National Basketball Association

New York Knicks: 5 Things To Watch For During Preseason

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 7:35 p.m. ET

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The New York Knicks begin their preseason tonight against the Houston Rockets. Here are five things to watch for throughout the preseason for the Knicks.

Sep 26, 2016; White Plains, NY, USA; New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (left) addresses the media as point guard Derrick Rose looks on during the New York Knicks Media Day at Ritz-Carlton. Mandatory Credit: Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Knicks get their preseason underway tonight against the Houston Rockets. This will be the first time we get a real look at the new-look Knicks. Jeff Hornacek brings a new attitude to the sideline, while the roster was totally revamped.

The Knicks have only six players held over from the roster last season, two of which will be at the end of the bench. There are a lot of new faces in Knicks camp, so the preseason will mean something for these guys. There are minutes to be earned by players and roles up for the taking.

The preseason will be a time to see who takes advantage of those opportunities. The Knicks brought in a mix of veterans and young players, many of which have chips on their shoulders. Players like Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, and Brandon Jennings want to prove that there is something left in the tank after injuries have beset them in recent seasons.

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Coming off another Olympics gold medal with Team USA, Carmelo Anthony wants to prove that he can be the leader of a successful team. Even Hornacek has something to prove, as his tenure with the Phoenix Suns started well but cratered. Can he handle the pressure of New York?

It is all things that we will get a glimpse of throughout the preseason. While the wins and losses don’t mean much, preseason is an important time for teams like the Knicks. They are trying to instill a new culture on and off the court, and the preseason is the time to start setting the groundwork for it.

With so many new players, there is a lot to watch this preseason with the Knicks. Here are five things to watch for in the coming weeks leading into the regular season.

Sep 26, 2016; White Plains, NY, USA; New York Knicks point guard Derrick Rose addresses the media during the New York Knicks Media Day at Ritz-Carlton. Mandatory Credit: Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports

Derrick Rose Availability

Derrick Rose is dealing with a civil sex assault lawsuit against him. It is something that Rose believes he will be found innocent in, but it could impact his availability during the preseason.

The trial is set to begin today, the same day the Knicks open their preseason. Rose has said that he will play in the opener against the Rockets, but he could miss some practice time or games. The jury duty selection starts today, and the suit could last seven business days.

While it is important that Rose gets his named cleared off the court, on the court this could have a big impact. Rose is coming to a new team, so getting to know his teammates is imperative. He has already said that the triangle offense is difficult to pick up, so any lost practice and game time is a negative thing.

Rose has said that he is in great condition, and this is the best camp that he has ever had. The Knicks are certainly hoping so, as the time that Rose misses could negatively impact both him and the team.

Sep 26, 2016; White Plains, NY, USA; New York Knicks power forward Kristaps Porzingis addresses the media during the New York Knicks Media Day at Ritz-Carlton. Mandatory Credit: Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports

Kristaps Porzingis Development

One of the biggest surprises from last season was the play of Kristaps Porzingis. Everyone knew that he has talent; no one knew he was that far along in his development. Porzingis was selected with the thought of being a long-term project. While he has a lot of growth left until he hits his ceiling, he is much further along that anyone could have guessed.

Porzingis had a strong rookie season, finishing second in the Rookie of the Year voting. He averaged 14.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.9 blocks per game. No one could have predicted him putting up numbers like that as a rookie. But since he did, there will now be heightened expectations for his sophomore season.

For the Knicks to take that step forward, Porzingis will have to hit that next step in his development. So far during the offseason, it looks like he is going to do it. Hornacek spoke highly of the future face of the franchise, saying that his jump shot looks much improved. It is a weapon Hornacek has to be salivating about using, as Porzingis is a matchup nightmare all of the court.

Hornacek also spoke about the strength that Porzingis has added. Getting stronger was a point of emphasis this offseason for him, and Hornacek believes that it is already paying dividends. The added strength should help Porzingis bang inside, as his height already gives him an advantage; now he has the size to finish inside as well.

The Knicks are hoping that Porzingis takes another leap this season, and he looks well on his way to doing it thus far in camp.

International Flavor

The Knicks added a lot of players this offseason and a couple of them are coming from overseas. The Knicks already had Porzingis and Sasha Vujacic on the roster, but added some intriguing young talent from overseas for this season as well.

