Westchester Knicks: 2016-17 Season Review

On April 1, 2017, the Westchester Knicks completed their third season in the NBA D-League. The Knicks finished the season in third place in the Atlantic Division with a 19-31 record.

Over the course of the season, 26 players suited up for Westchester, which included five players who were assigned by the New York Knicks: Ron Baker, Maurice Ndour, Marshall Plumlee, Chasson Randle, and Rashad Vaughn.

The Knicks kicked off their third season in the NBA D-League in a huge way. Just like the 2015-16 season, the Knicks started off the season on a winning streak. After losing their season opener to the Delaware 87ers, Westchester started to pick up wins.

In their home-and-home against the Greensboro Swarm, the Knicks picked up two wins over the Swarm. That was the beginning of their winning streak, as they picked up four more wins to start the 2016-17 campaign with a 6-1 record.

In the process of their 6-game winning streak, the Knicks had one of their most competitive games of the season against the Santa Cruz Warriors. Not only did Westchester set a new attendance record of 3,341 fans, but the team had the fans at the Westchester County Center on the edge of their seat. Throughout the game, the Knicks and Warriors were battling back-and-forth. The game came down to the final 40 seconds of the game.

Damien Inglis sunk a game-winning shot, which gave the Dub Knicks a one-point lead. The Warriors had an opportunity to steal a win, but Keith Wright wasn’t going to let it happen. With Phil Pressey driving to the basket, Wright swatted away the block of the season, which gave the Knicks a 99-98 win.

After starting the season 6-1 for the second time, the Westchester Knicks welcomed the Delaware 87ers into town. In their previous meeting, the 87ers picked up a double-digit victory over the Dub Knicks. Their second meeting was a little different. In their first primetime game of the season, which was shown on ESPNU, both teams fought until the final 30 seconds of the game.

Off a miss from Dionte Christmas, the ball kicked back to Cat Barber who drained a 3-pointer to give the Sevens the lead. On the next possession, the Knicks took back the lead off a pull-up jumper by Kevin Capers. The action continued as Barber knocked down a fall-away baseline jumper.

With less than five seconds left and down by three points, Chasson Randle was fouled by Mike Scott, who fouled out of the game in the process, while attempting a 3-pointer. Randle drained the first two free throws, but unfortunately missed the last one.

Despite coming up short, the Dub Knicks lost their second game of the season. For those who watched the game on ESPNU, they had an opportunity to watch a great game between two divisional teams.

Following their loss to Delaware, Westchester hit the road for a four-game west coast trip. After losing their first two games on the road to Oklahoma City Blue and Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the Knicks picked up two huge wins on the back of Chasson Randle.

In their game against the Texas Legends, Randle exploded from beyond the arc as he nailed 9-of-11 shots from 3-point land. By dropping 38 points against the Legends, the Knicks snapped their 3-game losing streak and had their highest offensive outing of the season (132 points). Along with that, the Stanford product nearly tied Doron Lamb’s record for most points in a game in Westchester Knicks history.

In their following game, Randle continued his strong production and finished with 36 points in a 120-106 victory over the Austin Spurs. The 6-foot-1 guard played a huge role in the Knicks turnaround during their road trip. In their game against the Spurs, the Knicks got huge production from their backcourt.

Along with Randle’s superb performance, Jordon Crawford had a career outing. Crawford recorded 32 points on 13-of-18 shooting from the field.

Along with Randle’s 38 and 36-point performances against Texas and Austin, Von Wafer came close to tying the franchise-record for most points in a game. When Wafer was acquired by the Delaware 87ers via trade, he became an offensive weapon off the bench for the Knicks.

In his third game against the Los Angeles D-Fenders (now South Bay Lakers), Wafer put on a solid shooting performance as he totaled 24 points on 10-of-15 shooting from the field.

