Fiz’s Garden variety
KP will play several positions, including small forward
LAS VEGAS — Knicks coach David Fizdale has big — and small — plans for Kristaps Porzingis.
Fizdale revealed he may try Porzingis at some small forward in an envisioned quartet that would be one of the longest the NBA has ever seen.
Fizdale plans to visit Porzingis in Latvia about five days after the summer league concludes, heading there around July 22. And the Latvian better prepare to watch some film.
“He’s going to get tired of me, but two of those days we’re going to watch film,’’ Fizdale said. “I have so many things I’ve broken down and pulled — stuff Jeff [Hornacek] was already doing from the year before, stuff that was similar, so I can show him, ‘Hey, I could use you this way. I plan on watching a lot of film with him.’ ”
In continuing his mode of position-less basketball, Fizdale said he could see Porzingis’ main position being center — but occasionally playing the 3. Fizdale talked of a future foursome of 7-footer Mitchell Robinson at center, 7-footer Luke Kornet at power forward, Porzingis at small forward and 6-foot-9 lottery pick Kevin Knox at shooting guard. Of course, the 7-3 Porzingis, rehabbing from ACL surgery, has to get healthy first. He could come back by December.
“In our conversation, I told him I don’t have a position for you — are you cool with that?” Fizdale said. “He said, ‘Absolutely. I don’t like being put in a box.’ I’m not going to put him in a position to fail. ... He gives me a lot of flexibility, 4, 5, even some 3.”
Fizdale also sees Porzingis be- ing an Anthony Davis-type center.
“You name him — he’s that,” Fizdale said. “That dynamic guy who can outrun everybody, but you can’t put a small on him. Put somebody too big on him, he can pull them away from the rim, and defensively he can guard anybody. It really is a luxury for me. ... I can move him around in different positions. At the same time I can do that, I might do a small forward and do [Porzingis], Luke and Mitch and put a whole bunch of wingspan, with Kevin at the 2 and see a lot of length. I can’t lock him into anything. I see a lot of places I can use him to be dynamic.
“Obviously, I have a crush on wingspan.”
Fizdale called rookie shooting guard Allonzo Trier of Arizona “an assassin. I see Lou Williams. The guy is a scorer. He knows one thing, that’s getting buckets.’’ ... Lottery pick Kevin Knox signed his rookie contract that starts at $3.7 million.
The Knicks have 16 players — one over the max — under contract for next season, but still have the $3.3 million biannual exception and $2.1 million left over from their mid-level exception that they were expected to use on Robinson for strategic purposes. They still are considering adding a rebounding power forward. Kyle O’Quinn still is on the market after opting out of his Knicks contract last month. The 76ers, who were interested in O’Quinn, have filled up their roster. The Knicks could go over the cap to sign O’Quinn for a one-year deal. Michael Beasley is out of play after the signing of Mario Hezonja. The Knicks also inquired about Suns power forward Alan Williams, who’s been waived.
“I know they’re still looking to do a few things,” Fizdale said. “I know we still got a little room to do some things. I wouldn’t close the door on that. I ain’t saying we’re closing the door on that but, honestly, right now I’m kind of out of the loop.”