As the New York Knicks progressed towards another disappointing loss on Monday night against the Sacramento Kings, one rookie managed to squeeze in his debut among the madness.
The Knicks are not a very good team as they try yo re-work their chemistry and develop a potent offense. The veteran free agents have failed to make a significant impact as head coach David Fizdale insists they change their games to fit his mold.
Julius Randle is an excellent example of a quality player who Fizdale has focused on to restructure his style of play. Fiz has made defense a priority for Randle, who is a primarily offensive player. Wanting any player to increase their defensive efficiency is a good thing, but changing a mentality and unraveling muscle memory takes months, if not years. Building around your players’ skills is the better ideology and something that the Knicks’ head coach seems to avoid.
How did the New York Knicks rookie look in his debut?
Ignas started with aggressiveness, driving to the rim, and picking up a foul. He hit both of his free throws. Shortly after, he attempted to kick the ball out to the perimeter but was intercepted. Overall, it was a short sequence of events that showed the Michigan product’s strengths and weaknesses.
Brazdeikis is a capable scorer that can be efficient from the floor, he’s also a lefty, which brings a different element to the Knicks’ offensive approach. I anticipate he will continue to garner more playing time as the season progresses, and the Knick continue to falter.
“It felt good,’’ Brazdeikis told The Post regarding the cheers. “At the end of day, we lost — which isn’t good. Actually playing, I haven’t played in a while so being out there felt really good.â€
When asked about the team’s current stated and their progression, he said:
“We definitely have great vets and great players on the team’’ Brazdeikis said. “I’m keeping my head down and working. That’s all I’m focusing on. Because I’m not playing, I have an opportunity to get better with extra workouts [with coaches], lifting and getting stronger. In the long run, it will help me.’’