Some of Allonzo Trier’s New York Knicks teammates grew frustrated playing with the ball-dominant shooting guard.
Allonzo Trier electrified the Madison Square Garden during his rookie season. With high-flying dunks and smooth buckets in isolation, it was no surprise that Trier played his way out of a two-way contract and onto the New York Knicks full-time.
Unfortunately, his style of play seems to be isolating him in the locker room. According to Marc Berman of the New York Post, Trier’s lack of popularity among veterans was a concern in the locker room.
“His play on the court was cancerous,” one NBA source told Berman. “A lot of guys didn’t like the way he didn’t play team ball. He cared about himself too much. He looked guys off who were open.’’
It’s no surprise that Trier’s tendency to isolate would rub teammates the wrong way. He’s a rookie who felt comfortable overlooking an open teammate in favor of his own contested look.
Clearly, the veterans on the team didn’t take kindly to his style of play. In fact, the vets on the team sent subtle messages to Trier during the season.
“Another NBA source familiar with the situation said when players would choose sides for pickup games before or after practice, he often was one of the last chosen,” Berman wrote. “The Knicks players wanted to play with guys who passed to the open man.”
Fortunately, Trier has a lot of time left in his NBA career to become a more well-rounded player. The Knicks have a $3.5 million club option on Trier for the 2019-20 season. It’s unclear what the team plans to do with the shooting guard.
