Knicks’ Enes Kanter: ‘We’re trying to win games here’
Enes Kanter reacts after a basket in the first half against the Nets at Madison Square Garden on Jan. 30. Credit: Jim McIsaac
GREENBURGH, N.Y. — Should the Knicks be playing only for the future? Or should their main aim be to win every time they take the floor?
While the team has lost nine in a row and 17 of the past 18, there does seem to be some debate about the most appropriate focus in the final month of the season. Judging from Twitter, a fair amount of Knicks fans would like to see the team try to develop its younger players while piling up as many losses as possible in order to increase their chances of landing a high lottery pick.
Enes Kanter, however, believes the NBA season is no place to work on player development.
“Let me tell you something, man. They can develop guys in the G League. This is not the time to develop young guys or whatever because we’re trying to win games here,” Kanter said after practice on Friday. “This team is paying us a lot of money; everybody, and all the fans are paying a lot of money to watch the games and they’re paying a lot of money for tickets, so they’re not just coming here watching, ‘Oh, this guy’s getting better. This guy’s developing.’
“No, we’re trying to win games here, man. I think that’s how our mindset should be. And if they want to develop somebody, they can send him to the G League and we can see some development.”
Of course, it would be a bigger shock if Kanter didn’t want to go out there every night looking to win. He seems to be enjoying his time in New York and there has been every indication that he will opt in to the final year of his contract, which is slated to pay him $18.4 million next season. Still, he is having an outstanding season, and there is a chance that he could test the free-agent waters.
For now, he’s worried about this season. “Let me tell you something, the Knicks are paying me money to win games, to go out there and compete and try to win every game,” said Kanter, 25. “The Knicks are not paying me to tank or anything. So my mindset is to go out there, it doesn’t matter if we play the worst team or the best team . . . I didn’t get traded here to get a good draft pick. I came here to win games and make the playoffs. So I don’t care, we’re in whatever stretch we’re in right now, I’m just going to go out there and fight every possession.”
Notes & quotes: Coach Jeff Hornacek opened Friday’s practice session with a tape review of gaffes from the Knicks’ collapse against the 76ers on Thursday night. He then asked them what kind of players they are, the kind who love to win or hate to lose. Said Hornacek: “When you hate to lose, you’ll do anything it takes. Whether it’s taking a charge, diving on a ball, taking no play for granted. We have to develop that mentality.” . . . Kanter had high praise for former Knick Willy Hernangomez, who will return to the Garden on Saturday with Charlotte. Hernangomez fell out of the Knicks’ regular rotation when the team brought in Kanter in the Carmelo Anthony trade. He then asked to be traded. Said Kanter: “I still talk to him. He’s doing an unbelievable job working out and an unbelievable job of working on his body. I think he’s a young version of Marc Gasol. If he works hard enough, he can be as good as Marc Gasol.”
Barbara Barker is an award-winning columnist and features writer in the sports department at Newsday. She has covered sports in New York for more than 20 years.
