The New York Knicks hosted the Philadelphia 76ers today. Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni continues to prefer that Amar’e Stoudemire play power forward, alongside the closest thing to a legit center the team has, which lately has been Timofey Mozgov.
Chris Sheridan of ESPN reports:
Coach Mike D’Antoni revealed before the game that he envisions a day when Timofey Mozgov (three points, eight rebounds, three blocks) will be the Knicks’ full-time starter at center. “We would like to get to the point where we have a big lineup out there with Mozgov. We probably started a little too early, and I could have gone to it now, but again I think we’re making a lot out of nothing in the sense that lineups will change until we become a contender. And you have guys who are solidified in that position who have played together 4-5 years, then you have to stick with what you’ve got.
“Right now we’re in the process of building a team for the future and trying to make the playoffs at the same time, and guys will mature at different rates and they’ll have up and downs,” D’Antoni said. “It’s just a little scary when you start two rookies and trying to get into the playoffs against teams that have been together for a while, and you just have to be careful with it.”
I definitely don’t think Mozgov has the starting center spot on a permanent basis, but for the time being it sounds like the job is his to lose.
