With point guard position up in the air, Knicks face Nets' Kyrie Irving
The San Antonio Spurs' Derrick White, right, is fouled by the Knicks' Elfrid Payton during the first half of an NBA game on Wednesday in San Antonio Credit: AP/Darren Abate
SAN ANTONIO — In a perfect world for the Knicks, they would have been the ones to sign Kyrie Irving during the summer, securing the sort of star point guard the franchise hasn’t had since Walt Frazier and Earl Monroe departed about 40 years ago.
Instead, Irving opted to sign across the river in Brooklyn, leaving the Knicks to scramble to fill their hole at the position. And that task, still a work in progress, will take on particular importance Friday night when the two teams meet. Stopping Irving will be at the top of the Knicks’ wish list.
Irving scored 50 points in the Nets’ season-opening overtime loss to the Timberwolves on Wednesday night. Meanwhile, the Knicks passed over all three of their candidates for the starting job. They put the ball in the hands of 19-year-old rookie RJ Barrett before Elfrid Payton came on to nearly bail out the team in a loss to the Spurs.
“Nothing surprises me anymore,” coach David Fizdale said of Irving’s decision to sign with the Nets. “Guys are going to go where they feel is best for them. He felt that that was best for him. I’m happy with the guys that we got.”
With Payton likely taking the starting role after playing well in the opener, Fizdale has to hope the defensive-minded free-agent pickup can help slow Irving.
“I would hope that we can limit him and make it tougher on him,” Fizdale said. “But he’s a great player. It does not surprise me that he puts up big numbers. They have a lot of spacing out there. They’ve got a lot of weapons. It’s not easy just to key on him. They’ve got other capable guys as well. It’s going to take a team effort to get it done.”
“Definitely want to hold him under 50,” Payton said. “But if they lose and he has 50, I’ll take it. It’s definitely a challenge, something I’m excited to take on. But it’s going to be a team effort. Not one person can stop a player like that. I think we’ll be locked in.”
The Knicks’ best-laid plans went up in smoke when Irving decided to head to Brooklyn, taking Kevin Durant with him. And the Knicks’ plans for starting the season without a conventional point guard got derailed, with Fizdale abandoning it by halftime and starting Payton in the third quarter.
Payton was the only one who had it going on this night. Dennis Smith Jr. struggled. In a brief appearance, so did Frank Ntilikina.
“Elfrid brought us back, so let’s go with what’s working,” Fizdale said. “Again, it’s got to be fluid that way. They have to have an open mind, a clear mind, to whoever has it going that night is the guy that’s getting the go.”
The Nets are giving away Kyrie Irving jerseys Friday night, so the Knicks might think they’re seeing him everywhere. Said Fizdale,
“There’s only one that can give us 50, though.”
Notes & quotes: Mitchell Robinson practiced Thursday after sitting out the opener with a sprained right ankle. He’s expected to play against the Nets, Fizdale said.
Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
