With the 2016-17 NBA D-League season in the books, Daily Knicks takes a look back at the top moments of the Westchester Knicks’ season.
Coming off a season where the Westchester Knicks finished with a 28-22 record and made the 2016 playoffs, the Knicks had high hopes for 2016-17 season. Westchester had six returning players (Damien Inglis, Robert Vaden, Devondrick Walker, Keith Wright, Kevin Capers, and Jordon Crawford) on their opening day roster, along with Chasson Randle, who was expected to make the New York Knicks’ roster.
A combined 26 players suited up for Westchester, which includes the six returning players and five assignment players.
Along with that, head coach Mike Miller returned to the team. With a roster of that nature, the Dub Knicks were hoping to match the success they had from the previous season.
After losing the season opener to the Delaware 87ers, the Knicks went on a 6-game winning streak. Just like the 2015-16 season, Westchester started off the season with a 6-1 record. Not only were the Knicks looking to make the playoffs, but the team was looking to win their first playoff series. Despite not making the playoffs, the 6-game winning streak was huge for the team.
Several players were assigned to Westchester. Throughout the season, Maurice Ndour and Marshall Plumlee suited up for the Dub Knicks. Ron Baker also saw some action in a Westchester uniform. After signing with the New York Knicks in February, Chasson Randle was assigned to Westchester for one game in late March. Rashad Vaughn, a guard on the Milwaukee Bucks, spent a brief time with the Westchester Knicks through the flexible assignment rule.
Westchester hosted another school day, which saw them set a new attendance record. Along with that, the Knicks gave them a show and defeated the Santa Cruz Warriors. Like their game against Santa Cruz, the Knicks had several close games where it came down to the final minute. Westchester had a hard-fought battle against the Delaware 87ers on ESPNU. In a divisional match-up in Mississauga, Ontario, Keith Wright lifted the team over the Raptors 905 with a tip-in at the buzzer.
Randle had a pair of highly productive games on the road. Randle nearly broke the franchise record for most points in a game by scoring 38 points on 12-of-19 from the field and 9-of-11 from 3-point range against the Texas Legends. In the next game, the Stanford product had a stellar performance against the Austin Spurs. Randle totaled 36 points on 13-of-24 from the field and 7-of-9 from beyond the arc.
In the second half of the season, Von Wafer was inches away from the 40 point mark. In their battle against the Long Island Nets, John Jenkins tied Doron Lamb’s 40 point record, which came nearly two years after Lamb set the franchise record.
The Westchester Knicks had many great moments during the 2016-17 season. What moments stood out?