New York Knicks: Top 5 Breakout Preseason Performers

Willy Hernangomez

The New York Knicks have a number of intriguing young big men on the roster, but none were more impressive than Willy Hernangomez. In the games he produced, as well as those he didn’t, Hernangomez consistently turned heads.

Knicks point guard Brandon Jennings took to Twitter to publicly praise Hernangomez for his play during training camp, practice, and the preseason.

Jennings isn’t the only Knicks player who has publicly heralded Hernangomez.

Franchise player Carmelo Anthony isn’t a fan of making player comparisons, but he broke that personal rule for Hernangomez. Some might call it low hanging fruit, but Anthony did his best to find similarities between Hernangomez and other NBA players.

The player whom Anthony compared Hernangomez to was Marc Gasol—a former Defensive Player of the Year and two-time All-NBA honoree.

That’s an ambitious comparison, but it comes from one of the most experienced stars in the NBA.

Hernangomez scored 12 points in 20 minutes against the Brooklyn Nets, and had 12 points and 12 rebounds in 24 minutes against the Boston Celtics. Beyond the statistics, he showed a proficiency in passing from the post areas and ran the floor quite well.

Hernangomez still has work to do, but he’s firmly solidified himself as a player on the rise in New York.