Nothing the Knicks received in the trade for Kristaps Porzingis and Co., was more valuable than the cap space that will be created this summer to allow the team an opportunity to sign two max free agents.
But an incredibly athletic 21-year-old lottery pick in his second season could end up being a pretty nice haul, too.
In his eighth game since joining the Knicks, Dennis Smith Jr. played one of the most efficient games of his young career, finishing with 19 points, 13 assists, six rebounds, two steals and no turnovers in the 130-118 win over the Spurs on Sunday night at Madison Square Garden.
In Friday’s loss to the Timberwolves, Smith had been benched the entire fourth quarter in favor of impending free agent Emmanuel Mudiay.
“Me and coach [David Fizdale] had a really long meeting prior to [Saturday’s] practice, just hashing out the things he needs me to do,” Smith said. “He told me if I come in and execute those things we’d get a win.”
Smith routinely got open looks for Damyean Dotson on the perimeter, and was brilliant in the pick-and-roll, and hooking up with Mitchell Robinson (15 points, 14 rebounds, five blocks) for numerous alley-oops, including a Garden-rocking finish thrown off the backboard in the game’s final minute.
“He’s such a threat to finish it off of a lob,” Smith said. “He makes it a really tough situation for the defense.”
Knicks center DeAndre Jordan missed the meeting with the Spurs after rolling his ankle during Saturday’s practice. Fizdale said there is currently no timetable for Jordan’s return. Noah Vonleh started in place of Jordan, but only played 18 minutes, while Robinson received 30 minutes off the bench.
“The initial thought was like, ‘Oh goodness,’ but I don’t think it’s gonna be as long as some of the other ones we’ve seen,” Fizdale said of Jordan. “Hopefully we can get him back quickly.”
Frank Ntilikina missed his 12th straight game, but Fizdale said the second-year guard is beginning to do more activity.
“He’s starting to run a little bit. He’s definitely starting to stride out and do some different things from a mobility standpoint,” Fizdale said. “I try not to get caught up in anticipating when they’re gonna come back.”
The Knicks were scheduled to host Latvian Heritage Night, but cancelled the event following the trade of Porzingis.
About 30 Latvian fans showed up to the Garden anyway to support San Antonio’s Davis Bertans. The Latvian fans had been offered refunds, according to a source.