Damien Inglis joined the Westchester Knicks as an affiliate player for the 2016-17 season. How did Inglis look in his first full season in Westchester?
After getting drafted with the No. 31 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, Damien Inglis spent two seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks. After missing the 2014-15 season due to a foot injury, he saw limited action the following season. Inglis averaged 7.8 minutes per game in 20 games and spent time in the NBA G League as well.
Along with spending three games with the Canton Charge, the French Guiana native played in 13 games for the Westchester Knicks.
On Jun. 29, 2016, Inglis was waived by Milwaukee. On Oct. 11, 2016, he was signed by the New York Knicks. On Oct. 21, the 6-foot-8 forward was waived by New York then acquired by the Westchester Knicks as an affiliate player 10 days later.
Inglis spoke about his return to the Dub Knicks and what was the main thing that brought him back to Westchester.
“I just love the culture,” Damien Inglis said in November of 2016. “That’s whats best about here. I feel like they have the best D-League set-up so far, so I can work. I’m working on my game everyday with coaches, with every coaches. And that was the biggest reason for me, so I’ll be able to work here so that’s why I came back here. And my trainer, my personal trainer, lives in the city too. Whenever I want to get shots up and work on my game, I just call him and we work together. I think that was the main thing that brought me back here.”
Westchester was impressed with Damien Inglis after getting a glimpse of his skills during his short stint during the 2015-16 season. He entered the 2016-17 season as a 21-year-old forward who was a good passer, could score in the post, and had potential.
Throughout the season, Inglis displayed his passing ability. In the Knicks’ game against the Canton Charge, the 6-foot-8 forward pushed it in transition and dished a nifty bounce pass through two defenders to Courtney Fells who finished for the easy basket.
In Westchester’s meeting against the Long Island Nets, Damien Inglis threw an Eli Manning-esque pass to Jaylen Bond who slammed it down for two of his 18 points.
Before the season started, Westchester Knicks head coach Mike Miller praised Inglis’ overall game and believed he would have a huge role for the Dub Knicks during the 2016-17 season.
“Damien , we expect to be a numbers guy for us; to put up points, rebounds, and be efficient,” Miller said. “We think he can do that. We need that.”
Damien Inglis had an immediate impact on the team as soon as the season tipped off in Delaware. Inglis played a huge role in the Knicks success early in the season. He was scoring, grabbing rebounds, and dishing the ball. During the first homestead of the season, Inglis notched three straight double-doubles.
During the team’s matinée game against the Santa Cruz Warriors, Damien Inglis recorded one of the top plays of the season. Off a pass from Jordon Crawford, Inglis drove through the lane and got the lay-up to fall. That turned out to be the go-ahead basket for the Dub Knicks, as the team picked up a 99-98 victory over the Warriors.
After having a stretch like he had, Damien Inglis had another stretch of dominant games. His shooting wasn’t there in those games, but he was getting to the line and was making plays for the team. Inglis played a huge role for the team throughout the first quarter of the season.
One of Damien Inglis’ top games came in the beginning of 2017. Inglis was able to have an impact on both ends of the floor. The 6-foot-8 forward was able to use his 7’3″ wingspan and was able to block shots on the perimeter and even denied Will Bynum at the rim.
He finished with 16 points, nine rebounds, six assists, and four blocks in 32 minutes. The four blocks was an NBA G League career-high for the French Guiana native.
In the biggest event of the NBA G League season, the Showcase, Damien Inglis came out in Game 1 and impressed the executives in attendance. Just like the stretch he had at the beginning of the season, Inglis was able to rebound the ball well. With the scorers the team had, Inglis didn’t have to take many shots, but he was efficient with the shots he did take.
In January, Inglis recorded a season-high 28 points on 12-of-20 shooting from the field against the Grand Rapids Drive.
In 39 games, Inglis averaged 12.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.4 assists on 45.4 shooting from the field in 29.7 minutes per game. With a minimum of 20 games played, he was second on the team in rebounds and assists per game. Inglis recorded seven double-doubles during the season.
Damien Inglis participated in the Toronto Raptors and Utah Jazz free agent mini-camp in June of 2017.
Must Read: Damien Inglis: A Journey From France To New York
Throughout the season, Damien Inglis displayed his passing ability as a forward and can rebound a good rate as well. When the 2017-18 season tips off, Inglis will be 22-years-old. He is still relatively young and still has the opportunity to grow as a player.