TRIER ’ZO MUCH LIKE STARKS
Trier's skill set drawing comparisons to scrappy knicks Legend from 90's
ATLANTA — The comparisons started during the season opener when undrafted shooting guard Allonzo Trier threw down a vicious slam on Atlanta’s Taurean Green after sweeping past Hawks’ rookie Trae Young. Trier gyrated to the crowd and the Garden erupted. MSG Network’s Walt Frazier said the dunk reminded him of another undrafted shooting guard with a giant chip on his shoulder — John Starks, who is known for his own historic power jam against Michael Jordan’s Bulls in the 1993 playoffs. When the Knicks visit Wednesday, the Hawks will be on the lookout for Trier as he may be in the starting lineup for a second straight game because of Tim Hardaway Jr.’s back woes. And if it’s the final seconds of a tight game, Trier, 22, their new late-game assassin, will have the rock. “I think all of the guys trust him in that situation,’’ coach David Fizdale said. “He wants the ball in his hands. I think it’s just a great experience for him to fail, succeed, whatever comes out of it, to be able to go through it and learn from it.” Starks works in Knicks alumni affairs but hasn’t yet met Trier, who came out of Ari- zona after his junior year with the baggage of failing two tests for a performance-enhancing drugs, leading, in part, to his being snubbed in the draft.
Starks, similarly passed over in the 1988 draft, had baggage too — as in bagging groceries at a Safeway in Tulsa months before suiting up for the Knicks.
“I’ve seen some tape on him,’’ Trier told The Post when asked about his comparison with the now 53-yearold legend of those 1990’s Knicks. “Gritty player, tough guy. Got into it a lot with other players. Fiery guy. Competitive guy.”
Starks, listed at 6foot-2 compared to Trier’s 6-5, was unavailable for comment this week.
“I’m not sure,’’ Trier said about any similarities. “I don’t know if it’s for me to say if we compare or we’re similar or not. I’ll let other people judge. I’ll just play my game. But it’s real cool to be compared to one of the guys who’s one of the all-time Knicks players and did a lot of great things here. It’s an honor.’’
His critics referred to Starks as a gunner and hothead — not always directing his fuel in the right way. But Trier showed he can direct that fire in his belly the correct way in Washington on Sunday. That came two days after he outdueled rookie lottery-sensation Luka Doncic in the final quarter in Dallas.
After Trier got taken down by John Wall on a drive Sunday, Trier rose up and jawed at the superstar. They each picked up a technical.
The incident sparked Trier into a terrific finish. In one sequence, he harassed Wall into losing the ball out of bounds in front of Fizdale, who got jacked up and slapped Trier on the hand. After the game, Fizdale, talking about the Wall confrontation, referred to the Starks-era Knicks teams. “That’s Knicks DNA,’’ he said. “One of those things we liked about Allonzo, he was one of those types of guys that didn’t back down from anybody.’’
In his first career start Monday, Trier missed his first six shots, then caught fire in the fourth quarter for 11 points, finishing with 21. He was the No. 1 option late in regulation and the overtimes.
It’s astounding Trier has overshadowed lottery pick Kevin Knox, who returned from the injured list Monday to play five minutes. Fizdale gives Trier, a rookie, more freedom than any player in an offense he’s billed as pass-happy. The coach says he wants to take advantage of Trier’s sniper mentality and isolation skill set that has him nicknamed “IsoZo.’’
Trier came up empty Monday on two po-
tential game-winners in the final seconds of regulation and then the first OT. But he’s going to get more late-game chances because he’s shown to be a dazzling shooter and driver. Though he won’t start when Hardaway returns, Fizdale said he wants to close with him.
Trier has been efficient — averaging 11.5 points in 23 minutes, shooting 49.4 percent — 44.4 percent from 3 and 89.2 percent from the free-throw line.
Starks was also known as a fierce defender and Trier drew rave reviews in preseason for his chase-down blocks during scrimmages.
According to multiple scouts, Trier, on a two-way G-League contract, was passed in the draft not only for his PED past. There was concern he didn’t share the ball. Fizdale isn’t worried about that now. He has utmost trust in Trier late in the game. That’s not always rational thinking as Pat Riley knows when he had unrequited love for a certain shooting guard in Game 7 of the 1994 NBA Finals in Houston.
“He’s going to have his moments for sure,” Fizdale said. “When Tim’s healthy he’s going to be a guy we look to in those situations but ’Zo will definitely have ample opportunity in the crunch to win some of these games.”