BABY BOOM!
The Knicks went 3-for-3 in Washington during their preseason opener. Not from the field — but with their rookie showings. And isn’t that what Scott Perry’s 2018-19 vision is mostly about, after running his first draft as chief operator?
Kevin Knox, Mitchell Robinson and Allonzo Trier all excelled in different ways.
Knox, their lottery pick who could make a bid for Rookie of the Year, hit the defensive glass with panache, after which he pushed the pace in point-forward fashion and wound up with a double-double (13 points, 10 rebounds).
Robinson, in the center of the storm, didn’t back down from Wizards’ feisty veteran Markieff Morris. That led to Morris’ ejection and crybaby act in the locker room after the Knicks’ 124-121 overtime victory. A Knicks security man was seen entering the Wizards locker room with a Washington staffer, ostensibly to ensure Morris didn’t escalate matters.
That fiasco overshadowed the second-round pick’s defensive activity and two alley-oop dunks as he scored six points (3-of-4 from the field) and had seven rebounds in 16 minutes.
Coach David Fizdale, whose Baby Knicks visit Brooklyn on Wednesday, said he wasn’t surprised by Robinson’s toughness after growing up “scuffling in the bayou,’’ or by his production. The down note was Robinson shooting 0-for-4 from the free-throw line.
“A kid that hasn’t played on the big stage, those were excellent minutes,’’ Fizdale said. “We’ll clean up the free throws. He’s got a good shot. He was just off-balance leaning to his left a lot. His follow-through is fine. I like that he was in there getting those boards and putbacks and the activity level was fantastic.’’
Robinson will get a chance Monday to reintroduce himself to Morris when the Wizards visit the Garden for a preseason rematch. Morris claimed he didn’t know Robinson was on the Knicks and called him a “stupid-ass rookie.’’ Morris actually acted like a stupid veteran for the constant trash-talking of Robinson, who denied the charge he said anything untoward.
“We’re going to get tested a lot — me, Mitch,’’ Knox said. “We got to be able to stay level-headed and not back down. Mitch did a good job of not getting a [second technical]. As a rookie, getting tested a lot is something we expect.”
Then there was Trier, on a twoway G-League contract, who took a step toward making the main 15man roster with 13 second-half points and an array of crafty drib- ble-drives and fancy pull-ups. Don’t sleep on Trier after the entire NBA did during the draft. If Robinson wasn’t available at 36, The Post reported that Trier, an Arizona guard, was on the radar.
“I was really happy with the ball movement. Guys didn’t hold the ball for long. The one guy who holds it is great at holding it. Allonzo Trier knows how to get to that rim and is exciting,” Fizdale said in the ultimate compliment to Trier.
“I don’t necessarily overcoach his situation when he holds it in his hands a little longer.”
Trier is allowed to be on the Knicks roster just 45 days with the two-way G-League deal, but they can rip that up if needed.
“I just got in a good rhythm, got flowing, got the ball,’’ Trier said. “Teammates were feeding me and said it was my time to get going. When I get some space, I’m tough to guard. I’m trying to do individually to fit with the team and be aggressive with the skill sets I have that could translate to playing for the main roster.’’
Knox, 19, missed his first three 3pointers in the first half before connecting on two straight early in the third quarter. But he was defensively competent and rebounded with energy.
“[Fizdale] told me before the game he wanted me to get seven, eight rebounds and hit the glass,’’ Knox said. “Every time I pushed it, we got a basket. I went out there and just wanted to focus on the defensive end, talk more, communicate more, and the offense will come. I started off slow, was missing some short, but I fixed things in the second half and it felt good to see it going in.’’
Said Fizdale: “In the afternoon, we talked about taking it up a notch defensively, being more active challenging shots at the rim, getting on the glass, more deflections. The kid stepped up and got 10 rebounds. I was really happy.’’
So were Knicks fans.