The New York Knicks opened up summer league play with a win over the Atlanta Hawks. Here are four takeaways from the victory.
The NBA summer league gets a bad rap. The critics say that nobody plays defense and the competition is weak. The New York Knicks got their first taste on Saturday and proved that notion incorrect in a 91-89 victory over the Atlanta Hawks.
The brain trust of Steve Mills, Scott Perry and David Fizdale looked on from the stands as the young Knicks put on a show offensively while simultaneously playing tough defense against Atlanta rookie Trae Young en route to a victory.
But summer league is just exhibition games. It’s more about how the players look than the final result. The Knicks had a lot to like about how they looked on Saturday. Here’s five takeaways from the opener.
1. Hard not to overreact to Kevin Knox
Everyone loved what they saw from Kevin Knox on Saturday. The No. 9 overall pick finished with 22 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 1 block in an impressive Knicks debut.
Knox racked up the highlights with dunk after dunk. His first bucket was a coast to coast slam on a fast break that he led himself. Knicks Twitter exploded with excitement, and rightfully so, about Knox’s performance following this moment.
Even before the Knicks drafted Knox, we heard about his ability to finish at the rim, dunk and run the floor. If Saturday’s game is any indication, Knox has been undervalued as a defender. That was supposed to be his greatest weakness.
I told you it would be hard not to overreact to Kevin Knox.
NEXT: Mitchell Robinson had a block party
2. Mitchell Robinson's defensive impact
Mitchell Robinson was and still is an enigma. Before Saturday’s game, it’d been over a year since the big man had played a competitive game of basketball. After skipping a year of college ball, Robinson’s draft stock took a hit, and he slipped to the second round.
As a five-star high school recruit, he was heralded for his defense. That figured to carry over to the college level, but there was no guarantee he would dominate at the NBA level. Against Atlanta, Robinson opened a lot of eyes.
The former McDonald’s All-American had four blocks and eight rebounds in 27 minutes. The concern for Robinson was foul trouble, and he found it. The big man picked up six fouls in his first summer league action. You get 10 in non-tournament games.
NEXT: Frank's defense
3. Frank's defense is even more impressive
Frank Ntilikina doesn’t blow you away with his offense. In fact, what you see from him on that end is still a little concerning. As the season progresses, the hope is that he’ll become more aggressive. Head coach David Fizdale should play a part in that.
But Frank’s defense? That’s a home run. The 19-year-old is already one of the best defenders in the NBA in only his second season in the league. He welcomed Trae Young to the NBA in a bad way by picking him up full court in the first quarter. Talk about intensity.
It’s a summer league game, and Frank’s going after the rookie like it’s playoff basketball.
This is why Knicks fans love him. He was already a borderline great defender last season as a rookie, but now his play on that end has gotten even better. Ntilikina bulked up during the offseason, and it’s benefiting him on defense already.
Frank was just 2 of 7 from the field with five points, but his offensive struggles are buried underneath what he’s capable of doing on the defensive end.
NEXT: Troy Williams isn't messing around
4. Troy Williams isn't taking any chances
Troy Williams was released by the Rockets in Feb., and the Knicks were fortunate enough to sign him to a couple of 10-day contracts before signing him for the remainder of the 2017-18 season.
Williams knows his deal for 2018-19 is non-guaranteed, so he’s not taking any chances. The 23-year-old is getting his shots up, 12 in Saturday’s game, in just 16 minutes. The veteran scored 17 points, and New York was a plus-16 with him on the court.
This is how summer league should be played. With fringe rotation guys going all out on every possession. If you truly love basketball, then you love watching guys like Williams compete for a roster spot and playing time.
Williams has a few more games to show the Knicks staff what he can do. He’ll likely want more than 16 minutes to show off his skills when New York squares off with Grayson Allen and the Utah Jazz on Sunday at 9 pm E.T.