Analyst: Young Knicks should play together
LOS ANGELES — New York City was once known as a fertile breeding ground for the point guard.
TNT’s Kenny Smith — a former point guard out of Hollis, Queens — continued that rock-solid tradition with a solid 10-year career that included two NBA titles with the Rockets.
With 23 games left for the Knicks after the All-Star break, Smith’s hometown team is out of the playoff race again, but it at least gets to showcase its three young point guards — all former lottery picks.
Though Smith views 25-year-old Trey Burke as a “backup,” the NBA analyst likes the oldschool styles of newcomer Emmanuel Mudiay, 21, and 19-yearold rookie Frank Ntilikina.
Smith said Ntilikina and Mudiay each fit the Knicks better than most teams. The club needs playmakers, and they can do it as a tandem.
“I think they feel Mudiay or Frank can move over and play together,’’ Smith said during AllStar Weekend. “Who’s going to be the starter? You got to fight for that. At times, because of the size of both of them physically [both 6-foot-5], they can play together. When you have a guy like [Kristaps] Porzingis who is a scorer and they can facilitate for him to score the basketball, and [Enes] Kanter can score the basketball, those two [point guards] can actually play together. “
Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek said veteran starter Jarrett Jack’s minutes will decline significantly after the break, as he focuses on the 25-and-under point guards. Mudiay was Denver’s pick, No. 7 overall, in the 2015 draft, but he lost out to 2016 lottery pick, Jamal Murray a year later. Hence, Mudiay became expendable at the trade deadline 10 days ago.
Scoring point guards is the new trend and that’s Murray — not Mudiay, Smith said.
“Because Murray came in as a new-age point guard who can
pull out the bow and arrow and shoot the basketball, they stand out now the way the game is played because they’re allowed to take 15, 20 shots in a game even when you’re not making them,’’ Smith said. “So a guy like Mudiay, who is a playmaker, that’s a different environment. He’ll play well with the Knicks. He doesn’t have to be a scorer. In Denver, they needed a guy to be a scorer. ... The Knicks need someone who can break down the defense with the dribble. He’ll be able to do that.”
In Ntilikina, the Knicks have a French project who is not especially athletic, but Smith said he believes almost no first-year point guards enter the league ready, let alone a teenager adjusting to a new country.
The eighth pick in last June’s draft, Ntilkina is averaging 5.2 points and 3.2 assists on 35.3 percent shooting (33.5 from 3point range). After his Rising Stars appearance Friday, Hornacek might just give Ntilikina his first start when the Knicks season resumes in Orlando on Thursday.
“Most rookies struggle, especially at the point,’’ Smith said. “Struggling is abnormal. Struggling the first two years in the league is normal . He’s going to figure it out because he has the length and size and ability. I like both of them.
“I really liked Mudiay in high school. That was a good trade and a good pick for the Knicks. It’s what they need. If they go to another place, they’d stink the place up. With the Knicks team, they’ll be good.’’
Smith, whose career averages are 12.8 points and 5.5 assists, said he regrets the NBA’s vision of point guards nowadays, that the first inclination is to be a scorer. That’s not what he learned on the playgrounds of Queens.
“You have to make everyone better and then figure out what you can do,’’ Smith said of what a point guard should strive for. “It’s definitely not the case now. Now it’s the selfie era: ‘Hey I look good. If you want to look good with me, jump in the picture.’ ”