They were able to come to a contract agreement with Willy Hernangomez this season. The Knicks acquired Hernangomez on draft night in 2015 from the Philadelphia 76ers and stashed him overseas. They were able to bring him over stateside this season with a multi-year deal. He is a throwback center that can bang in the middle. He needs some development offensively, but he should help in the middle with his size and rebounding.

The other international signee was Mindaugas Kuzminskas. Kuzminskas had a strong showing with Lithuania during the 2016 Summer Olympics and comes to the Knicks as a sort of unknown. He has good size at 6-feet-8 inches and 216 pounds and can play multiple positions. He may not be in the rotation right away, but he could be someone the Knicks use in small ball lineups to help stretch the floor.

How these players adapt to the NBA game after playing overseas will be important to watch. Some international players adapt quicker than others; not everyone is Kristaps Porzingis. The preseason will give people a chance to see these new faces, as they could be an important part of the squad deeper into the season.

Sep 26, 2016; White Plains, NY, USA; New York Knicks point guard Brandon Jennings addresses the media during the New York Knicks Media Day at Ritz-Carlton. Mandatory Credit: Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports

Bench Play

Phil Jackson overhauled the Knicks roster, there is no denying that. But, there are people that are still skeptical about the Knicks second unit. On paper, the starting lineup looks strong with Derrick Rose, Courtney Lee, Carmelo Anthony, Kristaps Porzingis and Joakim Noah. If healthy that is a dangerous unit. But, there is skepticism with the bench.

Brandon Jennings will be running the second unit. He gives the Knicks a solid backup point guard as he can step into the starting lineup if Rose is injured and should be a sparkplug off the bench. Lance Thomas is a great player off the bench and fills multiple roles for the Knicks. He can play multiple positions and his hard work on improving his jump shot has earned him more minutes.

Beyond that, there are question marks. The Knicks do not have much depth on the wing, as Justin Holiday looks to be the backup shooting guard. He hasn’t been given much of a chance thus far in his career but has shown flashes when playing. Kyle O’Quinn was in and out of the rotation last season but has a chance to carve out a role as the backup power forward/center.

The Knicks like Maurice Ndour, Chasson Randle, Marshall Plumlee, and Ron Baker, but there is a chance they do not make the roster. They can play their way onto the team, but the Knicks will have 18 players in camp, and can only bring 15 into the regular season. It will be worth keeping an eye on as bench minutes are available; who will earn those minutes with their play in the preseason?

Jan 31, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Phoenix Suns head coach Jeff Hornacek yells to this team during the first half of the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Suns at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Offensive Sets

When Phil Jackson hired Jeff Hornacek, it was a surprise to many people. The common theory was that Jackson would remove the interim tag from Kurt Rambis and make him the head coach. Also, Jackson continued saying he wanted someone he has worked with previously and would use the triangle offense.

Hornacek is none of those, so it was an upset that he was given the job. But, it is one that Knicks fans should enjoy. Seeing friends of Jackson run the show got old fast, so it was nice to see him go outside his circle of trust to try and get the Knicks going. Arguably the biggest thing to watch during the preseason is the offensive sets that the Knicks run.

Hornacek is allowed to run whatever offense he wants. He has said that the goal is to improve the team’s effective field goal percentage. To do that, speeding up the pace will help. The Knicks finished last in the NBA last season in fast break points; under Hornacek expect them to finish closer to the middle of the pack.

Hornacek will have them running a faster-paced offense, as shots early in the clock sometimes are the best ones they will get. Pick-and-rolls will be more prevalent, something some players will excel in. Thinking of Derrick Rose in pick-and-rolls with Carmelo Anthony or Kristaps Porzingis will be nice to see; really Porzingis in any pick-and-roll situation should be fun.

Hornacek has said that he will use some of the concepts from the triangle offense still; it is not going away altogether. How much though will remain to be seen. Finding a good balance between the two schemes will take a little while, so expect some tinkering during the preseason from Hornacek.

The Knicks have six preseason games to iron things out. While it will probably take longer to truly grasp everything, the preseason will give a good glimpse. There are a lot of things to watch for as the Knicks get their preseason underway tonight.

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