The Knicks held media day Monday and had their team president, general manager, head coach and most of their players speak to the press. It is important to remember that these are only words. Everything sounds good in September but can quickly fall apart once games start being played. Everything said should be taken with a grain of salt. Here are the highlights.
• Team president Steve Mills said the Knicks' approach was something they planned for before free agency began. He was careful never to say the team had (or didn't have) any interest in Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving or any of the other max players. Both Mills and general manager Scott Perry said this group was part of their plan, which wasn't a lie, since they were probably their Plan B or C.
• The front office declined to put a number of wins as a goal for the team. The consistent refrain across the board was that the goals are for the team to be better than last year and continue to improve throughout the season. This is the correct approach to have given the talent level of the roster. Mills said they will analyze the team every 10 games using various analytics to judge their progress.
• Coach David Fizdale said he wants his team to play hard-nosed defense, rebound on the defensive side and get into the open court. He expects their pace to be competitive with the rest of the NBA. He wants everyone to get fed enough so they feel they are involved in the offense. We heard similar things before last season, but he was unable to implement it.
• Fizdale also said this year the team is ready for the next step in its development and playing time will have to be earned. The guys who give the team the best chance to win will play. The goal is to develop the young players and win simultaneously. He said this approach is more plausible this year because the roster is more talented and two to three deep at every position. Due to the roster depth, Fizdale expects to be tougher on Barrett than he was on Knox in terms of making him earn playing time. It would be impossible for him to be softer.
• Fizdale confirmed it will be a three-way battle for minutes at point guard between Dennis Smith Jr., Elfrid Payton and Frank Ntilikina. He listed the priorities for the position to be someone who can defend the position, play with pace, organize the team like a field general and stay aggressive. I will choose to refrain from a sarcastic Emmanuel Mudiay comment.
• The group said they were happy Ntilikina played well in Europe. They think he has grown into his body and hopes he carries his confidence from the FIBA World Cup to training camp. They would not commit to picking up his option year, which they have until Oct. 31 to make a decision on.
• The Knicks elevated former Westchester Knicks head coach Mike Miller to Fizdale's staff, where he will oversee player development. Fizdale told Miler he wants him to be an extra pair of eyes that has the perspective of a head coach to help him manage the team.
• So many of the Knicks' new players seem like no-nonsense, blue-collar professionals. It doesn't seem like there is going to be much drama that will infect the locker room. Guys like Taj Gibson, Marcus Morris and Julius Randle don't seem like the types who will permit it. Even the team's youngsters, especially Barrett, the third overall draft pick this year, seem focused on winning basketball games and not much else.
• Randle said his main goal this season is to make everyone around him better and be an extension of the coach. As someone whose value in the past has come in the form of his production, this is the perfect approach to have, if he can pull it off. He has the passing skills to make it a reality if he applies himself. He seems ready to take on a leadership role, which was confirmed by Gibson, who talked about Randle being a vocal leader in offseason workouts.
• Morris is not going to put up with any nonsense on or off the floor. A Philadelphia native, he is a matter-of-fact, tough son of a gun. He said he will enjoy competing with Knox at small forward and it is only fair that the best person gets to start. When asked about the team's record, Morris answered plainly: "It's not going to be like last year," specifically referencing how the team will consistently show up and play hard every night. He really seemed to mean it. If the players can learn from his mentality and approach, it would benefit them.
• When told Fizdale would be tougher on him, Barrett said he liked that since it gives him the best chance to improve as a player.
• Many of the Knicks players have been meeting up for workouts the past two months, and every player said the same type of thing about their teammates: Guys are putting basketball first, have something to prove and will have a sense of urgency this season. Holding that attitude through the rough times that are inevitable will be the true test.
• Bobby Portis dropped 14 pounds down to 249 over the summer, with the goal of being more mobile on defense. He said he doesn't care if he plays power forward or center.
• Gibson was asked about how players will have to deal with either not getting enough playing time or not playing at all given the depth of the roster. He said that he will help the coaches deal with those issues and that players will just have to maximize the playing time they do get. Like Morris, Gibson should be a great influence on the young players and said he can hold them to a certain standard that he knows is needed to win in the NBA.
• Knox said all the right things when he spoke to the media. He said he worked a lot on his defense in the offseason and has goals to be more efficient and take better shots. He said he took too many low-percentage 2s, especially late in the shot clock last season. He was visibly stronger and said he shed fat and gained muscle, going from 215 to 218 pounds. Like Randle, he does not mind competing for a starting spot.
You can follow John on Twitter at @Schmeelk for everything Knicks, Giants and the world of sports. You can also find his Knicks podcast, "The Bank Shot," on most popular podcast platforms. You can hear the most recent episode, a season preview with Forbes' Tommy Beer, here.
