Quincy Acy has started the past three contests, but Fisher indicated Saturday that 7-footer Jason Smith also is pushing for a starting spot after scoring 14 points last Tuesday against Philadelphia in Syracuse.
“Anytime you have a big guy who can shoot mid-range, or really help and space the defense out, it’s gonna be great, especially with this offense. It’s just gonna help our team that much more,” said Smith, a free-agent signee who played the past four seasons for New Orleans. “It doesn’t matter who's starting out there, if it’s Q or if it’s Andrea or if it’s Amar’e (Stoudemire) or if it’s me, all of us are capable of going out there and playing good minutes.
“And then on the back end of that, coming off the bench, we’re still capable of putting in good minutes. We just want to make sure we go out there and play hard and play within the offense and play smart.”
READY TO WEAR?
Rookie Travis Wear is not among the 15 Knicks with a guaranteed contract, and the 6-10 forward could be ticketed for D-League Westchester despite earning more minutes thus far than veteran Travis Outlaw, who is entering the final year of a four-year, $12 million deal. Outlaw has been limited the past few days by a strained Achilles tendon.
“We have a lot of veteran guys that are already on our roster and it might be tough for him to break through that, but he has definitely proven in a short segment that he has some potential, so we’re excited about it,” Fisher said.
“If I got waived, I’d go with the D-League team, but then again if you get waived, you’re a free agent again,” Wear said. “I don’t know what their idea is. There (are) 15 roster spots that are guaranteed at this point. I just don’t worry about that. I just try to go out and do the best I can.”
Wear's twin brother David — his teammate at North Carolina and again when both transferred to UCLA — was waived over the weekend by Sacramento.
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Damn no need to wish death on the dude... LOL
I agree 100%. Outlaw needs to go. He used to be a serviceable player but not anymore.
Bargs would easily be 5th on my big men depth chart (counting Melo as a 3) and i would be happy if he only plays if one of the top 4 gets hurt.
Well, we have M-W-F preseason games this week and, if I read Fisher correctly the other day, tonight is the last night of "experimenting" - starting with Wednesday's game we will see what he thinks is the rotation for now.
He can ply the strong side of the triangle where he gets ball in post and can hit either of the cutters or face up and hit the mid range or hit the cutter flashing in the paint or when it eventually gets to run the pick and pop with a guard...
he play on the weakside where it is just him and the G playing a two man game with either a pass to post and cut from the guard or a pick and roll or pop with the guard...
he is pretty versatile player mroe so than i thought...not a bad fit for the starting unit...
I like Calderon Shump Melo Smith and Dalembert for now as the starters and see how they mesh together..Shump can help with the perimiter defense and help Calderon who is not the best defender and SMith and Dalembert can both help Melo and help Melo rebound something the Knicks need...
the question is going to be the bench...does Fish go with Stat and Bargs or does Acy or Aldrich get playing time instead...
Does he keep going with larkin as the back up to add speed and youth to the second unit or does he go with the veteran Prigs....Smith and Hardaway are the locks off the bench...
He can ply the strong side of the triangle where he gets ball in post and can hit either of the cutters or face up and hit the mid range or hit the cutter flashing in the paint or when it eventually gets to run the pick and pop with a guard...
he play on the weakside where it is just him and the G playing a two man game with either a pass to post and cut from the guard or a pick and roll or pop with the guard...
he is pretty versatile player mroe so than i thought...not a bad fit for the starting unit...
I like Calderon Shump Melo Smith and Dalembert for now as the starters and see how they mesh together..Shump can help with the perimiter defense and help Calderon who is not the best defender and SMith and Dalembert can both help Melo and help Melo rebound something the Knicks need...
the question is going to be the bench...does Fish go with Stat and Bargs or does Acy or Aldrich get playing time instead...
Does he keep going with larkin as the back up to add speed and youth to the second unit or does he go with the veteran Prigs....Smith and Hardaway are the locks off the bench...
I have a feeling Bargnani is going to play. I know almost everyone hates him but the ability to shoot is key for a big man in the Triangle. He's also a pretty good passer. I don't know how MUCH he is going to play but I think he'll be in the rotation.
The odd man out might be Amar'e, strangely enough. He has no concept of passing and we all know he's a horrible help defender. On offense he's the ultimate ball stopper.
I hope he plays Larkin because from what I have seen of Prigioni I think he might have lost a step. He just looks really slow to me.
My worry with smith is that he can't stay healthy. I think he could be a big part of this.