Knicks fail first test to implement Mike Brown’s vision in sloppy Summer League loss

[ad_1]

LAS VEGAS — Mike Brown didn’t reveal a lot in his introductory information convention, however he notably talked about his want for a speedy offense.

And he additionally relayed that to the teaching workers.

“We’ve communicated foundationally on what we wish to do on either side of the ball. An enormous a part of it — and he talked about it with you guys in his presser — is simply taking part in quick,” Jordan Brink, the Knicks summer season league coach, stated.

As Brink famous, Friday night time’s 104-86 loss to the Pistons shortly grew to become a foul instance of Brown’s imaginative and prescient.

They began poorly — failing to maintain the ball — and by no means recovered.

With Brown and the entrance workplace sitting courtside in Vegas, Tyler Kolek, the second-year level guard, struggled with 10 factors and 5 turnovers.

The shaky efficiency, permeating via New York’s roster, could be simply tossed away as only a meaninglessly sloppy opener.

However it additionally wasn’t fairly.

Tyler Kolek drives to the basket throughout the Knicks 104-86 loss to the Pistons of their Summer season League opener. NBAE by way of Getty Photographs

“I believed it took us some time to get adjusted to the sport,” Brink, an assistant beneath Tom Thibodeau final season, stated. “And we performed quick and performed with tempo all week in follow. After which the primary 5 minutes at present, we didn’t actually have that. In order that was the most important factor from an offensive standpoint of how we wished to play. I don’t assume we did an excellent job of executing that.”

Success in summer season league carries no big-picture significance, particularly since zero gamers on New York’s roster undertaking as main contributors to the rotation.

Nonetheless, at the least three gamers — Kolek, Ariel Hukporti and Pacôme Dadiet — are assured roster spots.

Pacôme Dadiet drives to the basket throughout the Knicks’ Summer season League loss to the Pistons. NBAE by way of Getty Photographs

One other roster spot and three two-way contracts are additionally up for grabs.

And so they all struggled Friday. The Knicks shot a mixed 40 % from the sphere and 22 % (6-for-27) on treys.

It’s robust to play quick whereas committing 16 turnovers in 40-minutes.

Karl-Anthony Cities shares amusing with Mike Brown throughout the Knicks’ Summer season League loss to the Pistons. NBAE by way of Getty Photographs

“(Taking part in quick) doesn’t simply imply up and down. It doesn’t simply imply we received to get out in transition,” Brink stated. “The quick half is all of our stuff in our actions. So we get the ball up the ground fast, and if we don’t have something, we’re on to the following motion shortly. So quick is de facto simply decision-making.”

The excellent news is there are 4 extra video games in Vegas to provide a greater model of Brown’s ideally suited offense.

Kolek is trying ahead to a different likelihood to show Brown’s philosophies.

“He hasn’t addressed the entire group. He simply received right here final week,” Kolek stated. “However from what the coaches have been emphasizing in summer season league, and I’m positive what he’s relayed to them, it’s simply play quicker, get the ball out, we wish to dash up the ground, transfer the ball.”