Fizdale has development work to do
Knicks coach David Fizdale is not just being judged on the win-loss record, according to sources.
Progress is the company buzzword, which means a lot of things. But progress of their young players is the guts of it.
As the Knicks gear up for a Black Friday showdown against the 76ers following a brutal rout in Toronto on Wednesday, the advancement of their blue-chippers have seemingly hit a brick wall.
Fizdale’s desperation may have been revealed by staging a marathon closed-door meeting after the game.
The Knicks’ 4-14 record is the same as last season’s clip at this juncture. None of it bodes well for Fizdale finishing out his second season — unless owner James Dolan blows it all up in taking down president Steve Mills, GM Scott Perry and their staff.
Here’s a snapshot of the young players who matter most :
RJ Barrett: After a bang-up start, the third pick in draft has cooled a bit in efficiency numbers but that is not uncommon for rookies. After a 5-of-17 outing in his native Toronto, his shooting percentage has dipped to 40.4 percent, 33.3 percent from 3 and an egregious 50.6 percent from the free throw line. He’s bringing a lot of intangibles — ball-movement, defense and moxie — so he’s still the brightest bulb.
Dennis Smith Jr.: His life was rocked by the recent death of his stepmother. Smith has really had just one solid game, against his former team, the Mavericks. Otherwise, the 2017 lottery pick has been erratic on both ends. Smith has not improved his jump shot one iota, despite all that summer work with shooting guru Keith Smart.
Kevin Knox: In his second season, Knox is regressing coming off the bench. He played just 11:47 in Toronto as
Fizdale has pared his minutes in recent games. His shotmaking isn’t covering up for his lack of defensive awareness. He’s shooting 38.5 percent overall, but 38.1 percent from 3. That makes his effective field goal percentage of 48.7 percent better than Barrett, but he brings no extras.
Mitchell Robinson: The shot-blocking center shows flashes of brilliance with his putbacks, rejections and alley-oop dunks. He is shooting 72 percent with two blocks per game. But, has the coaching staff gotten the Second All-Rookie teamer to improve as a disciplined defender who commits few cheap fouls? Not really.
Frank Ntilikina: The Frenchman has emerged as the starting point guard by default with Smith’s family leave and Elfrid Payton’s hamstring strain. Ntilikina’s long arms make him a spider on defense, but he is still not a creative floor general who breaks down a defense or a reliable outside shooter.
Allonzo Trier: The undrafted rookie revelation is now a sophomore afterthought. Fizdale finally threw him out there in garbage time in Toronto and he made the most of it, shooting every possible time he could and racking up 10 points in seven minutes. His defense is still below average.