Summer League 2014

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Summer League Lookback: Shane Larkin

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Gallery: Knicks vs. D-League Selects

Charlie Widdoes

LAS VEGAS -- As the Knicks await the tournament stage of Summer League, they find themselves in a much different position than they were a year ago; a more talented roster, combined with a collective focus instilled by a new coaching staff, has propelled this group to a 3-0 start. In the process, they’ve provided hope for the upcoming season with their enthusiasm and inspired team play.

These (mostly) young Knicks are in the early stages of learning the Triangle offense, but for the most part, they are making it look easy. And when it stalls, they go back to basics: communicate more, cut harder, and make a play for a teammate.

Perhaps they’re running a simplified version of what is known as one of the most complex systems in basketball, but the team has bought in and the results are promising; they’ve won their three games by an average of 12.3 points – two blowouts and a gritty, two-point victory over Portland in which they rallied back to win on a Shane Larkin runner.

“You keep on grinding it out,” says Tim Hardaway Jr., who has been one of the Knicks’ most vocal leaders while pouring in 20.7 points per game. “Keep on communicating, keep on being passionate and things will work out.”

His players credit coach Derek Fisher and his staff for emphasizing trust and teamwork and thanks to the high-character makeup of the roster, New York has thrived in an atmosphere usually dominated by isolation play and communication breakdowns.

“We’re working together as a team, that’s the main thing,” said eight-year veteran and Triangle expert Shannon Brown, after New York demolished Charlotte by 23 points on Monday. “The coaches are doing a great job of explaining the triangle and what we’re trying to accomplish out there and we’re making it happen. We’re just out there having fun playing basketball and learning in the process.”

Both the fun and the learning are evident when you watch this team play. In less than two weeks, Fisher – who elected to coach the squad because he was anxious to “get after it” – and his staff have them embracing the nuances of a new system, making effort plays and constantly encouraging each other on the court and from the sidelines.

On a team full of great teammates, no one embodies this spirit more than Thanasis “Tenacious” Antetokounmpo, the exuberant rookie who knows his limitations but won’t let them slow him down: “I’m a good defensive player. I play hard every time, 100 percent effort. And the offense, I make everybody else comfortable.”

It’s no accident that this group has been such a joy to watch play together. There’s no shortage of talent, but Larkin’s teammates echo his contention that the combination of team-first players and strong leadership have made this a unique situation.

“That’s something that’s emphasized throughout the coaching staff,” he says. “If you’re not playing, you’re just as important as the guy on the court making the plays. That’s the kind of guys we brought in, but also the emphasis the coaching staff put on that side of the game.”

This approach has carried the Knicks through their first three games and allowed them to stay together when things inevitably get bogged down. Against the Blazers, they struggled with spacing in the first half, but because they communicated and kept fighting, they were in position to win at the end.

Although these wins won’t count toward the Knicks’ playoff push this coming season, important work is being done to build a culture that will; no fewer than five Summer Knicks figure to play significant roles in New York’s rotation, so Fisher’s players are gaining valuable experience.

“The first thing he always says is trust your teammates and play for each other,” says Jeremy Tyler, who has looked very comfortable as a facilitator out of the pinch post while averaging 11.3 points and 5.7 rebounds per contest.

The next test comes on Thursday as New York opens tournament play against the winner of Denver and the D-League select team at 10:30pm EST. 

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Chemistry Key for Undefeated Summer Knicks

The Knicks concluded their Summer League regular season schedule with a resounding 95-72 victory over Charlotte on Monday afternoon. Against a Hornets front line that includes two top-10 draft picks, New York attacked early and played with energy throughout to remain undefeated.

Point guard Langston Galloway erupted for 15 of his 17 points in the second quarter to propel his team to a 62-31 halftime advantage. Jeremy Tyler led all scorers with 19 points and added eight rebounds, while Tim Hardaway Jr. continued his hot shooting with 17 points on 3-of-5 shooting from downtown.

 The Knicks will now wait to find out their next opponent as they advance to the tournament stage.

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Knicks Offense Explodes to Beat Charlotte, 95-72

After a comfortable win in yesterday's Summer League opener, the Knicks found themselves tied with Portland with less than a minute to play this afternoon. That's when Shane Larkin, New York's Vegas floor general, took matters into his own hands and drove for the game-winning floater. They'd get a defensive stop on the ensuing possession to win 71-69 and remain undefeated in the desert.

