The New York Knicks will hold informal five-on-five workouts in August, according to SNY's Ian Begley.
Begley adds that a “significant portion” of the roster is planning to attend the voluntary scrimmage and that the Knicks did the same workout last year as do the crosstown rivals Brooklyn Nets.
The Knicks' summer was met with tempered expectations; from missing out on winning the NBA's Draft Lottery to losing the free agency sweepstakes. Just because New York could sign neither Kevin Durant nor Kyrie Irving does not mean the roster has not experienced heavy turnover. In free agency, the Knicks wound up signing seven new players; and in the draft general manager Scott Perry left with two new rookies.
New York's free agency class includes forwards Julius Randle, Taj Gibson, Bobby Portis, and Marcus Morris, wings Wayne Ellington and Reggie Bullock, and point guard Elfrid Payton.
Perry and the Knicks selected Duke stud RJ Barrett with the third overall pick in June's class and traded for the draft rights to Michigan product Ignas Brazdeikis—two Canadians youths with experience playing with one another on the junior national team.
Nine new players are plenty to integrate into second-year head coach David Fizdale's system, and generally, it takes a while to learn how to play with one another and develop chemistry. The best-case scenario for Fizdale's Knicks this season is a playoff berth—one they have not reached since the 2012-13 season. Otherwise, it's likely the ‘Bockers will be back in the lottery in 2020 but hoarding onto all of their own picks, two future Dallas Mavericks first-round picks, and blue-chip prospects in rookie Barrett, sophomore center Mitchell Robinson, and point guard Dennis Smith Jr.
Follow Us
Subscribe