Enes Kanter was one of the parts that was an unknown when he was included in the deal that sent Carmelo Anthony to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Everyone knew about how good Kanter was at the offensive end but no one was convinced that he made any sort of impact defensively.
But even for his defensive limitations, Kanter has proven to be a nice addition to the Knicks this season. He's averaging a double-double in only 25 minutes per game, and has a player efficiency rating of 23.8, per Basketball Reference.
A player who produces like that is assumed as one that plays during crunch time of games. But recently, Kanter has been relegated to the bench during fourth quarters and overtimes. And Kanter is genuinely confused about it, per Marc Berman of the New York Post.
Article Continues Below“I don’t know why,’’ Kanter said. “What’d he say? I have no idea why. I guess it’s a little weird. I have no idea. I look at the coach. He looks at me. OK? I’ll sit on the bench.’’
Knicks head coach Jeff Hornacek said Kanter's minutes down the stretch depends on what the team needs. Sometimes he wants defense, so that means Kyle O'Quinn will get those minutes and not Kanter.
But Kanter said his coach does not talk to him about the reason, per Berman.
“He did not [talk to me],’’ Kanter said. “I’m ready [to play in the fourth]. It’s a little weird to me too. I guess he’s trying to make everybody happy. That’s what he’s doing. The most important thing is if we’re winning or not. If we’re winning we’re good. If we’re losing, there’s a problem.”
Obviously, Kanter is upset about this situation. Given that Kanter is an important player for the Knicks, the two sides have to find a way to get on the same page.