The New York Knicks are 0-2 in this year’s summer league. This is not the start fans were hoping for. A lot of fans, especially from the Knicks, tend to overreact to these games. How a player performs is either criticized or over-hyped.
Most Knicks followers were very excited to see rookie RJ Barrett play and go head-to-head against his good friend Zion Williamson. If you watched the game, Zion played better than RJ. Fans were already overreacting. We are here to say… relax. It was Barrett’s first game as a Knick, he is young, 19, and he was most likely nervous.
Barrett is a natural scorer and playmaker. Just because he had a bad shooting performance in his first two professional games does not mean that fans should panic. Barrett is going to be just fine.
Kevin Knox kills the summer league but falters during the regular season. Knox did the same thing last year and swept Knicks fans off their feet. However, it did not seem to carry over into the season, as it was a roller coaster. Fans got so excited for Knox that his first was underwhelming. But, he too is young. Knox seemed to have a better more fluid shot, especially in the first game against the Pelicans. Let’s hope that he brings that shot into the regular season.
Mitchell Robinson has been a force down-low. His defense has been good and he continues to be a blocking stud. Robinson is only going to get better each game, so no need to worry about him. Maintaining his health will be a priority, though.
Ignas Brazdeikis appears to be another second-round steal for the Knicks. But again, it is the summer league and yes, he did go off against Phoenix, but the Knicks might have found another gem. Iggy was stroking it from all over. He was aggressive and not afraid to take his shot. Brazdeikis needs to bring that fire every day and he can be a very good role player.
Despite being 0-2, the Knicks are still in a good position. It will take time for Barrett to get comfortable and that is when he will flourish. Overall, the summer league does not mean much. It is just an opportunity to see the potential up-and-coming players for one’s team and get us talking. Do not overreact and just enjoy basketball being back.