First-year New York Knicks coach David Fizdale is fired up about former ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Wildcat Allonzo Trier’s ability to get hot in a hurry.
Fizdale compared Trier, a Knicks rookie, to two-time sixth man of the year Lou Williams and used “assassin†to describe his scoring abilities. At ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Trier was consistently one of Sean Miller’s top scorers and played off the ball as either a shooting guard or even small forward in smaller lineups.
Trier averaged 16.8 points per game through his three-year career at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ and was a finalist for the John Wooden Shooting Guard Award as a junior, but had the backup point guard role when Parker Jackson-Cartwright was off the court.
Trier has averaged 31 minutes with the Knicks during the NBA Summer League, third-most on the team behind draft picks Kevin Knox and Mitchell Robinson. And that’s mainly due to Knicks Summer League coach Mike Miller switching Trier between point guard and shooting guard.
“It’s been a lot of seeing if I can play both positions with me playing off the ball and on the ball at point guard,†Trier said. “I played backup point guard at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ so I was used to playing both. Now it’s about getting back into game rhythm and game feel.â€
Allonzo Trier after his debut and how he fits in New York:
— The Wildcaster (@TheWildcaster)
Trier started the first two summer league games at shooting guard with second-year player Frank Ntilikina running the point. Ntilikina sat out with a groin injury for the final summer game against the Lakers before tournament play, so Trier was the starting point guard. He recorded his first double-double with 21 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, while committing just two turnovers as the Lakers beat the Knicks 107-92.
The Knicks still have Ntilikina, Emmanuel Mudiay and Trey Burke on roster for the upcoming season, so the chances of Trier playing point guard in New York are slim. But owning the ability to play both positions bodes well moving forward.
Luckily for Trier, Miller is the the Knicks' G League coach in Westchester, so getting familiar with each other should benefit the two-way player.