Official NY Knicks 2019 Training Camp thread

Fizdale was asked on Tuesday if he'd play some bigger lineups this season. He sounds open to it.

"When you start talking about Kevin Knox and Marcus Morris at the small forward, right there that makes you pretty big. You can see the pecking order down the line," he said. "I can put a lot of different guys on the floor. I can play Bobby (Portis) and Mitchell (Robinson) together with Marcus Morris, that's a really big lineup. And RJ Barrett is no small guy at the two or three either. Frank and Elfrid are big guards. Dennis may not be as big as them, but he can touch higher on the backboard than the rest of them. I really like the fact we have that size and length and now it's just making sure that we use it appropriately."

Fizdale said he'd also be open to using Julius Randle at center.

"Absolutely ?. You guys like to put (positional) numbers on these guys. I just like to put them out there. Now this year I feel like we've got so much versatility I can mix in different lineups," he said. "But if you want to say position-wise he's a five, I can put him out there with Marcus Morris at the four and put a lot of pressure on a defense that way."? Fizdale said that Iggy Brazdeikis had a 'welcome to the NBA" moment in Tuesday's practice. Barrett said Brazdeikis was in the wrong spot on the floor when Smith Jr. threw an alley-oop to Kenny Wooten. Apparently, Wooten finished over Brazdeikis.

Kiyaman said:

Mill's has been a loyal CEO of running all the shows yearly in MSG since the 1990's.
Mills has the same B.Ball IQ as owner Dolan ???

The Knicks success will come from a strategic head-coach that could reach the players on committing to a same-page system.

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I?ll reserve judgement on Fizdale but he?s another baffle them with BS guy. I?m looking for results this year, he?s been saying he?s got more talent with the vets he?s got this year, the young guys have a year or 2 under their belt, he?s got depth, the way he?s talking I?m looking for W?s and not excuses. Finish last in the east, he?s got to go, he?s got to fight for a playoff spot all year for me to keep him.

Does that mean we will have the 100 rotations we had last year without a stable main one?

tiger0330 said:

Jonathan Givony came out with his 2020 mock draft and he has the Knicks picking Lamelo Ball with the 3rd pick which implies that he thinks we are crap again this year, got to think that since he works for ESPN the yearly ESPN team prediction also won?t be too kind to the Knicks. Might be another disappointing season though I said on paper we would wind up last in our division so deep down I didn?t have high expectations for the team.

Bad thing about blowing your wad on a collection of guys that don?t get you 30 wins is you don?t have cap space to absorb contracts for draft assets like Hinkie did with the Sixers. That?s what the process was all about, get as many picks as you can and expect that one becomes your franchise player.

Looks like Perry wants to use the guys he signed to be role models for the young guys and maybe get a shot at AD next year, he could have done that a lot cheaper by signing guys like IT, Melo, JJ if that?s the plan instead of paying big bucks for a guy like Taj albeit only for one year deals.

NBA scouts are taken with the Lamelo?s play in the Australian Pro League, kid must have something with 27 NBA scouts watching a game he played in.

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ESPN out with their Power Rankings and have us ranked 29th only better than the Hornets, worse than last year when we were ranked 28th. Seems to be a lot of optimism on the team but everything looks good in October. Fizdale needs to get the team out of the gate fast, a 5 game losing streak to start the season may mean it's going to be a long season.

Sounds like the buzz recap from camp today was about Frank?s ?opportunity?, and how MRob may shoot some 3s, the slimmer DSJ...

And... the big revelation:

The offense will run through point-forward Julius Randle.

It appears jR is our new ?the man? dude. Top dawg. Fiz handing him the keys.

Expect lots of P&R with E-Pay and DSJ.

mafra said:

Sounds like the buzz recap from camp today was about Frank’s “opportunity”, and how MRob may shoot some 3s, the slimmer DSJ...

And... the big revelation:

The offense will run through point-forward Julius Randle.

It appears jR is our new “the man” dude. Top dawg. Fiz handing him the keys.

Expect lots of P&R with E-Pay and DSJ.

Click to expand...

