OPEN EURO EYES
Spaniard makes case for more court time
If you taped Wednesday’s Knicks-Nets game, you could fast-forward through the actual play and watch the commercials. It was so bad that most players involved, years down the road, will tell their grandkids, “Gramps had a DNP that night” to disavow any involvement.
That’s most players, not all. For Knicks rookie Willy Hernangomez, the 95-90 victory over the Nets at Barclays Center, though a blight to observers, provided more justification on why he should be a rotation constant.
“Coaches always say, ‘ Make the coaches not want to pull you off the court,’ ” Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek said. “That’s how you get minutes. Willy’s done a great job. Not just on the boards. His defense is picking up. Most young guys, guys coming from Europe, they don’t know these players that well.”
But Hernangomez — a 6foot-11, 240-pound product of Spain now in the second half of his first season — is seeing guys and teams again. Experience is a great teacher.
“We always said as he goes on through this year he’s going to get better and better once he sees guys a second and a third time,” said Hornacek, who added he sees “no fear” in Hernangomez. “He’s improving every day.”
The son of basketball star parents, Hernangomez’s court savvy has impressed another European Knick of note, Kristaps Porzingis.
“Knowing what’s going on at any point of the game. He’s locked in, he sees things happening, he knows where he can score from,” Porzingis said, in assessing in what area Hernangomez has improved most. “We watch film together. We try to see things where we can be effective.”
Hernangomez, at 22, still has a way to go on defense, but his energy and strength are undeniable assets. Some are calling for him to start over Joakim Noah, who always has been a defense-first player. Maybe handing Hernangomez the starting role should wait. But more minutes should not. The Knicks know he is part of their future, and laying that groundwork is paramount.
Hernangomez recorded his second double-double in two nights and fifth of the season when he mauled the inept Nets for 16 points and 16 rebounds — seven off the offensive glass. In his past eight games, excluding a threeminute cameo Sunday’s overtime loss at Atlanta, he has grabbed double-figure rebounds five times, with at least 14 rebounds in four of those games.
“I think it’s a little more easy now for me because the first part of the season, I [didn’t] know nobody,” Hernangomez said of the opposition. “Now we are playing two times against all the teams, so I’m more ready for play against them.”
And his low-post game is how Hernangomez earns his living, even in a time when teams routinely hoist more than 30 3-pointers a night. Suffice it to say, bodysize aside, Hernangomez never will be mistaken for Stephen Curry in his style of play.
“He has made huge improvements every day. He’s learning new things every day and the way he works every day,” said Porzingis, who accepted a beautiful feed from Hernangomez for a cut and monstrous dunk Wednesday to give the Knicks a 79-78 lead they never relinquished.
Hernangomez and Porzingis, teammates in Europe, have clicked, on and off the court.
“KP and me, we have special connection,” Hernangomez said. “We played a couple years ago together and the things are going good, so I think we have to keep working the same way and be ready. I have fun when I play with KP and I think for him it’s the same.” Right back at ya. “Sometimes he has these moments when he’s mad for whatever reason. I’m the same way,” Porzingis said. “He’s there for me and I’m there for him. He’s been great, working hard. He’s been having great games whenever he gets his minutes.
“I’m really, really happy for him.”