New York Knicks: Grades and takeaways from comeback loss to Nets

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 25: DeAndre Jordan #6 and Kyrie Irving #11 of the Brooklyn Nets guard RJ Barrett #9 of the New York Knicks as he attempts a layup in the second half of their game at Barclays Center on October 25, 2019 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) /

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Opening night was irrelevant for Allonzo Trier

Wednesday’s season opener featured an intriguing but failed experiment: starting RJ Barrett and Allonzo Trier in the backcourt. This went for just six minutes, until poor shot selection and a lack of ball movement forced Fizdale’s hand to make a change.

That was also Trier’s only stint of the evening.

Well, Friday’s game against the Nets changed the narrative for Fizdale’s favorite; Trier played 23 minutes, scoring 22 points on 6-for-7 shooting, three rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block.

It was a night reminiscent of the young guard’s work in 2018-19, when he broke out for 20-point nights in multi-game swings. When he got hot, the Knicks were competitive, finding a consistent scorer to keep them in games. He is streaky, so these runs do not last forever, but this performance may have started the next hot stint from the Arizona product.

The point guard situation was also notable, as Trier handled lead-guard duties in the fourth quarter while Elfrid Payton, Dennis Smith Jr. and Frank Ntilikina sat. Not the prototypical point guard, the 23-year-old was effective as the secondary guy to Payton.

Trier may not receive heavy minutes every night, but this game bought him time to stick in the rotation for the long term, especially as three players received a “DNP-CD” next to their name.

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