New York Knicks: Update on New Signee Tony Wroten
Recent New York Knicks signee Tony Wroten is already training at the team facility. Find out who he’s calling his mentors as he receives a second chance at succeeding in the NBA.
The New York Knicks officially signed Tony Wroten to a contract on March 16, 2016. It was a big day for the future of Knicks basketball, as it offered a glimpse at what Phil Jackson could have planned for New York in 2016-17.
Word has been mum on Wroten’s status since his signing was made official, but the silence was broken on Tuesday, March 22.
Wroten played just eight games with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2014-15 before he was cut, which further adds to his enigmatic state. Fortunately, Knicks nation was provided with a healthy dose of information as Wroten’s name and face finally resurfaced.
The bad news: Wroten has officially been ruled out for the remainder of the 2015-16 NBA regular season.
Tony Wroten needs to build muscle strength in leg: "As it stands, there's no chance he’s going to go through live practices," Rambis says.
— Stefan Bondy (@SBondyNYDN) March 22, 2016
The good news: he’s already begun working out and training with the Knicks.
New Knicks guard Tony Wroten shooting at the team facility today: pic.twitter.com/sx98VqXEkd
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) March 22, 2016
That’s a very promising sign for a player who rushed back from knee surgery and is now taking the long road to a full recovery.
Wroten, 22, is a combo guard with a prototypical physical profile at 6’6″ and 205 pounds with a 6’9″ wingspan. He had a paralyzing first step and explosive leaping ability before tearing his ACL in January of 2015, and while that athletic edge may have been lost, New York appears dedicated to helping Wroten rediscover it.
For what it’s worth, Wroten averaged 16.9 points, 5.2 assists, and 1.6 steals before his injury in 2014-15.
In his attempt to get back to that level, Wroten is beginning to work closely with the Knicks, albeit while being kept out of practice. Interim head coach Kurt Rambis doesn’t believe the 22-year-old’s leg is ready for NBA basketball, and that may explain why he struggled so severely during his brief return to the 76ers in 2015-16.
As for whom Wroten is turning to for advice and mentorship, he singled out ex-Knicks guards Jamal Crawford and Nate Robinson—players with whom he shares the hometown of Seattle.
Knicks fans may appreciate this: two of Tony Wroten's mentors are ex-Knicks Jamal Crawford and Nate Robinson. pic.twitter.com/OroiE2ppkZ
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) March 22, 2016
If Wroten can provided an impact similar to what either of those players did—Crawford averaged 17.6 points, and Robinson checked in at 18.2 per game in their respective five seasons with the Knicks—he’d be a steal of a signing.
He’d also be something of a backcourt savior.
The Knicks have guard issues with Jose Calderon‘s age and defensive inconsistency, Arron Afflalo‘s pending free agency, and Jerian Grant‘s inexperience all serving as issues. Thus, the search for short and long-term answers has provided Wroten with an opportunity to establish himself in the long-term.
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Not much is certain about the future of the Knicks, but if Wroten can get back on the path to realizing his potential, New York will have found a gem.