Once again, Tim Hardaway Jr. led all scorers with 20 points and rookie Cleanthony Early chipped in 11 points and six rebounds. When the offense slowed, veteran Shannon Brown stablilized the Knicks and contributed 12 points of his own.

New York's next game will be Monday at 4pm on MSG Network.

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Knicks Edge Portland on Larkin's Clutch Floater

The Knicks opened Summer League play with a decisive 76-64 win over the Dallas Mavericks today at Cox Pavilion.

Led by 2nd year guard Tim Hardaway's game-high 25 points, New York came out with great energy and maintained control throughout the game, picking up the maximum available four points in the victory.

Rookie Cleanthony Early scored 13 points in his pro debut and Cole Aldrich added nine points and 14 rebounds while dominating the paint with three blocked shots.

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Knicks Top Dallas In Summer League Opener

The Knicks' Summer League entry has its fair share of familiar faces, but like always, there are many players looking to stand out during these few weeks in Vegas. This group includes New York's two 2014 draft picks, as well as a handful of players with decorated college and professional resumes. Let's get to know the rest of coach Derek Fisher's squad...

(No, Player, Pos, Ht, Wt, Born, College/Country, 2013-14 Team, Yrs)

43 Thanasis Antetokounmpo  (F, 6-7, 215, born  Jul. 17, 1992, from Greece Delaware/D-League, R)

Thanasis comes to Vegas looking to make a name for himself after his younger brother, Giannis (6'11"), taught everyone how to pronounce "Antetokounmpo" with his play as a Bucks rookie. Thanasis, 21, is only 6'5", but an equally impressive athlete and he possesses the same work ethic and enthusiasm for the game.

As a player, he is all about energy and dirty work; his translated 2013-14 D-League numbers placed him 4th in block rate, 5th in steal rate and 4th in assist rate among the small forwards in DraftExpress' top 100 prospects in this year's draft. He recently promised to bring "passion, heart and courage" to the game, while saying that what separates him from the rest of the great athletes fighting for jobs is his willingness to put forth second, third, and even fourth efforts on each play. It's a near certainty that Knicks fans will love the way he plays, and he plans to put that on display starting here.

17 Cleanthony Early (F, 6-8, 219, Apr. 17, 1991, Middletown, NY, Wichita State/NCAA, R)

Early, the 34th overall pick in last month's Draft, represented great value when he was available at the beginning of the 2nd round. A native New Yorker, he knows he has a great opportunity to succeed playing under Fisher and Phil Jackson's guidance; he was effusive in his admiration of those two and made clear that is primary goal in the desert is to learn and grow. 

When he gets on the floor, he'll be surrounded by teammates with both NBA experience and 1st round pedigree, but that doesn't mean he can't contribute. Among small forwards in DraftExpress' top 100 prospects, he ranked 2nd in overall points per possession (1.11) last season. His versatility -- he can shoot from downtown (38 percent) and finish strong at the rim -- made him a tough cover in college and that was evident when he shredded the Kentucky Wildcats for 31 points and seven rebounds in the NCAA Tournament this past March. 

14 Langston Galloway (G, 6-2, 202, Dec. 9, 1991, Saint Joseph’s/USA, Saint Joseph’s/NCAA, R)

Galloway brings one skill to the table of which NBA teams can never get enough: long-range shooting. A four-year senior who never shot below 39 percent from 3 in any season, he has an enormous 6-8 wingpspan and improved his off-the-dribble game as he developed.

40 Jordan Henriquez (C, 6-11, 250, Aug. 29, 1989, Kansas State/USA, Rio Grande/D-League, R)

Henriquez has real NBA shot-blocking chops; in his senior season at Kansas State, he averaged a whopping five blocks per 40 minutes. Summer League does not favor back-to-the-basket post players, which should suit Henriquez just fine becaue that's not really his game. He is on the floor to block shots and crash the boards, and once the more established big men on the roster (i.e. Cole Adrich and Jeremy Tyler) get their minutes, he could get his shot to ply those skills.

 25 Zane Johnson (G, 6-6, 210, Aug. 1, 1989, Hawaii/USA, Canton/D-League, R)

A skilled 3-point shooter, Johnson thrived after tranferring from Arizona to Hawaii after his sophomore season. After sitting out a year, he averaged 35 minutes and nearly 15 points per game over the next two seasons as a Rainbow. He's been taking advantage of NBA coaching in shooting drills after practice.