As the season went on, Wafer became a huge contributor off the bench. In the course of four games, the Florida State product posted four 20-plus point games and shot 50.0 percent from beyond the arc (15-of-30) during that stretch.

In late February, Wafer had the best shooting outing in his NBA D-League career. In a game against the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, he recorded 35 points (career-high) on 13-of-20 from the field and 7-of-11 from deep (matched career-high). His offensive performance was huge for the Dub Knicks, as the team dropped six of their previous seven games prior to their Feb. 22, 2017 meeting against the Mad Ants.

After finishing their 4-game road trip in December of 2016, the Knicks returned home for a game before heading to Canada for their first meeting against the Raptors 905. Westchester held their own against one of the top defensive teams. In the process, the Knicks held their opponent to 14 points in the first quarter.

With four seconds left on the clock, Doron Lamb inbounded it to Damien Inglis who drove baseline for a lay-up, but missed. Keith Wright made a huge play with a tip-in at the buzzer to give the Dub Knicks their ninth win of the season.

On the court, Keith Wright made two of the top-10 plays of the season against Santa Cruz and the Raptors 905. Off the court, Wright was honored with the Jason Collier Sportsmanship Award, which is given to the player who represents the character of a player both on and off the court.

In late December, the Westchester Knicks meet the new local NBA D-League organization, the Long Island Nets, in their first “Battle of the ‘Burbs” meeting. With two New York affiliates in the NBA D-League, it was interesting to see if Westchester and Long Island could build a rivalry.

The two teams battled hard throughout the first quarter. At one point, the Knicks had a 15-point lead over their in-state rival. Even though Westchester had a six-point over Long Island after one-quarter of play, the Nets bounced back with a huge 2nd quarter where they totaled 44 points on 88.2 percent (15-of-17 FG) shooting from the field. That turned out to be crucial for the Nets, as they won the first “Battle of the ‘Burbs” match-up.

The two teams met three more times during the 2016-17 season. The Nets won the season series 3-1, but John Jenkins entered the Westchester Knicks record book in their second meeting.

In March of 2017, nearly two years after Doron Lamb recorded a franchise-record 40 points over the Iowa Energy, Jenkins recorded 40 points on 15-of-30 from the field, 2-of-4 from 3-point range, and 8-of-9 from the line.

With the team facing injuries leading up to their Mar. 14, 2017 meeting, the team had eight players suit up, including Maurice Ndour on assignment from New York, in their final game of their 5-game road trip. With that, the Westchester Knicks needed someone to handle the load on the offensive end. The Vanderbilt product stepped up in a big way early on. Jenkins recorded 21 of his 40 points in the first half.

2017 started off with fantastic news for one of the Westchester Knicks. On Jan. 10, 2017, Chasson Randle became the fourth player (fifth overall call-up) in Westchester Knicks history to receive a call-up. On that day, Randle received a 10-day contract from the Philadelphia 76ers. He made his debut four days later and recorded three points and one steal in six minutes off the bench.

During his tenure in Philadelphia, Randle shown glimpses of his shooting ability. In 16 minutes off the bench, he recorded 10 points on 3-of-6 shooting from the field in 16 minutes of action.

Despite signing a three-year deal with the 76ers, his tenure in Philadelphia ended when the Sixers needed to clear a roster spot in order to make a trade with the Dallas Mavericks. The Stanford product didn’t wait long to receive another opportunity, as he signed with the New York Knicks four days after being waived by Philadelphia.

Chasson Randle’s journey to the NBA had come full circle. It was expected Randle would have made the Knicks’ 15-man roster, if he didn’t suffer a left orbital fracture. Randle worked his tail off in the NBA D-League and became the 2nd Westchester Knick to earn Performer of the Week.

In early March, Randle helped lead a strong 2nd quarter, along with a ferocious 28-point 4th quarter by the team.

In February of 2017, the Westchester Knicks traded fan-favorite Jordon Crawford. The trade came as a shock to many. Crawford was not only looked at as a spark plug off the bench, but he was the heart of the team.

