Young Knicks Core Show Out During the Summer League

Scott Perry and Steve Mills may have found gems for the foreseeable future

The New York Knicks Summer League period may be over but it has left more than few positive impressions on Knicks’ fans for the franchise going forward.

It seems like General Manager Scott Perry and Team President of Basketball Operations Steve Mills may have hit out of the park and has put the franchise in a winning position of developing a young, effective core that might do wonders for the organization.

Here’s the breakdown on each standout talent from the Summer League:

The 9th overall pick showed some promise during his tenure with John Calipari at Kentucky but nobody was sure if he was truly “NBA ready” since he never really had a chance to go all out on a stacked team and through limited action it was believed he’d be best fit as a combo forward that would play some minutes as the small forward but primarily play as the power forward. A lot of folks (myself included) felt that the Knicks would be better off drafting either someone who clearly was NBA ready (Mikal Bridges) or draft a prospect who would recover from injury—a la Joel Embiid—while they tank for another season to draft another lottery pick (Michael Porter, Jr.).

Turns out that Perry, Mills, and head coach David Fizdale made the right call on Knox.

The kid turned out to be a stellar talent during the summer league. He was averaging 21.3 pts, 6.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists per game. Knox showcased potential by being able to shoot off screens, off the dribble, on kick-outs and finishing on the break. However he still needs to work on his ballhandling, playmaking and ability to drive to the basket off of isolations and pick-and-roll plays.

These issues can be corrected since he’s only 18 and has significant upside. Knicks fans should feel good about the young forward.

Mitchell Robinson supposedly could’ve been a first round pick. He was supposed to participate in the NBA combine and showcase his skills in hopes of getting more guaranteed money as a first rounder. He pulled out at the suggestion of his agents but that turned out to be a mistake for him.

However, it was a blessing in disguise for Perry.

Robinson could excel as the team’s definitive rim protector and could thrive playing alongside Knicks All Star Kristaps Porzingis. They could potentially form a deadly front court duo due to their skills on defense and thriving through screen and rolls.

Robinson averaged 13 points, 10 rebounds, four blocks, and a steal per game. That’s a surprise considering he never played college ball and hadn’t played competitive five on five basketball in nearly a year. Despite the athleticism, Robinson is still very raw in terms of finesse and conditioning. He gets tired easily — more than likely due to not playing professional basketball in a while — and needs to adjust to the tempo of the NBA. He could find time in the G-League to hone his skills and eventually play some minutes playing on the big club during the regular season.

When training camp starts in September, Ntilikina will find himself in the midst of a battle for rotation minutes as the team’s starting point guard. This means he will have to fight it out against Trey Burke, Emmanuel Mudiay, and even Ron Baker for the job. Ntilikina bulked up a bit over the summer and was looking to improve his game during the summer league.

So it’s a shame that he’s only had two games to show his craft before injury robbed him of a chance to participate for the remainder of the summer league. He had a disappointing outing in the first game. It wasn’t so much what he did more so than the fact that he essentially looked more of the same: a pass-first, defensive point guard who plays with hesitancy. The second game is when he really started to show out and gave fans the idea that he can step up if told to do so. He was able to put up 17 points and 6 assists in that game. THIS version of Ntilikina is the one we need to see for the duration of his sophomore year in the NBA.

The idea of a more “aggressive” Ntilikina isn’t necessarily him simply taking more jump shots or having 22 assists per game. It means playing with a sense of confidence and embrace the role as the lead ball handler on the court. Whether he’s a starter or backup, his teammates will look to him for commands in terms of where to position themselves and what plays the coach wants them to run. Knicks fans have to understand that he is no longer a rookie. He’s now a second year player and this is the year he should have some idea as to how to play in a competitive environment. He has gone up against the likes of LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, James Harden, and Steph Curry. He’s played against the best of the best and has to develop the mindset that he can hold his own against them.

Allonzo Trier was the undrafted shooting guard signed to the Knicks on a two way contract in hopes of providing some microwave scoring off the bench. He was designated as a second rounder so having him as an undrafted project to work on in the G-League isn’t far removed from what most scouts expected from him.

That being said, Trier really needs to work on understanding of fundamentals and playing with a team concept. He has a scorer’s touch but can get too wild on offense. He may not look to find an open teammate and try to score on his own. Plus he can hold on to the ball for two long and is limited athletically. If he can harness his skills as a legit scorer, he can be effective and find minutes on the big club. For now, he needs development in Westchester.

Dotson played extremely well in the final game of the summer league. Unfortunately, he didn’t really do much to set himself apart from his peers during the other games. Dotson, much like Ntilikina, is a skilled defensive wing and that can go long ways in this league. However, he needs to be a better playmaker and shot creator. The focus between now and training camp is to improve on his shooting.

“Uncle” Luke (no relation) was injured for most of the summer league and played only one game. What he did show was that he had the skills to be an effective stretch big that can shoot three pointers and be a decent rim protector. He’s signed to a contract on the big club and will more than likely be fighting for minutes with the other power forwards and centers on the team. If he can remain consistent with his shooting, he’ll find himself playing a lot more games than anticipated.

Speaking of Hicks, he played in three summer league games and it would be understandable if you didn’t even notice he was there. He averaged five points and two rebounds in the games he’s played. It’s unclear whether or not if he’s an NBA caliber player. He hasn’t really done anything to separate himself from the pack. He doesn’t display the same kind of energy on hustle defense like Troy Williams, the smarts on positioning yourself on defensive switches and ball pressure like Ron Baker, or even is developing a steady three point shot like Luke Kornet. He can still try to convince the Knicks brass come training camp and the preseason that he belongs in the NBA.

Overall, it was a fairly impressive showcasing in the summer league. It’s essentially freestyle basketball scrimmages. The purpose is to show what a player can and can’t do. It gives coaches opportunities to experiment some strategy that the big clubs can use when the season starts. It helps in terms of team building and young players get to have fun out there. No one should overreact to summer league games. A player isn’t definitively great or terrible when they play. It’s just to see where they stand. Perry, Mills, and Fizdale should have a good understanding what the young Knicks players need to work on from now up until training camp. However, what we’ve seen is a promising start to a young group of players that are looking to bring back credibility to the organization and make a name for themselves.

*additional credit to NY Post, House of Highlights, Dawkins, EliteSportsNY, Posting and Toasting, Knicks Wall, Knicks Film School, WFAN CBS Sports

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