NEW YORK 鈥 In his very first NBA game, Allonzo Trier got the basketball at the top of the three-point line at Madison Square Garden, drove past Trae Young and proceeded to dunk over several members of the Atlanta Hawks.
The play made No. 3 on 鈥淪portsCenter鈥檚鈥 Top 10 on Oct. 17 and Trier finished with 15 points in his NBA debut. But the former 蜜柚直播 standout says it may not have even the best dunk of his to ever appear on ESPN.
鈥淚t was cool, I mean it鈥檚 not the first time I鈥檝e been on 鈥楽portsCenter鈥 for dunking a ball,鈥 Trier told the Star on Saturday night at the Garden. 鈥淚 was on a few times in college and high school as well. But it was a cool moment, especially in the Garden for opening night.
鈥淭he atmosphere was great, so I think that kind of made it better.鈥
After going undrafted out of 蜜柚直播, the 6-foot-5 Trier has been a pleasant surprise for the rebuilding Knicks while playing on a two-way contract. He鈥檚 averaging 12.7 points and 2.7 rebounds through three games.
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Against the Celtics on Saturday, he didn鈥檛 start but was on the court during crunch time of a 103-101 loss. He finished with 15 points on 4-of-9-shooting, including 2 of 3 from deep. When he left in the first half, the Garden crowd applauded him.
鈥淗e has a chip on his shoulder, I mean what more can you say?鈥 said Tim Hardaway Jr., the Knicks鈥 leading scorer. 鈥淗e should be that way. We鈥檙e happy that he鈥檚 here, we鈥檙e happy he鈥檚 a part of our team and we鈥檙e going to keep feeding him the ball when he鈥檚 cooking like that. He鈥檚 a smart player, he defends and he鈥檚 active.鈥
鈥淚鈥檝e been really happy with Allonzo,鈥 first-year Knicks coach David Fizdale said. 鈥淗e might be our biggest competitor. He鈥檚 fearless, he鈥檚 really taken the challenge defensively. I鈥檝e been really happy with that part of it.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a big learning lesson for him, too. He has his strengths, but he has to work other things into his game to make him a complete player, but overall I鈥檝e been really happy with him.鈥
Fizdale isn鈥檛 Trier鈥檚 only fan.
Deandre Ayton, Trier鈥檚 teammate last season with the Wildcats and the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft, has been keeping an eye on Trier from Phoenix, and the two regularly talk and text.
鈥淲e鈥檙e really good friends, we were probably best friends when we were there,鈥 Trier said of Ayton, who will make $8 million this season compared with the $385,000 Trier could potentially earn. 鈥淚 lived in a house probably two doors down (at the UA) and we鈥檝e been really close since Day One when he stepped on campus, so we鈥檝e just continued our friendship and our bond.鈥
Like Trier, Ayton had a strong NBA debut, putting up 18 points and 10 rebounds as the Suns beat the Mavericks on Oct. 17.
鈥淗e鈥檚 been excited about playing in the NBA,鈥 Trier said. 鈥淗e just said, 鈥楲ook where we came from,鈥 so it鈥檚 been really cool.鈥
The 7-foot-1 Ayton has been impressed with Trier鈥檚 first week in the NBA.
鈥淵eah, he says he watched me,鈥 Trier said. 鈥淗e says, 鈥楧ang, man, you鈥檙e killing it, that鈥檚 awesome.鈥 He鈥檚 just being a guy that鈥檚 supporting one of his friends, and I鈥檓 doing the same thing.鈥
Trier and the Knicks host Ayton and the Suns on Dec. 17, and then visit Phoenix March 6.
鈥淲e鈥檙e representing 蜜柚直播,鈥 Trier said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of us that are doing that out here in the league so we want to go out there and represent yourself in a good way, represent the organization, represent the alma mater that you played for.鈥
Despite being a well-coveted prospect since he was in middle school, Trier went undrafted last June. In February 2018, Trier was ruled ineligible by the NCAA after testing positive for a banned substance. He appealed, took another urine test, and was ruled eligible in time for 蜜柚直播鈥檚 March 1 win over Stanford.
Still, he believed he would always land in the NBA, and now the Knicks are looking smart for signing him.
鈥淚 want to play great regardless of whether I was picked or not picked,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 put a lot of time and effort into my craft, and trying to be the best player I can be. As far as (other teams) realizing the player I was, I鈥檓 sure probably knew, some probably just didn鈥檛 know.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know, I can鈥檛 really tell you why or what swayed the decisions to not take me, but I do know that I do belong in this league and I expect to play here for a long time.
鈥淚鈥檓 just going to continue to work to get better and improve and improve.鈥
Trier likes the wide-open NBA game and believes his style is more suited to the 鈥3-And-D鈥 NBA style.
鈥淭he way the game is played is two totally different games,鈥 Trier said. 鈥淐ollege is a lot more compact, you can crowd the floor. And it鈥檚 played different than the way it is in the NBA. So I鈥檓 getting adjusted.
鈥淥ne thing that鈥檚 good about me, I know how to adapt fast. I figure things out very fast, I鈥檓 a quick learner and I鈥檓 student of the game that studies. So I鈥檒l continue to get better as more games go on.鈥
Trier is part of a young Knicks core that includes former Kentucky wing Kevin Knox and big man Mitchell Robinson, the Knicks鈥 two draft picks.
They are all part of the youngest Knicks team since 1979-80. Knicks star Kristaps Porzingis remains out as he recovers from ACL surgery, and it remains unclear when he鈥檒l return.
In the meantime, the Knicks are trying to rebuild with a young core, while keeping an eye on free agency next summer when Kevin Durant, Jimmy Butler and New Jersey native Kyrie Irving hit the open market.
鈥淭hey鈥檝e done a great job of making me feel like I鈥檓 welcome here,鈥 Trier said. 鈥淭hey treat me like I鈥檓 one of their picks. They say they鈥檙e very excited about the future and having me right now.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e looking forward to changing this culture and turning this into something really special.鈥
Still, Trier is in a unique position because, per his two-way contract, he can only spend a maximum of 45 days with the Knicks, while the remainder will be spent with their G League club, the Westchester Knicks.
鈥淲ith the 45 days, we鈥檙e going to really try to squeeze it the best we can,鈥 Fizdale said of Trier. 鈥淚鈥檓 leaving that to (President) Steve (Mills) and (GM) Scott (Perry) and (Director of Player Personnel) Craig Robinson, to figure out for me. I can鈥檛 even think about that right now.鈥
Said Trier: 鈥淲e鈥檝e had some talks about it and it鈥檚 something that I鈥檓 sure we鈥檒l figure out soon. That鈥檚 all I can really say. It鈥檚 kind of between management and me and my agent and stuff like that.鈥
In the meantime, Trier hopes to help the Knicks win and maybe even make the 鈥淪portsCenter鈥 Top 10 a few more times.
鈥淭hat was a good one,鈥 he said of the dunk. 鈥淏eing in the Garden made it better.鈥
Adam Zagoria is a New York-based freelancer. Follow him on Twitter @AdamZagoria.