New York Knicks: Who stepped up in 2018 Summer League opener?

Troy Williams

With Kristaps Porzingis sidelined by a knee injury and Kevin Knox an unproven commodity, the New York Knicks are relatively thin at forward. Knox and Mario Hezonja could thrive in 2018-19, and Lance Thomas continues to be of value, but nothing is truly set in stone.

As players fight for a consistent role in David Fizdale’s rotation, few made as profound a statement during the Summer League opener as Troy Williams.

Williams had no trouble finding the bottom of the basket, scoring 17 points in just 16 minutes for the Knicks. He shot 7-of-12 from the field, and while his 1-of-3 mark from distance and 2-of-4 shooting from the free throw line hurt the efficiency claim, he did his damage in a hurry.

Williams was a force on the drive and a pest on defense, playing with the type of energy and reckless abandon that New York needed.

Defensively, Williams was diving for loose balls and playing his matchups physically. Offensively, he produced a borderline dominant scoring performance while adding two rebounds and one assist, as well as a block, in his 16 minutes of action.

With a game-high +/- of +16, Williams proved that he can put up points in a hurry, defend at a high level, and make the players around him better.

Must Read: The full list of Summer League players who are already under contract

There’s still work to be done, but the New York Knicks are off to an excellent start to Summer League.