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The New York Knicks practiced this weekend. As you can imagine, a popular topic of conversation was their pathetic defensive performance Friday night against the Washington Wizards, when they allowed 11 three-pointers in the first half. Head coach David Fizdale showed them the carnage on tape.
Knicks had a long film session today to review Friday's poor performance. David Fizdale said they watched about 75 clips of defense.
— Chris Iseman (@ChrisIseman) October 13, 2019
That’s all well and good — the defense truly sucked! — but I hope they spent some practice time on the offense as well. The Knicks relied far too heavily on iso-ball Friday night, and the Wizards had little trouble snuffing out possessions. This team finished dead last in offensive efficiency last season, so it was a troubling reminder. I love talking “OLD SCHOOL KNICKS D” as much as the next fan, but let’s not forget there are two sides of the game, Fiz.
In more exciting news, a pair of important players returned to the court.
From the Knicks: Damyean Dotson (right shoulder) and Dennis Smith Jr (strained lower back) practiced today. Kadeem Allen (strained right foot) and Kevin Knox II (strained right calf) practiced but were limited.
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) October 13, 2019
Dennis Smith Jr. missed both preseason games with a sore back, but he did participate in training camp. Damyean Dotson, meanwhile, missed all of camp after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery. Fizdale said that he expects Smith to play in the Knicks’ final two preseason games, while Dotson’s immediate future remains unclear. With Wayne Ellington playing well, Dotson will have to fight to earn minutes at shooting guard.