Four burning questions before Knicks begin NBA summer league play
NBA summer league play kicked off on Thursday. The Knicks start their action against the Pistons tonight. So, here are four questions that could be answered on the court over the next two weeks, and that includes five games for the Knicks out in Vegas. Number one, who are James Naji and Muhammad Diara? Both of these two unknown draft picks are going to take the court out in Vegas, and we really don’t know what to expect. Naji is a big Nigerian bruiser and Diara is an athletic defensive specialist. Neither one of these guys has had much exposure, so they both have a chance to shine and play above expectations. Number two, did Packom Dier make the leap? He has the biggest upside among last season’s rookies because of his size and his offensive skill set. He was predictably green as a teenager in the NBA. So, another year to work on his game and his body could be transformative for the French native. Number three, how does Ariel Hookport look after surgery? He was injured in his first start back in February, but he did return to the active roster after undergoing meniscus surgery, but he didn’t get any meaningful playoff minutes. So, summer league is going to be our first real look at the big man since February. to quote Jay-Z, it’ll be a allow me to reintroduce myself type summer for the center. Last but not least, number four, who will be worthy of the final roster spot and the two-way spots? As it stands, the Knicks will have to sign one player with zero years of NBA experience to a standard contract. That’s guys like Diara, Naji, or even Kevin McCull Jr. Then they have three potential spots for two-way contracts. These are most likely going to be determined in training camp, but summer league is where you create that buzz for yourself going into camp. Now, these dudes are one step closer to either living or keeping their NBA dream alive. And it all starts tonight when they take on the Detroit Pistons at 7
Before the Knicks begin summer league play in Las Vegas on Friday night against the Pistons, Brandon London provides four questions concerning the New York’s young prospects.
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