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New York Knicks: Tim Hardaway Jr. praises Damyean Dotson

By Maxwell Ogden

WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 6: Damyean Dotson #21 of the New York Knicks handles the ball against Otto Porter Jr. #22 of the Washington Wizards during the preseason game on October 6, 2017 at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 6: Damyean Dotson #21 of the New York Knicks handles the ball against Otto Porter Jr. #22 of the Washington Wizards during the preseason game on October 6, 2017 at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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New York Knicks shooting guard Tim Hardaway Jr. is impressed with what he’s seen from incoming rookie Damyean Dotson on defense.

For all that he did to alienate the fan base and players, former New York Knicks team president Phil Jackson did well by reestablishing the value of the NBA Draft. In addition to refusing to trade his first-round draft picks, he put stock into his second-round selections.

Although Jackson is out as team president, one of his final additions via the draft is already turning heads in preseason and practice settings: Damyean Dotson.

Dotson was selected at No. 44 overall in the 2017 NBA Draft by a Knicks franchise that was in desperate need of improving the quality of the backcourt. It’s still early, but Dotson is already flashing the potential that the front office hopes he’ll be able to realize.

According to Ian Begley of ESPN New York, Knicks shooting guard Tim Hardaway Jr. is impressed by how committed Dotson is on the defensive end of the floor.

"“He’s going to give you his all every single possession, strong, athletic, doesn’t take anything from nobody…It’s tough scoring against him. He’s kind of an aggravating defender. He gets his hands into the passing lanes, deflects the basketballs, really gets up into you when you have the ball in your hand and forces you to do things on his terms.”"

Hardaway has spent four years in the NBA, scoring at a respectable rate during that time and accumulating enough clout to have a valued opinion on the matter.

Dotson stands at just under 6’6″ and 205 pounds with a 6’9″ wingspan and above-average athleticism. He was an outstanding rebounder in college, recording averages of 6.9 boards and 1.7 offensive rebounds per game between 2015-16 and 2016-17.

Although he didn’t necessarily excel at locking players down in college, the physical gifts are in place for Dotson to develop into a force of nature in the NBA.

As Hardaway tells it, Dotson is already developing into the type of aggravating perimeter defender whom the Knicks have been missing for the better part of four seasons.

The comparison that Dotson continues to receive on the defensive end of the floor is to former Knicks shooting guard Iman Shumpert. That’s high praise considering Shumpert emerged as a defensive stopper for the Knicks in 2011-12 and 2012-13.

If Dotson can live up to the comparison, then the Knicks will have a difficult time keeping him off the court in 2017-18.

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Only time will tell how good he can be in an actual NBA setting, but Tim Hardaway Jr. is setting high expectations for New York Knicks rookie Damyean Dotson.

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