The New York Knicks looked good in their preseason debut against the Indiana Pacers, but there’s still a long way to go before they get into regular season form.
In particular, Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier, the two signings of the offseason, looked solid, but there’s still some work that needs to be done.
Last season, the offense mostly ran through Julius Randle, and he was the team’s leader in assists by a large margin. This season, it looks like that role will shift back to the point guard, so Walker will figure to have the ball in his hands more than Randle.
However, there will be plenty of opportunities for the Knicks to take advantage of their playmaking forward, and a lot of it will involve the two-man game with Fournier and Randle.
Replacing departed guard Reggie Bullock will be difficult, but Fournier is more than up to the task. He went into great detail about the adjustments he has to make with the team.
Fournier Isn’t Worried
Learning the tendencies of new teammates is nothing new in the NBA, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have to put in the work to do it.
Laid out in a New York Daily News article, Fournier breaks it all down for us.
“We are all different,” he said. “You learn that by being with them on the court, it’s not just watching film. You have to get a feel for that. Like, ‘OK, I’m gonna come off the dribble handoff at that time for [Julius Randle] to be free,’ because if I go too soon, I’m gonna bring my defender. If I go too late, I’m not gonna be open.”
None of this is groundbreaking information, but it does show you how precise the Knicks want their offense to be in order to have everything clicking.
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While Bullock might not see like a game-changing player, he and Randle did have a very good rapport, and Fournier will be looking to replicate that.
“For example, something about myself: I think I’m gonna have to be really precise about the two-man game with Julius, because usually when you have a power forward that’s on the top of the key, he’s gonna take the ball and just swing it and go to the weak side pick-and-roll or dribble-handoff, but he’s really good, so he can drive. He can pass. He can shoot,” Fournier said.
A place where Fournier can separate himself from Bullock is his ability to make his own shot.
This is something RJ Barrett has talked about before, and it should allow the offense to run like a well-oiled machine.
Game This Saturday
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The next time the Knicks will be on the court is Saturday against the Washington Wizards.
While Walker and Fournier did have their moments in the opener, they will likely be looking to try out some new things against the Wizards.
The start of the regular season is coming up fast, so if the team wants to build a rapport with each other, the next few preseason games will be vital.
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