New York Knicks player, Luca Vildoza, is expected to land this coming Friday in New York City, media sources report SNY.com.
The 25-year-old Argentine guard must pass a mandatory six-day quarantine period before joining the team’s training sessions. As Tom Thibodeau has already reported, his presence for the playoffs is practically ruled out, and he is expected to play the next edition of Las Vegas. Summer League to get fired up in the NBA.
Vildoza arrives from Baskonia of the ACB League where he has averaged 10.1 points with 45% from field goals in 25.2 minutes on the pitch.
As Adrian Wojnarowski announced, he sealed a partially guaranteed deal with the Knicks for four years and a total of $ 13.6 million.
Ntilikina, in the bedroom
Frank Ntilikina’s role was being pretty residual at the Knicks; However, with Elfrid Payton’s game downturn in the last month of competition, the French guard could enjoy more opportunities in the playoffs.
“Look, I’ve said this all the time. The depth of our team is one of our strengths ”, said Thibodeau to the NY Post. “There are things that Elfrid provides us that are a great asset to us. Its size, its defense… These are important factors. And then you look at the rest of the team. How does it work? As is the case with most young people, there will be ups and downs. You don’t have to pitch well to play well. Just get out there and give us everything you can, ”he explained.
In the last seven meetings Payton has averaged 2.7 points and a meager 24.2% shooting from the field in 14.6 minutes. Despite his delicate situation, it seems that Thibs is not going to change his plans for the first game against the Atlanta Hawks, and will start again as a starter.
For his part, Derrick Rose will be his false substitute, and the aforementioned Ntilikina could assume a defensive role in search of a stopper for Trae Young, the rival’s main offensive reference.
“Frank has played that defensive stopper role,” he said. “Add great value to our team. What you don’t see is that both he and Kevin Knox and the other guys who aren’t in the rotation work really hard in practice. They are contributing a lot to our team and whatever their strengths, we will try to take advantage of them ”, concluded the coach.
Frank Ntilikina has played 33 official matches (4 as a starter) with an average of 2.7 points in 9.8 minutes per night.
The schedule of the first round
The Knicks made public through their social networks the schedule of the first four games of the first round. They will open the playoffs next Sunday, May 23 from 01:00 in the morning from Madison Square Garden.
- Game 1 – 01:00 am 23 May
- Game 2 – 01:30 am 26 May
- Game 3 – 01:00 hours May 28
- Game 4 – 7:00 p.m. May 30
- Game 5 – pending assignment June 2 *
- Game 6 – pending assignment June 4 *
- Game 7 – pending assignment June 6 *
* If necessary
(Cover photo: Di Yin / Getty Images)
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