During his year and half Crawford was with the Westchester Knicks, he witnessed the organization grow immensely. The Knicks came off a 10-40 in year one and rebounded in a strong way in year two. Westchester finished with a 28-22 record and made their first-ever playoff appearance in franchise history.

While Crawford was known for his play off the bench, he showed some solid outings when he stepped into the starting line-up when Jimmer Fredette received a call-up in February of 2016.

The Bowling Green product saw an increase in his scoring and saw more 3-point opportunities. During his six games as a starter, Crawford averaged 15.8 points, 3.2 assists, and 1.8 steals on 42.1 percent from deep in 30.5 minutes per game.

Before Crawford departed Westchester, NY for Canton, OH, he thanked the Westchester fans for embracing him on his journey.

In the trade, the Knicks sent out a 2017 third round pick via the Sioux Falls Skyforce (acquired from the Texas Legends in a trade for Gary Neal). The Knicks received the Charge’s second round pick in the 2017 NBA G League Draft.

Crawford played a combined 78 games during his tenure with the Westchester Knicks. He averaged 8.5 points and 2.4 assists in 19.8 minutes per game during his first season in Westchester. In his second season, he averaged 11.0 points and 2.8 assists in 23.5 minutes per game.

Over the course of the season, the Westchester Knicks had great moments on the court; both basketball wise and creating moments. Through the Garden of Dreams, Faith and Family Night and Women Empowerment Night, many players and others expressed their thoughts on the events.

The night started with Nicholas Alholm, who signed a one-day contract with the team, from the Garden of Dreams getting introduced at the Westchester County Center.

The Westchester County Center had a great halftime performance. First, Westchester Knicks general manager Allan Houston talked about importance of the Garden of Dreams. Along with Houston, honorary  general manager Tyler Mejorado talked about his day with the Westchester Knicks.

Along with the interview, the Westchester County Crowd were treated to some great music by Matthew. He performed music by Justin Bieber and some original music.

Throughout the night, several special children had many great experiences.

“The Garden of Dreams has done an amazing job of using Madison Square Garden, and all of its resources, to help families and youth,” Allan Houston said. (h/t Garden of Dreams Twitter)

Before the Knicks took on the Northern Arizona Suns, several players expressed what faith and family meant to them. Before the start of the game, Team Chaplain Rich Mahler addressed the Westchester County Center.

During a timeout in the game, the Faith and Family social contest winner attempted a free throw with the assistance of Westchester general manager Allan Houston.

For Women Empowerment Night, several Westchester Knicks gave appreciation to the women that have inspired them.

Throughout the 2016-17 season, the New York Knicks utilized their D-League affiliate by sending their own players to Westchester for development and playing time. Over the course of the season, five players spent time in Westchester on assignment. Those players consisted of Ron Baker, Maurice Ndour, Marshall Plumlee and Chasson Randle.

Like the 2015-16 season, the Milwaukee Bucks sent one of their players to Westchester via the flexible assignment rule.

Early on in the season, Rashad Vaughn spent three games with the Knicks and was able to see some playing time with the team. During the first homestead of the season, Vaughn was able to showcase his shooting skills and totaled 14 points (all in the 3rd quarter) on 5-of-10 shooting from the field against the Santa Cruz Warriors.

For most of the season, two players made several trips to Westchester in a pack. When Ndour and Plumlee were assigned to Westchester, they were able to help both clubs in multiple forms.

For a Dub Knicks squad that lacked size and rebounding (Westchester finished 21st in the NBA D-League in rebounds per game with 41.4), both Ndour and Plumlee helped fill a void when they were with the team.

On the assignment perspective, both players had an opportunity to develop and receive playing time they wouldn’t have received from playing with the big club. Playing time is a huge opportunity for young players, as it gives them a chance to stay ready when called upon. Just before the Knicks matinée game against the Atlanta Hawks on Nov. 20, 2016, New York needed another big with Joakim Noah out due to an illness.

