Dotson drawing comparisons to Shumpert
Knicks rookie shooting guard Damyean Dotson wears the same “21,’’ has similar facial features, strong build and the same agent in Happy Walters.
Oh and one more trait. Dotson also plays defense like former Knicks firstround pick Iman Shumpert.
Tim Hardaway Jr. has noticed the parallels. He played a season-and-a-half with Shumpert.
“Dot, when you see him out there, he’s a football player,’’ Hardaway said. “He guards me every day in practice. He’s going to give you his all, every possession, no matter how tired he is. Built strong, athletic, takes nothing from nobody. That’s what we love.
“Definitely reminds me of Shump. They got that grittiness and desire to play defense.’’
With lottery pick Frank Ntilikina struggling with injuries and primed to miss his fourth straight preseason game Friday versus the Wizards, Dotson, the Knicks’ second-round selection at No. 44, is starting to emerge.
Against his hometown Rockets, the 6-foot-5, 210-pound Dotson scored 17 points, shot 7-of-10 from the field and sank 3-of-5 3-pointers. He was a rock at summer league, too, while Ntilikina missed all of the games with the same right knee bruise.
“It was very exciting to see some shots go in,’’ Dotson told The Post. “I know how hard I worked in the summer. And to be against Houston, it was even better.’’
Dotson was born and raised in Houston and attended the University of Houston his final two years of college after getting kicked out of Oregon following a rape claim that never resulted in charges. James Harden and a few of the Rockets players scrimmaged with Dotson during open gym at the university the past two summers.
Hearing the Shumpert comparison was a delight.
“Defensewise, he’s a great defender,’’ Dotson said of the Cavaliers guard. “I’ll take that all day. I keep working on it — whatever I can do to get on the court. Defense is one of my main focuses right now because I know defense has set me apart from a lot of guys.”
Hardaway called him “a sponge.’’ Coach Jeff Hornacek is paying attention to the man the team calls “Dot.”
“Some guys, you’re going, ‘I hope he makes [the shot]’, ”? Hornacek said. “But with Dot, you really think it’s going in. But I think what’s been impressive to the coaches has been his defense. Especially one-on-one. He can get after it.”