Beasley, 28, has gone from a No.2 overall pick to a traveled journeyman who can still be productive in stretches. He famously labeled himself a “walking bucket” after signing with the Knicks. While there’s no telling how long Beasley will continue to start and make an impact, head coach Jeff Hornacek acknowledged the importance of role players stepping up.
The Knicks attempted to lure Jerry West to the franchise this past summer after deciding to part ways with Phil Jackson, sources tell Mitch Lawrence of Sporting News. West told the team through back channels that it wasn’t the right time to come to New York, and ended up taking an advisory role with the Clippers instead.
New York’s current regime, led by team president Steve Mills and GM Scott Perry, appears to be more professionally run than the old group, Lawrence writes — several players have told him that there has been a positive effect from the Knicks’ orderly front office.
“The atmosphere is a lot better,” veteran Courtney Lee recently said. “It’s always good to have good air. It’s easier to operate as a team, 100 percent, 100 percent, 100 percent. Every day there’s not something new in the media, about what’s being said about who. The whole situation wasn’t good. It was not good air. But now, the air is clear. It makes it easier to play now. I just wish ‘Melo was still here so he could be a part of it.”
Many expected the Knicks to contend for the No. 1 pick, though surprisingly, they’re 11-12. While injuries to Kristaps Porzingis and Tim Hardaway Jr. may blanket hope of an unexpected eighth-seed run, the franchise appears to be heading the in the right direction after years of drama and uncertainty.
Tim Hardaway Jr. injured his left leg against the Heat last week, something that already caused him to miss a pair of games, and the Knicks announced today (via Twitter) that he has started the rehab process. The team added that he will be re-evaluated in two weeks.
The ailment to Hardaway’s leg is a stress injury, though the Knicks didn’t disclose whether it was a fracture or reaction. If it’s only a stress reaction, it could require him to be sidelined anywhere from two to six weeks, though many cases of stress reactions fall in the shorter range, as a leading orthopedist told Marc Berman of the New York Post earlier this week. If it’s a fracture, the time could be measured in months. The specialist also noted that a reaction can lead to a fracture if it isn’t rested.
Hardaway, who signed a four year, $72MM this offseason, was enjoying a breakout campaign for Knicks. In 21 games with the team, the veteran shooting guard scored 17.8 points and brought down 4.2 boards per contest. He launched 7.2 shots per game from behind the arc, nailing 2.3 per night.
- Knicks shooting guard Tim Hardaway Jr. could miss multiple games with a stress injury to his lower leg, Al Iannazzone of Newsday reports. Coach Jeff Hornacek hinted to the assembled media that Hardaway could be out for awhile. “There’s concern with anybody when it’s an injury that might be longer than a game or two,” he said.
Arizona freshman center DeAndre Ayton could be the No. 1 overall pick in June, according to Joel Brigham of Basketball Insiders. The 7’1” Ayton has proven to be a highly productive for the otherwise disappointing Wildcats, averaging 20.4 PPG, 11.4 RPG and 1.4 BPG in his first eight college games. He has a 7-foot-5 wingspan and has shown a high basketball IQ, Brigham continues. At worst, Ayton should be a top-three lock, Brigham adds.
In other news involving the league:
- The trade packages the Knicks and Pacers received from the Thunder in blockbuster deals this offseason have proven to be far better than expected, as ESPN’s Kevin Pelton notes. Center Enes Kanter, the best player the Knicks got back in the Carmelo Anthony trade, is a good fit as Kristaps Porzingis‘ frontcourt partner, while Porzingis has thrived as a No. 1 option in Pelton’s analysis. Victor Oladipo has actually outperformed Paul George in his expanded role with Indiana, according to Pelton’s metrics. The other player the Pacers received in the deal, center Domantas Sabonis, has improved sharply while playing more often in the post than he did in Oklahoma City, Pelton adds.
- The league and several owners have positioned themselves to cash in on expanded betting on its games, as ESPN’s Brian Windhorst examines in an in-depth piece. The league would prefer changes in current federal laws and the creation of a unified commission to oversee the expanded betting operations, Windhorst continues. The Hornets’ Michael Jordan, the Wizards’ Ted Leonsis and the Mavs’ Mark Cuban have recently invested in a company focused on real-time data distribution, which would facilitate in-game wagering, Windhorst adds.
- Lonzo Ball‘s younger brother LiAngelo Ball has no chance of being selected if he declares for next June’s draft, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. LiAngelo Ball would have trouble finding a spot in any professional league, including the G-League, Wojnarowski adds (Twitter links). UCLA announced on Monday that the younger Ball intends to leave the program, Sam Vecenie of The Athletic tweets. The freshman was arrested along with two teammates in China on shoplifting charges and suspended by the school after being allowed to return to the United States.
- Count Tim Hardaway Jr. among the Knicks‘ growing list of inactive players. Howie Kussoy of the New York Post writes that the two-guard with a previously undisclosed leg injury joined Kristaps Porzingis on the sidelines on Sunday.