50 Cameron Moore (F, 6-10, 230, Nov. 12, 1990, Alabama-Birmingham/USA, Casserta/Italy)                  

More is another athletic big man who remains an intriguing prospect as he enters his third career NBA Summer League. He's an outstanding rebounder with legitimate power forward size and length. His shooting form has never been an issue, but he says he's become a much more confident on offense after playing overseas; one of the best rebounders in the country while at UAB, he pulled down almost 12 per 40 during stops in Ukraine and Italy over the past two years.

35 Will Sheehey (F, 6-7, 200, Jan. 16, 1992, Indiana/USA, Indiana/NCAA, R)

Sheehey improved each year in Bloomington, averaging 11.4 points on 47 percent shooting as a fifth-year senior in 2013-14. He's a good shooter and solid athlete, and he's also been working with Knicks coaches after practice on his offensive game.

6 Brandon Triche (G, 6-4, 10 Feb. 1, 1991, Syracuse/USA, Trento/Italy, R)

A combo guard with a knack for scoring, Triche put together a solid four-year career at Syracuse. He's a good shooter, but like everyone who plays in Jim Boeheim's 2-3 zone, he'll have to prove he can play NBA defense.

55 Jordan Vandenberg (C, 7-1, 245, Mar. 25, 1990, North Carolina State/USA, North Carolina State/NCAA, R)

After four seasons at NC State, Vandenberg's best assets are his size and defensive potential. He's in Vegas to work with NBA coaches on realizing his potential as a big body who can block shots and rebound.

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Knicks Summer League Preview: The New Guys

NEW YORK -- The New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks will tip off Samsung NBA Summer League on July 11 at 1 p.m. PT in the first of 67 games to be contested over the course of the 11-day event at the Thomas &amp; Mack Center and COX Pavilion on the campus of the University of Nevada Las Vegas

NBA TV's coverage of the Samsung NBA Summer League will begin in COX Pavilion on July 11 with a four-game slate. The network will televise all 67 games, including a total of 38 games live during the event, including the Championship Game on July 21. In addition, fans will again be able to watch, via a subscription-based package, every Samsung NBA Summer League game live at https://nba.com/summerleague and on the NBA Summer League app. A complete broadcast schedule is below.

Tomorrow's brightest stars often get their start at Samsung NBA Summer League, with seven of the last nine Kia NBA Rookie of the Year Award winners having taken part in action in Las Vegas. NBA Summer League success is not always reserved for high first-round picks, with the New York Knicks' Tim Hardaway Jr., the 24th overall pick of the 2013 NBA Draft, turning a strong showing in Las Vegas last summer into a spot on the 2013-14 NBA All-Rookie First Team.

For the second consecutive year, the event will feature a tournament-style schedule, culminating in the crowning of the Samsung NBA Summer League 2014 Champion on Monday, July 21. Each of the participating teams will play three games apiece between July 11 and 15 before being seeded in the tournament, which tips off on July 16 and runs through the Championship Game on July 21. Each team will play no fewer than five games during Samsung NBA Summer League 2014.

Tickets for Samsung NBA Summer League are on sale now. Fans can purchase tickets by visiting NBATickets.com, or by calling 702-739-FANS.

Below is the complete schedule for 2014 Samsung NBA Summer League. Please note all times listed are Pacific.

All Times listed are PACIFIC * denotes broadcast live on NBA TV

Friday July 11 COX Pavilion 1 PM -- New York vs. Dallas* (Game 1) 3 PM -- Toronto vs. LA Lakers* (Game 2) 5 PM -- Cleveland vs. Milwaukee* (Game 3) 7 PM -- Sacramento vs. San Antonio* (Game 5)

Thomas &amp; Mack 5:30 PM -- Golden State vs. Charlotte (Game 4) 7:30 PM -- NBA D-League vs. New Orleans (Game 6) Saturday July 12 COX Pavilion 1 PM -- Portland vs. New York* (Game 7) 3 PM -- Toronto vs. Denver* (Game 9) 5 PM -- Phoenix vs. Golden State* (Game 11) 7 PM -- Houston vs. Miami (Game 13)

Thomas &amp; Mack 1:30 PM -- Atlanta vs. Washington (Game 8) 3:30 PM -- Dallas vs. Minnesota (Game 10) 5:30 PM -- Chicago vs. LA Clippers (Game 12) 7:30 PM -- Utah vs. Philadelphia* (Game 14) Sunday July 13 COX Pavilion 1 PM -- Cleveland vs. San Antonio* (Game 15) 3 PM -- Sacramento vs. Charlotte* (Game 17) 5 PM -- Chicago vs. Denver* (Game 19) 7 PM -- Milwaukee vs. Phoenix* (Game 21)