Marshall Plumlee detailed his hectic trip to Madison Square Garden that day. (h/t Jonah Ballow of NYKnicks.com)

“It was crazy,” Plumlee reflected. “I feel like I could write a book about it. Just imagine being woken up, saying like, ‘Hey, we need you to guard Dwight Howard.’”

The Duke product hopped in a cab at Grand Central. After realizing it would take longer getting to the arena by cab due to traffic, the Knicks center ran to Madison Square Garden.

“The way it worked out from my GPS it said the train was faster. I caught the express, I live right next to the train station. Then I caught a cab. I was booking it,” Plumlee said. “Sprinting through the city, I got here, they said, ‘Hey, do you need a warmup? I said, ‘No, I’m already warm. I ran here.'”

During his 15 games with the Westchester Knicks, Plumlee averaged 12.3 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks on 56.2 percent shooting from the field in 30.7 minutes per game.

For Ndour, he greatly benefited from multiple stints with the Westchester Knicks. He saw quality action (28.1 minutes per game) and had the opportunity to showcase what he could do on both ends of the floor.

The Knicks forward spent most of the first week of 2017 in Westchester. Ndour started off the year by nearly posting his first double-double (26 points and nine rebounds) with the Dub Knicks and made an impact on the defensive end as well. He tied his career-high with four blocks.

During his stint in January, Ndour said his confidences goes up when he’s assigned to Westchester.

“Every time I come here I get more and more confident, especially after a bad game last night. Couldn’t get anything going. I can’t get mad over that,” Maurice Ndour said in January. “You just got to play the next one. You lose one game. The next one you bounce back and it’s very important to bounce back.”

Later on in the season, Maurice Ndour played five games in consecutive nights (three with the New York Knicks and two with the Westchester Knicks). During his 18 games with the Westchester Knicks, Ndour averaged 14.7 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks on 46.9 percent shooting from the field in 28.1 minutes per game.

Ron Baker saw some action with the Westchester Knicks during the 2016-17 season. During his time with the team, Baker saw opportunities to run the team’s offense. In three of his four games with the team, he dished out seven assists and almost recorded a triple-double against the Raptors 905. By running the team’s offense in Westchester, the Knicks hoped he could replicate that production with the big club.

During his four games in Westchester, Baker averaged 12.5 points, 7.0 assists, and 5.2 assists in on 42.5 percent shooting from the field in 36.1 minutes per game.

After signing with the New York Knicks on Feb. 27, 2017, Chasson Randle spent one game in Westchester on assignment towards the end of the 2016-17 NBA D-League season. In their final meeting against the Canton Charge, the Knicks were able to get strong production from their trio of assignment players.

In his last game with Westchester, Randle finished with 23 points, 10 assists, and five rebounds on 5-of-6 from beyond the arc.

Must Read: 8 Westchester Knicks Alumni To Compete In The Basketball Tournament

Despite not making the playoffs, the Westchester Knicks had a year to remember.

Westchester saw its fourth player (Chasson Randle) receive a call-up. Or in his case, multiple call-ups. John Jenkins entered the team’s franchise record book by recording 40 points against the Long Island Nets and tied Doron Lamb’s two-year record in the process.

Westchester saw fan-favorite Jordon Crawford get traded to the Canton Charge after spending a year and half with the Dub Knicks. Keith Wright posted two of the top-10 plays of the year against the Santa Cruz Warriors and Raptors 905.

The New York Knicks utilized the proximity of their NBA D-League affiliate and often sent their own players to Westchester. Four Knicks spent a combined 38 games on assignment during the 2016-17 season. The assignment of players turned out to be beneficial for the Knicks in many way.

Despite finishing the season with a 19-31 record, there were many positive takeaways from the Westchester Knicks during the 2016-17 season.