The Knicks' selection of French G Frank Ntilikina with the No. 8 pick in Thursday's NBA Draft was "almost an anticlimactic moment after days of increasing speculation" that the franchise might trade F Kristaps Porzingis, according to Mike Vorkunov of the N.Y. TIMES. Ntilikina will join a Knicks team "rife with issues." There is the "ongoing tension with Porzingis, who blew off his end-of-season interview" with team President Phil Jackson over "apparent frustration with the team’s problems, as well as the stalemate between Jackson and Carmelo Anthony, whom Jackson would like to trade" (N.Y. TIMES, 6/23). In N.Y., Frank Isola reports the Porzingis trade talks and Jackson’s "acknowledgement that they were fielding calls was the Knicks way of retaliating" against Porzingis for skipping his exit interview. They were "essentially putting Porzingis on blast and letting him know that they are in control" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 6/23). The N.Y. Daily News’ Anthony McCarron said, “If this is all about sticking it to Porzingis over the exit meeting, that’s just passive aggressive ridiculousness to me. Phil needs to stop running the team thru his ego that way. It’s just a joke” ("Daily News Live," SNY, 6/22). SNY’s Jon Hein said the situation “reeks of the case hurting Phil’s ego." Hein: "This is no way to manage a basketball team.” ESPN’s Ian Begley said, “This doesn’t look like a welcoming place right now for NBA free agents” (“Loud Mouths,” SNY, 6/22).
LIFE IN THE BIG APPLE: Jackson in his post-Draft press conference addressed the state of the team and said, "We know what we’re doing. Although it’s not been apparent in our record the last couple of years. We’ve grown from within. We have young players that are on their move up. It takes time to rebuild with youth." But in New Jersey, Steve Popper writes the fan base is "skeptical right now." It is "not just the 80-166 record in Jackson’s tenure as Knicks’ president" or the fact that he has "stripped the team of nearly every productive asset and brought back dime on the dollar returns." The breaking point "may have come with Jackson’s escalation of his odd feud" with Porzingis. What began as "dissatisfaction and frustration from the 21-year-old budding star and an ill-advised decision to skip out on his exit interview turned into an unnecessary drama as Jackson publicly shamed the young player and openly spoke of shopping him" (Bergen RECORD, 6/23). On Long Island, Al Iannazzone writes the Knicks "must fix their relationship with Porzingis, but that wasn’t on Jackson’s mind on Thursday night" (NEWSDAY, 6/23). But in N.Y., Mike Vaccaro writes keeping Porzingis "sends a wordless message," as the Knicks "still plan on building whatever they will build around him" (N.Y. POST, 6/23). In DC, Tim Bontemps writes the Knicks were a winner at the Draft because they "didn't do anything stupid." This is "where the bar has been set for a franchise that is constantly trying to get in its own way." By not trading Porzingis, as many "thought they might, this is a win for the Knicks" (WASHINGTON POST, 6/23).
FIND YOUR UNICORN: YAHOO SPORTS' Dan Wetzel reports by unofficial count, there were "twice as many Porzingis jerseys being worn" at Barclays Center at the Draft than any other NBA player. Some said that they "wore them specifically as a show of support" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 6/23). In N.Y., Nicholas Parco reports a "large digital billboard with the words 'Don’t Trade Porzingis' loomed directly over Madison Square Garden Thursday night." The billboard read, "We are not affiliated with Porzingis. We just want him to stay." The ad is "branded with the logo of Cycle, a culture website" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 6/23).
EUROPEAN UNION: The N.Y. TIMES' Vorkunov notes the addition of Ntilikina to a roster that includes Porzingis (a native of Latvia) and F Willy Hernangomez (Spain) "could give the Knicks a European identity" (N.Y. TIMES, 6/23). The N.Y. DAILY NEWS' Isola notes Jackson "prefers European players because he feels that besides not being poisoned by the AAU culture here in the U.S., international players tend to develop in academies that stress team basketball and frown upon isolation play." Jackson is "convinced those are the type of players that are willing to learn and play in the triangle offense" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 6/23).