Fizdale has a line of BS. Remember him saying good things about Vonleh last year and Mudiay, yet the brass didn't think both were worth keeping around for 4M combined per year. Those 40 guys that do the Power Rankings at ESPN think we'll be crap this year after Mills "successful" offseason, they thought we'd be crap last year and they were right.

tiger0330 said:

ESPN out with their Power Rankings and have us ranked 29th only better than the Hornets, worse than last year when we were ranked 28th. Seems to be a lot of optimism on the team but everything looks good in October. Fizdale needs to get the team out of the gate fast, a 5 game losing streak to start the season may mean it's going to be a long season.

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Brutal, Pelton of ESPN picked us to finish last in the EC last August. Said none of the vets we picked up rank more than average in RPM. Only above avg contributor on the roster is MRob, we have to rely on the young guys to step up in order to surprise.

Listen, nobody can argue with any critic with as bad as its been the last 20 years. They're probably right.

But, for this team, with the roster it boasts, free agents like Payton, Portis, Gibson, and Morris are astute, golden gem type finds.

Portis and Ellington are legit NBA snipers, something this team sorely needed.

E-Pay, Morris, Bullock and Portis are tough physical players willing to serve a role and defend.... we want the young kids to absorb their professionalism... by learning firsthand from them.

Randle still has the potential to become a franchise cornerstone top 4 dude on a title contender...

Are people expecting us to go from Zion worthy to title worthy, somehow, working free agent period after being shunned?

Makes more sense to spend max money on Harris and Middleton?

We brought in guys on team friendly deals, zero long term commitment... men who are proven professionals (Portis antics aside)... who play game right way and are culture setter types.

Plus, all are useful all around players with above avg skills in certain aspects of the game, and won?t undermine Fiz.

I guarantee that if Randle and DSJ become consistent 20 ppg type scorers, and the lottery kids flash more talent and upside instead of showcasing flaws, these vets we brought in will be the supporting cast on an EC playoff team.

A second unit of Trier, Ellington, Knits, Portis and Morris will be advantage NYK most nights.

Most of these guys are journeyman, coming off the bench for their old teams by and large, maybe too much to expect that backup guys along with developing or untested young players would amount to much other than a struggling lottery team. We’ll see soon enough, Fizdale looks to start the season like he did last season, he’ll be tinkering with lineups, trying to establish chemistry and an identity for the team. That approach hasn’t worked for the last 5 years and isn’t going to work this year, I for one am not going to be happy with losses piling up and Fizdale talking about it takes about 25 games before a team gels like he did last year.

Hey tiger,
I have to agree with your assessment of this current team. Randle is a cast-off of the Lakers. He saw a sucker in Mills and Perry and took that deal. Why is he such a game changer with the Knicks??

What we should have done in my opinion. Well let me start over!! Mills and Perry are dead and have been that way since they let D. Rose walk. It NO SAVING THEM!!!

Now if they had been smart. I would have signed only one F. A. and that was Cousins(ok, I know some disagree). They should have signed him before go to the Warriors. I would have send a strong message that we are building from within with young hunger player. Let the young player know that the cap money is their if they perform at a high level. No Randle, Taj, Ballard and no Morris. I may would have considered Ellington.

Where does the CHEMISTRY comes from to make this team a contender?? Mudiay is gone. Kornet is gone. Jordan is gone. No Big men coach to teach Robinson(No jumper). These are just a few problems that exist and doom this team.

Dark Raider said:

Hey tiger,
I have to agree with your assessment of this current team. Randle is a cast-off of the Lakers. He saw a sucker in Mills and Perry and took that deal. Why is he such a game changer with the Knicks??

What we should have done in my opinion. Well let me start over!! Mills and Perry are dead and have been that way since they let D. Rose walk. It NO SAVING THEM!!!

Now if they had been smart. I would have signed only one F. A. and that was Cousins(ok, I know some disagree). They should have signed him before go to the Warriors. I would have send a strong message that we are building from within with young hunger player. Let the young player know that the cap money is their if they perform at a high level. No Randle, Taj, Ballard and no Morris. I may would have considered Ellington.

