Knicks Links 12/1/18: Absorbing the criticism

Sup dudes and dudettes?

This has been the longest three days in New York Knicks history. Thank goodness there’s a game tonight.

In the meantime, let’s catch up on a little reading and listen to some tunes:

Is the sky falling? (It’s not)

— Now that all the dust has settled on the Kevin Knox/Frank Ntilikina hit pieces and Frank trade speculation, we’re to the phase of the media cycle where we actually hear from the parties involved and realize it was all kinda silly (per the NY Post’s Zach Brazilier):

“No, [I didn’t see the story], but I think I’ve got a 19-year-old and a 20-year-old trying to figure out the NBA, the league that’s full of the absolute best players in the world, the best coaches in the world, doing it in the absolute toughest market in America. Give them a break,” [Fizdale] said following practice. “These guys are learning on the fly. Whoever’s criticizing them, let me know how many people can become great at 19 and 20 while they’re being punched in the face and they’re learning it all at the same time. I don’t hear those critics.”

And from Knox himself:

Ntilikina’s not too worried either (per Newsday’s Steve Popper):

“I’m still confident in my abilities,” Ntilikina said. “I keep on working on it every day. I know eventually it’s going to fall. It’s like a bad moment of me shooting-wise, but it’s going to be all right. It’s the story of the NBA. It’s the story of young players coming in. This is how it happened.

“It’s not only about scoring. I always say I’m going to do what I can do to bring the most to the team. If I’m not scoring, I’ll try to do something else. That’s always my mindset and I think has to be the mindset for the team to be a winning team.”

Gotta love that the Knicks have a coach and young players that understand how to navigate the media shitstorm.

— The Knicks have kind of a guard overload at the moment, so David Vertsberger at SNY tried to find a new home for Trey Burke.

— Brew Hoop previews tonight’s Knicks-Bucks matchup, if you want to get the other side’s perspective.

— Courtney Lee is probable for the game today, so Daily Knicks’ Rob Wolkenbrod tries to figure out how Lee’s return could affect the Knicks’ volatile rotations.

— Some guy is back in the NBA.

— Mike Vorkunov at The Athletic tries to figure out the Knicks’ tricky situation of getting Allonzo Trier a suitable contract once his NBA service on his two-way contract runs out in a week or so:

The Knicks have multiple options in how to structure a deal, some of which are clear-cut and others more imaginative. They can unilaterally convert the two-way contract to a one-year deal. They can also sign him to a standard contract, but because they are over the cap they are limited in offering him the league minimum and up to two years. They can also use their bi-annual exception, worth roughly $3.4 million per season, and sign Trier to a two-year deal. There are also more creative options, which could possibly allow them to extend Trier for more than two years by using the remainder of their mid-level exception, which currently prorates to more than the minimum.

— Over at Knicks Film School, Jonathan Macri uses his expertise as a teacher to try to get to the bottom of the Frank Ntilikina mystery this season.

— Also at KFS, David Early preaches patience with Ntilikina.

— Josh Benjamin at Elite Sports NY makes a case for the Knicks re-signing Enes Kanter next summer.

— Chris Iseman at the Bergen Record writes about Knox trying to find his groove.

— Mike Cortez at The Knicks Wall argues that Damyean Dotson has earned his place in the Knicks’ rotation for good.

That’s all for today!