5 THINGS TO WATCH
As the Knicks regrouped for practice Wednesday and host the Timberwolves in their first post-AllStar break contest Friday, here are five items that bear watching in the season’s unofficial second half (and, yes, gearing up for May 14’s draft lottery in Chicago is part of it):
1 First-year Knicks coach David Fizdale came to New York with a reputation as a defensefirst coach out of Miami’s Pat Riley University. Some evenings the defensive breakdowns would have Riley’s formerly slicked hair standing on end. But there are signs of improvement, and it needs to continue. The Knicks snapped their record 18-game losing streak in their last game before the break, holding Atlanta to 36.3 percent shooting. Players in the locker room were agog over their sound pick-and-roll defense. In February, the Knicks have allowed 107.8 points on 43.6 percent shooting. Both figures are their lowest of any month this season.
2 Dennis Smith Jr. is being heralded as the new point guard of the future, and Kadeem Allen has been his feisty, productive backup after being signed to a two-way G-League contract in mid-January. Emmanuel Mudiay will return Friday after missing time with a shoulder strain, but how much will he play? And when Frank Nitlikina is back from his groin injury, will he see any playing time? Does Allen go back to the Westchester Knicks, or do the Knicks need to see more of the former Arizona guard?
3 The league’s worst record means little in terms of lottery odds. As long as the Knicks finish in the bottom three, they would share 14 percent odds with the other two dregs for the top pick — expected to be Duke’s Zion Williamson. However, if the Knicks do finish with the worst mark, they can fall to no worse than five. If they finish secondworst, there’s a 20 percent chance of dropping to six in what is not a deep draft. The bottom four (Suns, Knicks, Cavaliers, Bulls) are separated by 3½ games.
4 While the mood swings of free-agent candidates Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are worth watching, it would be nice if rookie lottery pick Kevin Knox shows growth in several areas. Whether it’s to increase his trade value should the Knicks deal for Anthony Davis or to demonstrate to KD and KI there’s potentially another young stud on the roster, it is important he improves on his defense and 36.2 percent shooting. The Knicks do not face Durant or Irving the rest of the way.
5 The Knicks have to learn more about their centers across the final 24 games. Does 30-yearold defensive center DeAndre Jordan still have something special to offer to make sure he’s part of the future? Is rookie shot-blocker Mitchell Robinson (left) the real deal as a defensive force? Is 7-footer Luke Kornet, an upcoming free agent, worth re-signing because of his lovely 3-point shot?