New York Knicks: Who Stepped Up Against The Charlotte Hornets?
Willy Hernangomez
Once again, New York Knicks head coach Jeff Hornacek trusted Willy Hernangomez during the fourth quarter. The gamble paid off, as Hernangomez stepped up with a powerful offensive performance to help close out the fourth quarter in an intriguing manner.
Hernangomez committed a devastating foul on Kemba Walker near the end of regulation, but that was a rookie mistake that doesn’t outweigh the strength of his performance.
Hernangomez finished with six points, nine rebounds, two offensive boards, two assists, and a block in 20 minutes of court time. He shot 3-of-5 from the field and posted a +/- of +16 during a two-point win—a telling statistic.
Four of Hernangomez’s six points were scored during the final three minutes of regulation, which is an even stronger tell of his value on Friday.
Hernangomez was granted the opportunity to back up Joakim Noah and he ended up closing out the fourth quarter. The 22-year-old rookie has consistently impressed between Liga ACB, the Olympics, and the 2016-17 preseason and regular season.
It seems like it’s only a matter of time before Hernangomez and Kristaps Porzingis are doing for the Knicks what they did for Baloncesto Sevilla: starting alongside one another.