more comfortable.”

As for Mitchell Robinson, the Knicks apparent center of the future who checked out of Las Vegas with Summer League First Team honors?

“The sky’s the limit for that boy,” Mudiay laughed. “I see about two or three Defensive Player of the Year awards for him over the course of his career.”

Mudiay is closing one chapter with the Knicks for a new journey in Utah, where he hopes Mike Conley will take him under his wing. The Jazz projected to be a dark horse out in the Western Conference, but that was before Kawhi Leonard and Paul George broke basketball with their move to the Clippers, which prompted the Lakers to respond by adding DeMarcus Cousins to the LeBron James/Anthony Davis duo. Utah will still be deep, with a Big 3 of Conley, Donovan Mitchell and reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Rudy Gobert. But now they will also have Mudiay, who adds depth at the point guard position, and just wants two things out of his next season: to make the playoffs and to learn as much as he can.

“[Utah] kind of runs everything like the Spurs,” he said. “They’re their own type of Spurs team, so this year’s gonna be great.”