Mudiay in Las Vegas to gamble on Fizdale in attempted career reboot

LAS VEGAS — Emmanuel Mudiay doesn’t have to be here.

But the 6-foot-5 point guard wants to be around new coach David Fizdale as much as he can, looking to reverse a disappointing two-month stretch with the Knicks after the trade-deadline deal with Denver.

Mudiay is practicing with the Knicks’ summer league team that debuts Saturday against Atlanta. He won’t play, though.

“Just trying to pick up on some of the stuff that he’s teaching,” Mudiay said after Thursday’s summer league practice. “I’m considered one of the young guys, as well, so just coming out here trying to learn as much as I can and just show that I’m really invested. I want to learn as much as I can. He just teaches me how to be a better leader when I’m out there on the court. Just seeing what type of offense he’s going to run, what type of defense he’s going to run and kind of get that into my head.

“I think he’ll help a lot. He’s been around some of the best of the best, if not the best in the world. I think his knowledge of the game and everything that he does — he’s really detailed — so that helps a lot, being more detailed.”

Fizdale saw the tapes and doesn’t sugarcoat it. He said Mudiay looked “uncertain and tight” in a Knicks uniform, but he now is looking to resuscitate the 23-year-old’s career

“I think a lot of it was uncertainty,” Fizdale said. “You come to a new team. You don’t want to ruffle any feathers. You already were a little insecure because it

already didn’t work out where you were at. I think the combination of that stuff had him playing a little tight, where he didn’t want to make mistakes.”

In 22 games last season, including 14 straight starts, Mudiay averaged 8.8 points and 3.4 assists in 22 minutes.

“There were some technical stuff where we can develop and help — trying to work to get the hitch out of his shot,” Fizdale said. “Make him a better finisher around the rim, a more reliable defender.”

Indeed, there’s a lot of work to do as Mudiay attempts to carve out a slice of backcourt minutes with fellow point guards Frank Ntiliikina and Trey Burke, who finished up the season as starter.

“I see a guy who was drafted high in the lottery [seventh],” Fizdale said of Mudiay. “It didn’t work out in his first destination, but a lot of people would’ve drafted him where he was drafted, so there’s something there. There’s an explosiveness, a physical presence at the guard position he brings. I like the idea of me reaching in there and tapping into it.”