Dotson sees Knicks change
Second-year Knicks shooting guard Damyean Dotson already sees a changing culture under new head coach David Fizdale after less than two months.
Exactly a year ago, Dotson staged his pre-draft workout for the Knicks in Tarrytown before president Phil Jackson, coach Jeff Hornacek and assistant Kurt Rambis. None of those guys are around anymore. And though Fizdale was not part of the decision to select Dotson in the second round last June (No. 44), the Knicks coach has definite plans for the University of Houston product, according to sources.
“Coach is a great guy,” Dotson told The Post in a phone interview. “He knows what he is talking about. Very detailed and makes sure everyone is on the same page, feeding off each other and together. He’s big into making sure we come together, play together and believe in each other. That we produce, play hard and scrappy. All the things that you want a coach to do.”
During the Eastern Conference Finals between the Celtics and Cavaliers, Fizdale took young guards Dotson, Frank Ntilikina and Emmanuel Mudiay to Boston to experience the rabid postsea- son atmosphere. Left unsaid is it’s probably something Hornacek would not have thought of doing.
Dotson, who turned 24 last month, called it “a great experience.”
“I had only been to two NBA games before as a fan,” said Dotson, a native of Houston. “And then going into TD Garden for a playoff game and seeing the passion of the fans and hearing them boo LeBron [James] and the Cavs. We even got booed.”
Indeed, Dotson had on Knicks gear.
“I was wearing a Knicks jacket, and a couple of fans recognized me, Frank and coach and told us how the Knicks stink,” Dotson said. “Coach talked to us the entire game, pointed things out. ‘You see this. You see that.’ We saw LeBron hold his teammates accountable and watched the young Boston guys compete and go at LeBron. It gave us insight that age doesn’t matter, as long as you compete.”
Michael Porter Jr., whose draft stock hinges on questions regarding his back, reportedly has cancelled Friday’s workout in Chicago that was to be attended by reps from a small group of lottery teams, including Knicks president Steve Mills and GM Scott Perry.