Enes Kanter plays just 15 minutes in latest Knicks loss

 

 

 

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Every player wants to step up during a contract year (a year when they will or at least might be a free agent after the season). But it’s hard to do that while receiving limited minutes. Such is the situation for many veterans on rebuilding teams that are more focused on the development of rookies and other young players than they are about the immediate dividends that may come from giving veterans more minutes.

Speaking of which, here’s New York Newsday discussing the Knicks and veteran center Enes Kanter, who received 26 minutes of court time three games ago, 22 minutes two games ago, and just 15 minutes on Friday:

When Knicks coach David Fizdale put all three of his rookies in the starting lineup Friday he made a statement. And then a stronger one when, with the game on the line, he inserted all three with the game on the line, admitting he wanted to test the trio under fire.

But the bigger test might be how Fizdale can manage the veterans on the roster. Enes Kanter, left on the bench as the New Orleans Pelicans dominated the Knicks’ young frontcourt that night to turn the game, left the locker room quickly with no comment night, then went, as he often does to social media. He tweeted out just a line of periods and asked about it Sunday morning, he didn’t reveal the meaning but said with a smile, “It’s only going to grow bigger.”

Kanter may be the most pressing case, a player who has established himself as much of a star as there is on this lottery-bound development project. He is a free agent at season’s end after opting in to the final season of his contract over the summer, and while his minutes and numbers have for the most part remained steady, he was pulled from the starting lineup after five games in favor of Mitchell Robinson. And on nights like Friday when he played just 15 minutes, there was clear frustration.

It would not be surprising to see Kanter receive more minutes again, but the reality is his future may very well be elsewhere so unless they market him in order to trade him, the team’s focus may likely remain on their youth.

Warriors stars praise Luka Doncic

Several Warriors stars as well as head coach Steve Kerr had big praise for Mavs rookie Luka Doncic, as reported by the Dallas Morning News:

The Warriors had beaten Dallas 10 straight times and 17 of the previous 18 meetings. They were impressed with their first live look at Mavericks rookie Luka Doncic, who scored a team-high 24 points and pulled down nine rebounds.

“He’s great; a great player,” said Kerr, who before the game compared 6-7 Doncic to a five-tool baseball player. “He’s got a lot of skill and a lot of guts. I thought he played a great game.” …

“You could tell he’s been playing pro for a long time,” said Warriors guard Klay Thompson, who scored 22 points but missed 15 of 24 shots, including a 16-footer that would have tied the score at 110.

“He’s got great poise. He gets to his spots, and he’s going to be a cornerstone of this franchise for a long time.” …

“I like him a lot,” Durant said. “He’s polished. He’s skilled, and you can tell he’s played professional basketball already. They got a great guy in him to lead this franchise in the future. Luka and Dennis [Smith Jr.] play well together.”

It’s still early in the season but so far, Doncic has been the league’s best rookie.

Mavs enjoying a 4-game winning streak

The Dallas Mavericks are on a 4-game winning streak and now boast a respectable 7-8 season record. They’re being led in scoring by Luka Doncic at 19.5 ppg, followed by Harrison Barnes at 16.5 ppg, Wesley Matthews at 16.2 ppg, Dennis Smith Jr. at 14.5 ppg and DeAndre Jordan at 10.8 ppg plus 13.2 rpg. Doncic, also contributing 6.6 rpg and 4.2 apg, is having an absolutely fantastic rookie season. Here’s the Dallas Morning News with more:

If you’re looking for a validation of the Mavericks’ defense, remember that Kevin Durant missed seven of his last eight shots (and 15 of 24 overall). And Durant and Klay Thompson both missed midrange shots in the final minute that could have changed the outcome. “Those are shots they can make but our guys worked awful hard wearing on them during the game to make those shots a little more difficult,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “When you work that hard, you get a little luck once in a while like that.” Harrison Barnes has been a good defender and Dorian Finney-Smith always gives his best effort at that end of the court. The Mavericks have limited the four opponents in the winning streak to under 93 points per game. That includes the 68 points that Utah scored on Wednesday, which obviously skews the numbers. But holding three of four teams under 100 and Golden State to 109 rates as a defensive vice-grip these days in the score-fest that is the NBA.

Next up for the Mavs is a road game against the Grizzlies on Monday, followed by a pair of home games against the Nets Wednesday and the Celtics Saturday.