The Knicks should be focused on the future, but interim coach Mike Miller doesn’t appear ready to give more minutes to the team’s younger players, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Berman suggests Miller is more concerned with his own future in the organization. His 13-20 record is a marked improvement over David Fizdale’s 4-18 start, but there’s no guarantee Miller will be brought back next season, especially after comments this week from consultant Steve Stoute.
Miller’s philosophy is doing nothing to help 2018 lottery pick Kevin Knox or Dennis Smith Jr., who was among the keys to the Kristaps Porzingis deal. Knox played just 10 minutes Wednesday in the team’s final game before the break and hardly had any role in the offense. Smith played six minutes and committed four turnovers.
“As we approach this, this is all about development,’’ Miller said. “That will never change. It’s about how these guys get better just if they get 10 more minutes in a game. There are a lot of things that go into the development to make these guys better. Just having minutes isn’t the end-all. I think there are other ways and other factors.’’
There’s more from New York:
- Before posting a game-high 27 points last night in the Rising Stars Challenge, RJ Barrett assessed the Rookie of the Year race and said he should be a contender, Berman adds in a separate story. “A lot of people deserve [Rookie of the Year], a lot of people work hard for it,” Barrett said. “I don’t know. It’s kind of hard not to vote for myself.” The third pick in last year’s draft, Barrett is averaging 13.6 PPG in 44 games and shooting 38.8% from the field.
- As he prepares to take over as head of basketball operations for the Knicks, Leon Rose is keeping a characteristically low profile at All-Star Weekend, observes Steve Popper of Newsday. Rose hasn’t officially taken on his new duties and is still completing the paperwork to end his time as an agent. A source tells Popper that Rose plans to replace general manager Scott Perry, whose contract expires at the end of the season.
- Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie doesn’t expect his cross-town rivals to be a threat any time soon, relays Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. “They’ll probably have a high draft pick,” Dinwiddie said of the Knicks. “Unless they do something via trade or via free agency, which I don’t know if this free agency class is that spectacular, they’re probably not going to be that good. We’ll see. I can’t tell the future. But more than likely, I mean Kevin Durant is coming back. And he’s Kevin Durant. He’s really good.”
During a slow AS weekend there’s always the obligatory Knicks Knews.
I hope RJ Barrett doesn’t really believe he deserves to be ROY…
Zion will win ROY, just as he was expected to.
Ja Morant
Ja
Of course Kevin Knox deserves more minutes. He has to be deserving because he was a lottery pick. Just like DSJ has to be deserving because he was the compensation for KP. – Marc Berman
I mean I really like RJ… but to say that he deserves the ROY is way off the mark.
As right now is gotta be the 3 finalist for it:
1) Zion as the runaway winner
2) Ja Morant
3) Brandon Clarke very close to 2nd
Personally I would fill the rest of the 1st All-Rookie Team with Rui Hachimura & PJ Washington.
Basically RJ would be in my 2nd Rookie Team.
That is not to say that I think he will end up been a star, excellent player, but his rookie season hasn’t been very good at all, below my expectations.
Ja is the run away winner bud
It’s ROY, not rookie of the half year. He can win it next year. Heck they gave it to Simmons in his 2nd year why not Zion as well ?
It’s Morant with Nunn a close 2nd with 3 rookie of the months so far.
Knicks coach is toast. Funny thing is the clown car in NY thinks he’s better than Fitz. What a dumb move.
Almost everyone is gone once Rose signs the contract.
He’s certainly better than Fizdale….if we’ve learned anything recently it’s that Fizdale can’t coach
Nunn will be on the 2nd All-Rookie Team with Herro, RJ, Paschall & Hayes.
Seems like Morant should win it but I wonder if some votes will go Zion because of all the buzz
Or maybe, just maybe, Zion has put the best numbers in points/rebounds for a rookie in the last 27 years, that can give him some votes, not just the hype.
Zion is already dominating, with numbers out of this world, unlike Ja.
Also keeping in mind that Ja had the advantage of doing a preseason, friendlies & starting the season with rhythm & in game shape, meanwhile Zion hasn’t had any of that, specially important is the been in game shape, which he is still working on it even with his 22/8/3 in 27 minutes… UNBELIEVABLE!!!
Player development for a lot of the younger Knicks was hopelessly sabotaged long before Miller took over. Mostly by a prior HC who thought he was Father Flanigan, and used last year as a 82 game practice for the boys, followed by mentoring and ice cream, unburdened by expectations or accountability.
No interim HC has the time or standing to turn this around. The FO needs to let Miller be the basketball coach he is, and if Fiz’s Kids can’t earn minutes in real games under a real HC, then they should be playing in the G-league under the development staff that was hired for this purpose.