NY Knicks: Allan Houston ‘tough battle’ to go from G-League to NBA
Knicks front office executive Allan Houston shined some light on why it takes time to promote players from Westchester.
The New York Knicks haven’t had much success in building an NBA contender, but one area where the organization has shown progress is in the G-League with their affiliate Westchester Knicks team.
This past season, Westchester was the proving ground for Knicks rookie Ignas Brazdeikis and two-way forward Kenny Wooten. Their success had many fans questioning why the Knicks didn’t find a roster spot for them in the NBA.
Knicks front office executive Allan Houston, who has worked closely with the development staff at Westchester, says it’s not as easy as people think to make the transition from the G-League to Madison Square Garden.
"“One thing you have to remember, too, is most of the players in the G-League are there on a different path” Houston said when asked on the Knicks Community Podcast if the team should call up more players from Westchester. “I’m not sure it’s as simple and as likely as people think to just go from the G-League to the NBA. It’s a tough battle. There’s a learning curve.”"
Houston said it’s an organizational decision in deciding when players are ready for NBA competition. And as he alludes to in his answer above, it’s difficult to rely on G-League statistics in projecting performance in the NBA.
For example, Brazdeikis averaged 20.9 points this past season, while grabbing 7.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists. But what does that really mean? Perhaps his 50.1% shooting, including 34.4% from downtown, is most telling. Wooten showed himself to be a defensive force, finishing second in the G-League with 3.6 blocks per game. How would he perform against faster competition?
For a team, like the Knicks, who finished with the sixth worst record in the NBA, an argument could still be made that it makes sense to just throw these players in the fire and see what happens. But the front office is cautious in rushing a promotion.
Westchester has been a success story for the Knicks.
If anyone knows the value of the G-League, it is Knicks interim coach Mike Miller. He won G-League Coach of the Year for the 2017-18 season. Under Miller’s leadership, Westchester recorded the best record in the Eastern Conference with a team-record 32 wins. They also saw several players find their way from the G-League lineup to the NBA, such as Trey Burke with the Knicks, Nigel Hayes to the Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Knicks, and Xavier Rathan-Mayes to the Memphis Grizzlies.
Westchester does have a history of seeing players “called up” to the NBA.
Despite the impressive play of Brazdeikis and Wooten, the team finished the coronavirus shortened G-League season 17-24. Hopefully, the pandemic doesn’t impact the ability of the league to return in full force for the 2020-21 season.