Knicks' Ntilikina to begin season as starter over Knox
Despite starting all five preseason games, New York Knicks rookie Kevin Knox will be a reserve on opening night.
Head coach David Fizdale said Tuesday that Frank Ntilikina will replace Knox, the 2018 draft's ninth overall pick, in the starting lineup for the Knicks' opener on Wednesday night against the Atlanta Hawks.
"I think the most important thing I was trying to get out of it was culturally you've got to earn it," Fizdale said, according to ESPN's Ian Begley. "I don't think Kevin got to the point where he earned it more than Frank. But there were some good things for Kevin (in the preseason), and I was really happy with him having to go through highs and lows early on.
'He had the two double-doubles early and then he hit a wall. That's just a learning opportunity for him. I don't want to reward that yet. I do think Frank, consistently throughout the preseason, no matter where I put him, he got the job done. So for our culture that's more important."
Ntilikina will get the start in the backcourt alongside Trey Burke, and they'll be joined in the lineup by Lance Thomas, Enes Kanter, and Tim Hardaway Jr.
Knox averaged 8.8 points in 25 minutes per game during the preseason, but converted just 32.7 percent of his 9.8 field-goal attempts, including 15.8 percent from 3-point range. He also led the Knicks in turnovers with three per game.
"Sometimes, just a little change might help a guy get his rhythm, take a little pressure off of him," Fizdale said of Knox, while adding that he could change his lineup at any time. "He can see the game developing first before he subs in. But you know he's determined to get back to the starting lineup. Don't think for one second he's taking it light. But he understands how I operate: fairness. And he's on board with that. Hell, he's the first layer of our culture, so he has to understand."
New York ended the 2017-18 campaign with a 29-53 record, and has missed the playoffs in each of the last five seasons.