Where does the CHEMISTRY comes from to make this team a contender?? Mudiay is gone. Kornet is gone. Jordan is gone. No Big men coach to teach Robinson(No jumper). These are just a few problems that exist and doom this team.

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Randle is a good player, a signing I really like, Lakers cast him off to clear space for the 3 star team they wanted. Those other guys are role players on good teams and probably won’t be here beyond this year.

I’m hoping Fiz comes out of camp with a plan but the way the guy is talking he wants to try every approach under the sun. Heard a guy say “things could go south pretty quick” and he may be right.

Watched the Rockets/Clips game and despite acquiring quite a few new guys, they’re playing just like they played last year, put up 66 3s against the Sharks a few days ago and 48 against the Clips, my point is the Rox have a system and the Knicks need to get one fast.

mafra said:

Sounds like the buzz recap from camp today was about Frank’s “opportunity”, and how MRob may shoot some 3s, the slimmer DSJ...

And... the big revelation:

The offense will run through point-forward Julius Randle.

It appears jR is our new “the man” dude. Top dawg. Fiz handing him the keys.

Expect lots of P&R with E-Pay and DSJ.

Click to expand...

Well the best part of the upcoming season are we get to see a 3rd pick JR Barrett's rookie star performance .. last year this time RJ were thought to be the #1 pick .. It was more Zion and Ja blowing up throughout last year NCAA season than RJ falling back.

We should be expecting to see a huge mark of improvement from our six young-core keepers players:
Frank: Fiba Frank !!!
DSJ: down 15 pounds, back healthy, looking to elevate teammates (getting RJ ROY)
Knox: Stronger
Dotson: taking his 2-Way performance up a level
Trier: ISO-Zo adding some true play-making skills to his performance will be exciting
MitchRob: will have a more complete game than his rookie season, playing in a structured offense with veterans ..

At the end of last season I was hoping and praying the Knicks front office had a 2 yr contract for center DeAndre Jordan on July 1st.
I have nothing against Bobby Portis, but his $15M per contract belong to DeAndre Jordan. WHY?
When DJ joined the Knicks in the middle of last season his presence had rookie Mitch Roberson performance and confidence go from 60% to 100% making MitchRob's 20 minute performance into a consistent double-double 3 blocks NBA player !!!
Investing in DJ for a season or 2 to show MitchRob the ins and out of being a healthy dominating NBA center throughout a 82 game regular season would've been a great way to advance MitchRob 's growth in the NBA.

MitchRob views on what is different ....


A Knicks scrimmage game video would be nice to see now !!!

Julius Randle is a lot like Deangelo Russell... his other fellow LAK castoff, and another highly-touted young prospect Magic Johnson gave up on, in his pursuit of AD.

11-13-16-21...

That?s Randle?s ppg avg his 4 NBA seasons. I like the trajectory there...

This is his age 25 season...

In the old days, he?d be fresh out of Kentucky, not 4 years removed. Is he ready to continue his maturation, and take his game to another level?

The dude is a throwback, old school PF. He has a presence, he rarely misses games... I thought he had bust potential but then he turned it in consistently in LAK, and then rose his level of play in NO.

I think he was a shrewd investment / informed risk of a contract... at the very least, you?re getting a complimentary player. He?s best suited as your third pillar... but I think he?s the ideal young available PF to play alongside the MRob, the Blockness Monster.

I don?t expect wins, per say, but if the trio of DSJ, Randle, and MRob can be an exciting and competitive trio, and this coincides with positive growth with our stable of meh lottery players... Sprinkle in flashes of RJ brilliance, steadied by the presence of established role players, and we witness the birth of an actual system with definitive roles, rotation, and assignments....

This is what will determine if this was a successful season or not.

Are we on the verge? Ala Ewing circa 1987... is this the second year of what works out to be a brilliant 7 year plan?

Is the core of our future multiple EC playoff run squads already in-house, on this roster?

Is the next beloved franchise superstar on this team?

Th

Kiyaman said:

Well the best part of the upcoming season are we get to see a 3rd pick JR Barrett's rookie star performance .. last year this time RJ were thought to be the #1 pick .. It was more Zion and Ja blowing up throughout last year NCAA season than RJ falling back.

