Knicks' Allonzo Trier makes most of his few minutes on court
Allonzo Trier of the Knicks puts up a shot against the Bucks at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 21, 2019. Credit: Jim McIsaac
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It was the rarest of sightings Monday night in Houston — something no one had seen for over a month: Allonzo Trier checking into a real, live game.
It lasted for a little more than six minutes, but the Knicks guard made the most of it, going 3-for-4 and finishing with nine points and a +12, and reminding everyone how he went from being an undrafted player two years ago, to being worth $7 million. But things haven’t been quite as easy for Trier this season — partially because the Knicks have so many guards and partially because his isolation-style of play. He's undersized for a shooting guard, and plays behind four other point guards. He's also struggled defensively at times. So, while Monday was a much-desired chance to shake off weeks of in-game inactivity, it doesn’t necessarily mean that Trier’s fortunes will change as the Knicks wrap up another unsuccessful season.
And for the time being, he has to be OK with it.
“[It’s a] new year with a new role and I just have to accept it and continue to do my job every single day," Trier said Tuesday at the Hornets practice facility. "And even if I don’t play, I continue to come in here and work on my craft and continue to try to get better. If that’s your role, that’s one of the tough things you have to overcome. It’s hard to sit down and be cold and come into a game. But that’s what happens when you’re a role player that comes off the bench who’s trying to contribute.”
And though it might not necessarily translate to playing time, interim coach Mike Miller did say he was impressed. Trier has been one of the model bench players — shouting encouragement, and looking for defensive weaknesses for his teammates to exploit.
“He was over here early today getting extra work” despite the fact that the Knicks had just played a night game in a different time zone the day before, Miller said. “He goes to the gym early, he stays late. He’s constantly working on being a pro. He got a chance last night and he did well with [it] . . . We believe in all the guys. We know we can put them in situations and we call on him and he goes out there and does what he does, so that’s a credit to him.”
There is, notably, no promise there that it’ll earn Trier more minutes against the Hornets on Wednesday, though a few minutes may be possible since the Knicks will likely be short a guard. Elfrid Payton (ankle) missed Monday’s game and is probable for Wednesday, but Frank Ntilikina (groin) is doubtful, Miller said. Ntilikina re-aggravated the groin injury he sustained last year.
But whatever happens, this year has allowed Trier to take a more Zen approach to his playing time. He can control only what he can control, even if it means averaging 12 minutes in just 21 games a year after averaging 22.8 over 64. His shooting is still very much there — going almost 45 percent from the field both seasons.
As for the future, “that’s not for me to decide,” Trier said. “I’m confident in me as a player, I know what I can do, I know what I can bring to the table . . . [So right now, I] lock in on the team goal. It’s not just about me. I can’t be worried about if I’m not playing . . . and there’s different ways I can help the team even if I’m not playing right now.”
Laura Albanese is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. She's been covering MLB since 2014 after starting at Newsday as an intern seven years earlier.