Point guard Jarrett Jack, who was considered a candidate to be waived before the season began, has been an overlooked part of the Knicks‘ resurgence, according to Howie Kussoy of The New York Post. The 13-year veteran has made an impact since signing with New York in September, ranking 16th in the league with 5.9 assists per game and second in assist ratio. He has also brought a passing culture to the Knicks, who rank fifth in the league in assists after finishing 19th last season.
“When I got here I kind of gauged the lineup of the guys I was playing with … [and] it calls for somebody within that five, to kind of be like, ‘Hey man, I can’t try and barge my way into the offense,’” Jack explained. “I’ve got to sacrifice for the betterment of everybody and it’s been productive for us. I’m all good with just setting the table, understanding my role and knowing what’s been great and positive for the team.”
There’s more NBA news from New York City:
- Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek thinks Joakim Noah will benefit from the chance to get some playing time in the G League, Kussoy writes in a separate story. Noah has seen just three minutes of action since returning from a suspension, finding himself fourth in the center rotation. “It’s tough on all of them,” Hornacek said. “Periodically, we want to try to make sure we get them in at some point and get some minutes. It’s hard if you go two months and don’t play. That’s why you saw Jo get some tune-up work with the G-League team.”
- Nets forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson returned to the court Saturday after missing two games with a sprained ankle, but he wasn’t in his customary starting position, notes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Hollis-Jefferson started the first 18 games he played this season, but coach Kenny Atkinson opted to stick with stretch four Trevor Booker. “We talked about it before the game,” Atkinson said. “Trevor had a really great game in Dallas, was feeling good. Rondae’s obviously coming back from an injury, so that was the thinking there.”
- Rookie center Jarrett Allen is still adjusting to life in the NBA, but he is making a strong impression on Atkinson, according to Bryan Fonseca of NetsDaily. “I’m happy with how he fits our system, I’m happy with his competitiveness, happy that he gives us a 7-foot rim protector and rim-roller,” Atkinson said. “We’re very good defensively when he’s on the court, the analytics back that up, he’s what he thought.”
Two months into the Carmelo Anthony trade, Enes Kanter has shown himself to be a positive influence on a Knicks team that has overachieved early in the season, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. In 18 games this season, the 25-year-old is averaging a double-double with 14.1 PPG and 10.4 RPG while using his positive mentality to the team’s advantage.
Kanter spent the entire offseason cutting weight and increasing his mobility. Before the Turkish big man even knew he was destined for New York City, he spent most of the offseason working out with one of Anthony’s trainers, and former Knicks assistant trainer, Chris Brickley.
Not only has Kanter been impactful on the court, he has been vocal in his support of his new teammates. Kanter even got into a war of words with LeBron James after the Cavaliers superstar said the Knicks missed out by not drafting Dennis Smith Jr. — which some perceived as a slight against Frank Ntilikina.
When Dion Waiters reached the open market back in July, the Knicks were cited as a potential suitor for him, though the free agent guard ultimately agreed to a long-term deal to return to the Heat. With the Heat and Knicks squaring off on Wednesday night for the first time this season, Waiters revisited his time as a free agent, confirming that New York did have have interest in him and made him an offer.
“They were talking, they were trying,” Waiters said, per Marc Berman of The New York Post. “My agent was talking to [the Knicks] more than I was.”
Waiters acknowledged that the appeal of playing in New York City and the proximity to his hometown (Philadelphia) and college (Syracuse) had him intrigued by the possibility of playing for the Knicks. However, his preference was always to stick with the Heat if that was viable. “Other teams figured that’s how it was going to be,” Waiters added.
Here are Wednesday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
- The Knicks sent Joakim Noah and Damyean Dotson to the G League today, then recalled them after the conclusion of the Westchester Knicks’ day game (Twitter links). Dotson scored 23 points in the loss to Maine, while Noah chipped in with nine points, five boards, and four assists.
- Troy Williams has been re-assigned to the G League by the Rockets, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Williams figures to suit up tonight for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers against the Texas Legends.
- The Kings have assigned a trio of players – Georgios Papagiannis, Malachi Richardson, and Justin Jackson – to the G League, the team announced today in a press release. The Reno Bighorns don’t play again until Saturday, so it’s not clear if the three youngsters will stick around that long, or if they’re just on assignment for practice purposes.
- After helping the Delaware 87ers earn a win on Tuesday, rookie guard Furkan Korkmaz has been recalled to the NBA by the Sixers, per a press release from the team. Korkmaz had just 14 points on 3-of-12 shooting for Delaware last night, but was a team-best +19.
- The Pacers have sent rookie center Ike Anigbogu to the G League, the club announced today. Anigbogu has played just 17 total minutes for Indiana so far this season, so assignments to the G League give him an opportunity to get more reps.