Knicks' developmental year begins with preseason win

WASHINGTON — It was a positive sign for the Knicks when they put general manager Scott Perry and team president Steve Mills on the court at Madison Square Garden Saturday, mic'd up and the video magnified onto the huge scoreboard above the floor. The positive was that the season-ticket holders who had filled much of the lower bowl of the arena cheered along with the optimistic take put forth by Knicks management.

As the Knicks embark on an admitted patient approach, taking the season as a rebuilding project — a process to trust if you will — the fans seem willing to join them on the journey, as long as there is a plan and perhaps a timetable that doesn’t extend too far into the future.

The test of that patience began Monday night at the Capital One Arena where the Knicks opened the preseason with a 124-121 overtime win over the Wizards after a week of training camp, banging with each other and trying to absorb the lessons of new coach David Fizdale.

And as the plan calls for, Kristaps Porzingis was not with the team as they traveled for the game, back home rehabilitating his torn ACL, an injury that could keep him out either a few more months of maybe the entire season. So while Fizdale preaches toughness and hustle and belief, he lacks the weapons he needs to actually make anyone outside the locker room — such as the season-ticket holders — believe that this year’s team is more than just something to pass the time.

The Knicks have made it clear this is a player development season. So seeing Kevin Knox in the starting lineup Monday was an encouraging beginning and watching second-round pick Mitchell Robinson throwing down lobs for dunks and getting under the skin of Markieff Morris enough to incite the veteran forward into a pair of technicals and an ejection was fun for fans, too.

Fizdale is preaching culture, a commandment given from the front office, too. So if that meant Patrick Ewing getting an invite to address the team Monday morning or the rookie Robinson going nose-to-nose with Morris, that’s all part of a positive start.

Knox finished with 13 points on 4-for-9 shooting, with 10 rebounds, the most impressive aspect of his game being how the 19-year-old grabbed defensive rebounds and kick-started the offense by pushing the ball upcourt.

The youth movement, at least what is in place of it now, is the placeholder for the fans. The Knicks have plenty of veterans — eight-year pro  Enes Kanter at center and five-year vet Tim Hardaway Jr., who will be tasked to carry the scoring load with Porzingis sidelined. Lance Thomas and Courtney Lee are at the point in their careers where they might be better served as role players on a contender rather than mentoring the youngsters.

When Fizdale rolled out his starting lineup for this opening night it included Knox, but he also had Frank Ntilikina coming off the bench in favor of Trey Burke, who for context, had been cut loose by the Wizards after the 2016-17 season. Mario Hezonja also was coming off the bench with Thomas starting.

“Literally it’s a blank slate,” Fizdale said. “We’re going to throw different guys out there, different combinations out there, and see what comes out of it.”

But the hope, the one that keeps the fans cheering for now, is in the future. Porzingis is that future, once he gets healthy and then when he signs a contract extension. Knox is that future and maybe Robinson is, too. The Knicks still hope that last year’s lottery pick, Ntilikina, the last vestige of the Phil Jackson era,will become a part of that future. Over the last year they have collected low-risk reclamation projects such as former lottery picks Burke, Hezonja, Emmanuel Mudiay and Noah Vonleh.

And if this year turns out the way that most outside of the Knicks organization believe, there will be another lottery pick on the way next summer. It is that, along with the salary-cap space management hopes will lure a star to join the growing cast, that has buoyed the fan base through the rebuilding process.

When the Philadelphia 76ers embarked on their rebuild, far more drastic as they shed any semblance of talent to collect lottery picks, they asked fans to trust the process. In New York, they seem to trust it right now. But the fans, burdened by years — decades, really — of losing with little hint of a process, now will be tested.