Thomas &amp; Mack 1:30 PM -- LA Lakers vs. New Orleans (Game 16) 3:30 PM -- Atlanta vs. NBA D-League (Game 18) 5:30 PM -- Portland vs. Houston (Game 20) 7:30 PM -- Washington vs. Minnesota (Game 22)

Monday July 14COX Pavilion1 PM -- New York vs. Charlotte* (Game 23)3 PM -- Toronto vs. Dallas* (Game 25)5 PM -- Cleveland vs. Philadelphia* (Game 27)7 PM -- Golden State vs. LA Lakers* (Game 29)

Thomas &amp; Mack 1:30 PM -- Sacramento vs. NBA D-League (Game 24) 3:30 PM -- San Antonio vs. New Orleans (Game 26) 5:30 PM -- Miami vs. LA Clippers (Game 28) 7:30 PM -- Utah vs. Milwaukee (Game 30)

Tuesday July 15COX Pavilion1 PM -- Portland vs. Atlanta* (Game 31)3 PM -- LA Clippers vs. Houston* (Game 33)5 PM -- Philadelphia vs. Phoenix* (Game 35)

Thomas &amp; Mack 1:30 PM -- Chicago vs. Minnesota (Game 32) 3:30 PM -- Miami vs. Washington (Game 34) 5:30 PM -- Utah vs. Denver (Game 36)

Wednesday July 16COX Pavilion1 PM -- # 9 Seed vs. #24 Seed* (Game 37)3 PM -- #11 Seed vs. #22 Seed* (Game 39)5 PM -- #13 Seed vs. #20 Seed* (Game 41)7 PM -- #15 Seed vs. #18 Seed* (Game 43)

Thomas &amp; Mack 1:30 PM -- #10 Seed vs. #23 Seed (Game 38) 3:30 PM -- #12 Seed vs. #21 Seed (Game 40) 5:30 PM -- #14 Seed vs. #19 Seed (Game 42) 7:30 PM -- #16 Seed vs. #17 Seed (Game 44)

Thursday July 17COX Pavilion1 PM -- #8 Seed vs. Winner of Game 37* (Game 45)3 PM -- #6 Seed vs. Winner of Game 39* (Game 47)5 PM -- #4 Seed vs. Winner of Game 41* (Game 49)7 PM -- #2 Seed vs. Winner of Game 43* (Game 51)

Thomas &amp; Mack 1:30 PM -- #7 Seed vs. Winner of Game 38(Game 46) 3:30 PM -- #5 Seed vs. Winner of Game 40 (Game 48) 5:30 PM -- #3 Seed vs. Winner of Game 42 (Game 50) 7:30 PM -- #1 Seed vs. Winner of Game 44 (Game 52)

Friday July 18COX Pavilion1 PM -- Game 37 Loser vs. Game 38 Loser* (Game 53)3 PM -- Game 41 Loser vs. Game 42 Loser* (Game 55)5 PM -- Game 45 Loser vs. Game 46 Loser* (Game 57)7 PM -- Game 49 Loser vs. Game 50 Loser* (Game 59)

Thomas &amp; Mack 1:30 PM -- Game 39 Loser vs. Game 40 Loser (Game 54) 3:30 PM -- Game 43 Loser vs. Game 44 Loser (Game 56) 5:30 PM -- Game 47 Loser vs. Game 48 Loser (Game 58) 7:30 PM -- Game 51 Loser vs. Game 52 Loser (Game 60)

Saturday July 19 Thomas &amp; Mack 1 PM -- Game 46 Winner vs. Game 51 Winner* (Game 61) 3 PM -- Game 47 Winner vs. Game 50 Winner* (Game 62) 5 PM -- Game 45 Winner vs. Game 52 Winner* (Game 63) 7 PM -- Game 48 Winner vs. Game 49 Winner* (Game 64)

Sunday July 20 Thomas &amp; Mack 3 PM -- Game 61 Winner vs. Game 62 Winner* (Game 65) 5 PM -- Game 63 Winner vs. Game 64 Winner*(Game 66)

Monday July 21Thomas &amp; Mack6 PM -- Game 65 Winner vs. Game 66 Winner* (Game 67)