The Knicks held an hour long town hall with President Steve Mills, General Manager Scott Perry and Head Coach David Fizdale. Here are my takeaways:
-Kristaps Porzingis is back in New York for training camp and getting his knee checked out by doctors before everything starts next week. They will develop a plan for him to come back based on the test results. Steve Mills was very firm in that they will be cautious with him and not jeopardize his future as a foundational piece of the franchise. It is the right philosophy, especially given the team's chances for success this year and potential for a high draft pick.
-David Fizdale is refreshingly honest. He said the young guys working out this summer "are not clowns" and working hard and taking their work seriously. He also said these guys that "crashed" and were "failed first round picks" and he liked how hard they are working out in the summer. I imagine Fizdale is equally blunt with his players. If they can handle the straight talk that's going to be a good thing. I have to image that comes from working under Pat Riley for so long. He also said the large majority of Knicks players have been working out with the team's coaches since a week after Summer League ended.
-All three also said that there were "a lot" of guys they brought in during the predraft process and after meeting them said "we don't want that dude with us." They stressed the importance of bringing the right type of person with the right mindset and attitude to be a part of the program. "The character of the person matters" and "understanding right and wrong" were important intangibles to Scott Perry. These are things that people analyzing draft prospects from film can have no insight into. They believe both Kevin Knox and Mitchell Robinson fit that profile.
-Steve Mills said he understood why fans would be skeptical that the Knicks would stick to their plan of building patiently given what happened in the past. Scott Perry added that they will not skip steps and do this correctly step-by-step.
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- When asked what to expect from Kevin Knox this year, Fizdale said fans should expect to see "an exciting offensive talent" that "will be challenged defensively and could become an elite defender in the league." Fizdale said he will "put him on some great players early on so he can take his lumps" because he "has to go through that." Fizdale said Knox "wants to be great" and is "so coachable."
-On Frank Ntilikina. David Fizdale still does not want to give Frank Ntilikina a position and sees him as a guard that can make plays for other people, make open shots and organize the team. Scott Perry said Ntilikina added 15 pounds of muscle and grew an inch and a half since last year. Perry also said Ntilikina declined to play in a qualifying event for the French national team this summer to develop with the Knicks. They were impressed with that decision.
-Fizdale said he will allow leadership on the team to develop naturally but he would also put pressure on Porzingis to develop as a leader once he is healthy. Players will vote on the team captains.
- Steve Mills and Scott Perry both said a lot of good things about Mario Hezonja and that he is a "gym rat." Perry thinks Hezonja can be one of those guys that can turn his career around with a change of scenery. Fizdale also liked Hezonja when he arrived, based on watching him play from afar.
-Perry said he liked Noah Vonleh's rebounding, body, and hands. He thinks he can regain his confidence and help the team. Mills said he is such a good athlete that he can be productive in the right circumstances.
-The front office was very careful not to comment at all on the free agency class in 2019. They were asked a lot but only wanted to talk about the 2018 team. Fizdale did say it was important to make the team attractive to free agents next summer. Steve Mills did say he thought he noticed a change in the players and agents in how they view the Knicks.
- Steve Mills said the following: "We are not going to take shortcuts, trade our draft picks. We believe New Yorkers will live with a plan as long as we articulate it. We are going to lay out a plan and stick with it. We are not going to trade away assets for a guy we can go out and get on our own later."
The NBA is back and so is my Knicks coverage – you can follow me on twitter for everything Knicks, Giants and the world of sports at twitter.com/Schmeelk.