We should be expecting to see a huge mark of improvement from our six young-core keepers players:
Frank: Fiba Frank !!!
DSJ: down 15 pounds, back healthy, looking to elevate teammates (getting RJ ROY)
Knox: Stronger
Dotson: taking his 2-Way performance up a level
Trier: ISO-Zo adding some true play-making skills to his performance will be exciting
MitchRob: will have a more complete game than his rookie season, playing in a structured offense with veterans ..

At the end of last season I was hoping and praying the Knicks front office had a 2 yr contract for center DeAndre Jordan on July 1st.
I have nothing against Bobby Portis, but his $15M per contract belong to DeAndre Jordan. WHY?
When DJ joined the Knicks in the middle of last season his presence had rookie Mitch Roberson performance and confidence go from 60% to 100% making MitchRob's 20 minute performance into a consistent double-double 3 blocks NBA player !!!
Investing in DJ for a season or 2 to show MitchRob the ins and out of being a healthy dominating NBA center throughout a 82 game regular season would've been a great way to advance MitchRob 's growth in the NBA.

MitchRob views on what is different ....

A Knicks scrimmage game video would be nice to see now !!!

Click to expand...

Believe it or not the preliminary starting lineup for the Nets looks to include Allen in the starting 5 with DJ coming off the bench. Kenny said Allen has had a really good camp and his battles with DJ are partially credited with his growth. Probably could be the same effect if DJ played with Mitch, Taj and Morris can have a similar effect on the kid but arguably not the same as DJ would have on the kid,

DJ took a big pay cut to play with the Nets only getting a fully guaranteed 40M 4 year deal to play with his friends KD and KI so the Knicks would have never been able to sign him for that one year deal they gave either Taj or Portis.

Preseason starts for us on Monday night.

I?m excited to watch the Knicks, but definitely also interested in seeing what the Nets are going to look like and how much KP can do with Dallas right from the get-go.

This roster will go only as far as Fizdale can take it. If he doesn?t show up with at least a clear cut starting lineup, not sure what to say. If he doesn?t know where Ntilikina is going to get his minutes, then I don?t know what to say. If MRob, RJ, and DSJ aren?t at least given a chance to take their star turn this season, then I don?t know what to say.

htr10 said:

Preseason starts for us on Monday night.

I’m excited to watch the Knicks, but definitely also interested in seeing what the Nets are going to look like and how much KP can do with Dallas right from the get-go.

This roster will go only as far as Fizdale can take it. If he doesn’t show up with at least a clear cut starting lineup, not sure what to say. If he doesn’t know where Ntilikina is going to get his minutes, then I don’t know what to say. If MRob, RJ, and DSJ aren’t at least given a chance to take their star turn this season, then I don’t know what to say.

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Nets are going to start Allen, Prince, Harris, Lavert, Kyrie, can it be that hard to put out 5 guys night in and night out if the Nets can do it.

Got a feeling Fiz is going to tinker again for the first couple of months in the back court and at SF which will cause that aside I heard about the Knicks”that things can go south in a hurry” to come to fruition.

You hope Fiz learned something from last season, but he goes into training camp with only Randle and MRob as starters. There’s going to be a fight for those other spots and we probably won’t know what the starting lineup is until the final days of camp.

mafra said:

Julius Randle is a lot like Deangelo Russell... his other fellow LAK castoff, and another highly-touted young prospect Magic Johnson gave up on, in his pursuit of AD.

11-13-16-21...

That’s Randle’s ppg avg his 4 NBA seasons. I like the trajectory there...

This is his age 25 season...

In the old days, he’d be fresh out of Kentucky, not 4 years removed. Is he ready to continue his maturation, and take his game to another level?

The dude is a throwback, old school PF. He has a presence, he rarely misses games... I thought he had bust potential but then he turned it in consistently in LAK, and then rose his level of play in NO.

I think he was a shrewd investment / informed risk of a contract... at the very least, you’re getting a complimentary player. He’s best suited as your third pillar... but I think he’s the ideal young available PF to play alongside the MRob, the Blockness Monster.

