Newest Nets acquisition Allen Crabbe was limited during the preseason due to an ankle injury. Crabbe missed the first two preseason contests and was relegated to coming off the bench in the final two games. Head coach Kenny Atkinson wants to get Crabbe acclimated to the lineup but is also pleased with how Brooklyn’s highest-paid player has progressed, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes.
“We still have to integrate Allen Crabbe a little bit. He’s obviously a little behind because he’s been out,” Atkinson said. “We got a good practice in [Friday] and he got a lot of reps. For him it’s just a matter of time. Overall [I’m] pleased.”
Crabbe, 26, had a productive season off the Trail Blazers’ bench last season, averaging 10.7 PPG across 79 games in Portland. Crabbe’s journey to Brooklyn was delayed by one year as the Nets originally issued him an offer sheet that the Trail Blazers matched. Now that he’s in a revamped culture with a revamped roster in Brooklyn, Crabbe’s health will be key to the team’s development.
Below you can check out other news surrounding New York’s two basketball teams:
- Without a clear defensive big man on the Nets roster, playing with a smaller roster on the floor could spell disaster for the young Brooklyn squad, Lewis writes in a separate story.
- A knee injury to 19-year-old Frenchman Frank Ntilikina is making the Knicks‘ opening night lineup clearer, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. Veteran Ramon Sessions will be the likely starting point guard with Tim Hardaway Jr. (shooting guard) and Courtney Lee (small forward) rounding out the backcourt. Kristaps Porzingis has dealt with his own injury-riddled preseason but should start the season opener in Oklahoma City with Enes Kanter — acquired from the Thunder for Carmelo Anthony — as the center.
- The Knicks are not expected to contend in 2017/18 so the team should consider its possible options in the 2018 NBA Draft when deciding on plans for this season, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News opines. Michael Porter Jr., Marvin Bagley III and Luka Dončić will be three highly sought-after targets in next year’s draft. A lowly Knicks team could set its sights on tanking this season in order to secure a draft pick high enough to select one of those youngsters next season.
Doncic would be a great fit for the Knicks. His playmaking and shooting would work well with Frank’s and Kristaps would still be the #1 scoring option