The New York Knicks ruled out Damyean Dotson for potentially the entire preseason. Opportunities are ahead for players fighting for minutes.
Damyean Dotson underwent shoulder surgery after the 2018-19 season, as he played with an injury down the stretch. However, that operation will sideline him for at least the preseason, as the New York Knicks announced at Monday’s Media Day. He will still do non-contact drills at training camp, per the New York Post.
No Dotson, plus Reggie Bullock‘s absence due to surgery rehabilitation, has the Knicks with 13 of their 15 contractually-guaranteed players for training camp. 12 players dress per game, so the chance at even preseason playing time just became easier for anyone fighting for minutes.
With training camp officially underway Tuesday, Oct. 1, there is no telling how well anyone sits in the quest for rotation minutes. Of course, some are should-be shoe-ins for minutes like Mitchell Robinson at center and giving RJ Barrett all the minutes he can handle as a rookie, much like last season’s first-year players.
However, there are players like Frank Ntilikina and Ignas Brazdeikis that have work to do to earn time. The former balled out at the FIBA World Cup, while the latter had a 30-point performance at summer league.
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Brazdeikis may have been pushed back with Dotson around, as both handle the same part of the floor, covering ground at 6-foot-6 and 6-foot-7, respectively. The Houston product has the experience and lengthy starting run from last season on his side, but he is also not a fresh face from the 17-65 team, and the Knicks have a superior roster this time.
The G League still makes sense for New York’s second-round pick, as he can find consistent minutes in Westchester’s starting lineup. Like Robinson and Allonzo Trier, though, he can work his way up from the perception of needing developmental time and become another David Fizdale favorite. That can play into the regular season if the coaching staff takes another liberal approach.
For Ntilikina, he has a contract option ahead on Oct. 31, which the Knicks did not address at Media Day. It makes a first impression over the next four-plus weeks that much more important, and another player dropping from the preseason lineup frees minutes for the Frenchman.
Dennis Smith Jr. and Elfrid Payton stand in Ntilikina’s way if the Knicks still see him as a point guard, though, and that is an issue. Either competitor could warrant at least 20 minutes per game.
These players have the chance to stand out amid another injury. If neither plays well, Dotson might find a clear path to playing time, but even he risks losing on-court minutes if the fill-ins perform adequately.