BASIC INSTINCTS
Mudiay asked to trust his gut, not overthink
The mind is a terrible thing to use. At least over instinct at times. Take Knicks point guard Emmanuel Mudiay and his game in Milwaukee, for example.
“Sometimes the aggressiveness plays in, ‘OK I’m just playing rather than thinking,’ ” coach Jeff Hornacek said after a light practice Saturday. “When you think too much that’s when you end up thinking this could happen, that could happen, all of a sudden it doesn’t. Now you’re going, ‘OK now what?’ and you end up with a turnover. He’s playing with more decisiveness and he just went, whether he was going to make a drive to a basket or pass or shot and he just did it.
That was in the second half Friday when Mudiay scored 19 points, shot 7-of-12, passed for four assists and did not commit a turnover.
During his 9:00 in the first half, Mudiay put on a 95-second exhibition in the second quarter that easily could warrant life without parole in lesser countries.
After a first quarter to forget, Mudiay returned to the game 3:00 before halftime. He lost the ball to Eric Bledsoe. Then he passed out of bounds. He followed that up by passing to the wrong team. His 1:35 stay on the floor might have made the Knicks consider calling the Nuggets and asking for a do-over on the trade that brought Mudiay to New York at the deadline. Then came a complete 180 in the second half. “I just kind of got out of my own head. I probably was thinking too much,” Mudiay said. “And then just came out in the second half and tried to play my game. I felt like I wasn’t playing my game the last couple games. So that’s really what just happened. I just snapped out of it.”
Oh, and there was one other thing.
Prayer. “I probably prayed a little harder. That’s it really. I just was like, ‘Man, get out your own head,’ said my prayer and then it was just get out there and play,” Mudiay said. Pray then play. Hey, ”it worked. The team might need even more prayers Sunday at 1 p.m. That’s when the East-leading Raptors, who have been as good as the Knicks have been bad, invade the Garden. Toronto has won 14 of 15, the Knicks have lost 14 of 15, including six straight. The Knicks expect to have Courtney Lee back following a two-game absence for a death in the family. But against Toronto, there is no margin for error. So Mudiay’s thinking should be at a minimum.
“I’m just going out there trying to play aggressive ball,” said Mudiay, who in 10 games with the Knicks, including seven starts, has averaged 10.1 points and 5.0 assists — but 2.4 turnovers (in 24.7 minutes) while shooting a dreadful 35.2 percent.
“When you take risks, you’re going to turn the ball over, too, so you can’t be thinking and dwelling on turnovers,” Mudiay said. “So when you take risks good things come out of it and some things you’ve got to fix.”
There is the question of chemistry. Again Mudiay, who turned 22 on Monday, still is learning his new team. Chemistry does not come overnight or in 10 games.
“He’s still trying to figure out where our players are at, when they like to cut. He’s had a couple of turnovers that are pretty much that,” Hornacek said. “Lack of chemistry with the guys so far. He’ll get better as we play more. He’s just trying to figure that out. But the second half [Friday] was good.” And obviously… “It can’t just be a half. It’s got to be a whole game,” Hornacek said.
So Mudiay probably doesn’t want to think too much about what awaits Sunday: Raptors All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry.
“Everybody takes every challenge personal,” Mudiay said. “It’s a great challenge, not only for myself, but for the team. The No. 1 team in the Eastern Conference. They’re playing well right now. … They just came off a big win against Houston so they’re feeling pumped.”