New York Knicks: Taking A Look At Mario Hezonja’s Role In 2018

The New York Knicks set out this offseason with a mission…get younger, faster, smarter, and increase the potential of the franchise in the long run. They did just that with the drafting of Kevin Knox and Mitchell Robinson in the first and second rounds respectively.

But one of the more influential moves they made this offseason was the signing of former Orlando Magic small forward, Mario Hezonja. The active shooter has had a bumpy career so far, but his potential often bleeds through with his immense athletic abilities and shooting prowess.

Hezonja signed a one-year, $6.5 million deal with the Knicks, giving him the opportunity to see the potential of the franchise for himself and to hopefully justify staying for the ride. The interesting part of the forward is that he’s just 23 years-old and still in his developmental prime.

There’s still much room left for growth, and head coach David Fizdale is the perfect leader to help him reach his full potential. Hezonja is a natural born scorer, but often slacks on defense. This will be a point of emphasis for the Knicks as they try to help him round off his overall game in the season ahead.

Why New York Knicks fans should be excited for Mario Hezonja:

Over the course of 30 games started for Hezonja with the Magic last season, he average 14.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.8 3-pointers and 1.5 steal. He shot 46.0% from the floor, 37.1% from behind the arc and 83.3% from the free-throw line. The bottom line, the kid is a hell of a shooter; if the Knicks can extract the potential that remains, the Big Apple could be looking at another rising star alongside Knox, Robinsons, and Kristaps Porzingis.

EXTRA:

One of the more impressive aspects of the forward is his ability to pass. If you take a look at the clip above you can see the power and vision he has in transition. This is something that will be devastating if he can link up with Porzingis or Knox on the break.