Knicks Notes: Rookies, Lee, Rebuild

The Knicks are sticking to their plan so far this season, focusing on player development over wins as they continue to rebuild ahead of Kristaps Porzingis‘ return and 2019 free agency. As Marc Berman writes for The New York Post, the Knicks may have found some diamonds from the 2018 NBA Draft, as Kevin Knox, Mitchell Robinson and Allonzo Trier have all had their fair share of standout moments this season.

As Berman points out, the Knicks’ 2018 rookie class has grabbed a lot of attention for their highlight plays and impressive performances. Trier went undrafted out of the University of Arizona and is averaging nearly 11 points per game on 53.1% shooting from the field. Meanwhile, second-round pick Mitchell Robinson is averaging 5.4 points and 4 rebounds per game while hitting 66.7% of his shots.

Before going down with an injury, Knox was averaging 9.3 points per game and shooting 44.4 percent from beyond the arc as he projects to be a go-to scorer for years to come.

Having a successful rookie class is a key step in the Knicks’ plan to rebuild around Porzingis and a potential marquee free agency signing in 2019. So far, the 2018 rookies have been as good, if not better than advertised.

There’s more from the Knicks:

• Speaking of that aforementioned plan, Steve Popper writes for Newsday that there are still several key parts of the it that aren’t a foregone conclusion. Most notably, the future health and durability of Porzingis and the Knicks’ ability to add a star player in 2019 free agency.
• Courtney Lee continues to sit out with a neck injury, and Stefan Bondy explores the weird circumstances surrounding his absence for The New York Daily News. There have been no updates regarding Lee’s status and he has not been made available for the media, further complicating a delicate injury situation.