Kenny Wooten has impressed with his athleticism this summer. The Oregon product likes his chances at making camp with the New York Knicks.
A former standout at Oregon, Kenny Wooten, has been making a strong impression during summer league. According to Marc Berman of the New York Post, Wooten is confident that he’ll get a chance to compete for a spot on the final New York Knicks 15-man roster.
“I’ve maximized my time on the floor but I still feel I can bring a lot more to the table,’’ Wooten said. “I definitely think my chances are really good [of getting a training-camp invite].”
Wooten has been flying around the court, making highlight-reel blocks and showing his prowess on the defensive side of the ball. While at Oregon, he was second on the team in box-plus-minus, making his mark doing whatever the team needed to get a win. He went on to further explain his goals for the rest of summer league.
“I’m trying to show the coaching staff I’m a hard-working guy who can rebound the ball,’’ Wooten said. “That I’m able to make passes to my players really well. I’m able to defend really well and be able to provide a lot of rim protection.”
According to the article, it appears that Kris Wilkes, a forward out of UCLA, will sign a two-way contract with the Knicks. Wilkes missed the summer league due to illness. However, that means there is only one two-way contract available, and Wooten will certainly be in the in running for that spot.
Although a little undersized for a big man, Wooten’s supreme athleticism and good defensive awareness have kept in the minds of the powers that be. Based on last year’s draft surprises such as Mitchell Robinson and Allonzo Trier, it’s likely that Wooten will get his chance to make a permanent (at least for this season) home in New York.