I don’t expect wins, per say, but if the trio of DSJ, Randle, and MRob can be an exciting and competitive trio, and this coincides with positive growth with our stable of meh lottery players... Sprinkle in flashes of RJ brilliance, steadied by the presence of established role players, and we witness the birth of an actual system with definitive roles, rotation, and assignments....

This is what will determine if this was a successful season or not.

Are we on the verge? Ala Ewing circa 1987... is this the second year of what works out to be a brilliant 7 year plan?

Is the core of our future multiple EC playoff run squads already in-house, on this roster?

Is the next beloved franchise superstar on this team?

Click to expand...

While it’s only preseason it’s important for the Knicks to get a win against a bottom feeder like the Wiz who are w/o Wall. Fiz needs to get this team to play defense esp important because that’s the reason we picked up these vets.

Sactown got swept in India by the Pacers giving up 132 and 130 pts in 2 games, Kings are going to disappoint again unless they start playing D. Looking for the team to keep the Wiz under 110 pts on Monday, Sacramento is an object lesson on how uncertain and how long it’s going to take if they try to build this team around young players.

Fortunately there is a chance that Perry is a good judge of talent and we hope Trier is our Lou Williams, MRob is Gobert II, DSJ is prime Franchise, RJ is the second coming of Kobe and Iggy turns out to be a 1st rounder we snagged late in the second.

Btw, I like that new NFL like challenge rule where you have a challenge of a foul, goal tend and out of bounds. I’d like to see it expanded to 4 calls instead of one, there are way more than 1 blown call in a game. Maybe they can reduce the time games get played with that other thing they’re experimenting with in the GLeague with freebies.

Knicks had an open practice today. Get your Knicks b-ball fix before the Monday game. Scrimmage starts at about the 38 min mark in the below, video shot on a phone but it’s watchable.

DSJ held out with a sore back, seems prone to back problems, not good for a high flier and bares watching. Hopefully it’s precautionary and he can play Monday.

Knox to me was the best player in the game, knocking down a couple of threes, Taj not known for his 3 pt shooting made one also. Frank was OK, his usual conscientious effort on D, started slow on offense but picked it up, still struggles with his shot imo and his failure to break down a defense will keep him from being a starting PG here or anywhere else until he can.

Ian Begley, SNY.tv | Twitter |

David Fizdale plans to use several different lineups in the preseason. So we may see a different starting five when New York plays Washington on Friday at Madison Square Garden.

But Fizdale gave some interesting insight when he answered a question about his starting lineup for Monday's preseason opener.

"I thought those guys, overall, played the best in practice and throughout camp," he said.

Fizdale went with Elfrid Payton at point guard, RJ Barrett at shooting guard, Marcus Morris at small forward, Julius Randle at power forward and Mitchell Robinson at center on Monday.


The coach thought Payton was 'fantastic' in the Knicks' win over Washington.

"He set the tone for the game on the ball and with his pace. He got a lot of people involved, kept us organized," he said. "Steady and tough."

The competition for the starting point guard spot is one of the more intriguing rotational battles for the Knicks.

Dennis Smith Jr. has been sidelined since Saturday with a back strain and was not available on Monday. So Payton was the obvious choice to start against Washington.

But, as Fizdale noted above, Payton also earned the nod by his performance in training camp. His thoughts echo what several players privately told friends about Payton's play last week: they said it looked like he was playing his way into the starting point guard job, per SNY sources.

"He was getting us settled," one player said.

Of course, the point guard decision won't be based solely on Payton's play in training camp.

The Knicks still have two weeks of practices and games to evaluate the position. But, as we noted over the summer, the expectation then was that Payton would be given every opportunity to win the starting job.

Worth noting here: Smith Jr., who was obtained in the Kristaps Porzingis trade, has started 119 out of his 122 career games. So playing off the bench would be a new, foreign role for Smith Jr.

Payton, who signed with the Knicks as a free agent this summer, had five points, five assists, two steals, two rebounds and two turnovers in 25 minutes on Monday. Backup Frank Ntilikina finished with nine points, five rebounds and three assists in 23 minutes.