Young Knicks ignore front office and focus on their on-the-court performances

GREENBURGH, N.Y. — It was the first day that Leon Rose was expected to be in place as Knicks president, but sitting along the side of the courts at practice were the usual array of executives Sunday afternoon.

Rose still is expected to take over soon, with an official announcement possibly coming Monday, but for this day, it still was business as usual. The players did their work and mostly tried to ignore the changes taking place around them.

“That’s for them to worry about, that part,” Mitchell Robinson said, pointing to the area where Scott Perry, David Blatt and Michael Arcieri were watching the workouts. “I’m on the court. Scott Perry and them, that’s their business. I’m just a basketball player.”

While much has been made of the lineups, rotations and opportunities for some of the young players, their learning process has not been limited to adjusting to offensive schemes or opposing defenses. The lessons also have come in adjusting to the often chaotic change around them.

RJ Barrett came to the Knicks from Duke, where Mike Krzyzewski has run the program for 40 years. The rookie already is readying for his third coach and second team president.

Frank Ntilikina arrived from France as an 18-year-old. He is prepping for his fourth coach and third president as he finishes up his third season in the NBA.

“Coming in the league, I didn’t know what to expect,” Ntilikina said. “I was just ready for whatever. And it’s been a dream. Now I’ve just got to see what’s ahead and keep building. So it is what it is. I’m just focusing on being the best player I can be in the future and helping my team be the best team it can be.

“Whatever happens, it’s going to be tough. If you want to succeed in this league, you’ve got to fight adversity. A lot of things are going to happen in an NBA season all over the league, with every team. So I think you’ve got to be ready for everything.”

Barrett has attempted to ignore the turmoil. “I haven’t paid attention to it,” he said. “I’ve just been working on my game and stuff. When [Rose] comes in, I’m just going to have to see what he wants, see what he wants to do, see what his direction is and follow it.”

For now, the Knicks (18-42) continue to try to get through the final stretch of the season. Robinson is coming off his best game of the season with a career-high 23 points. His 11 made field goals helped to ensure that he will qualify for the league leadership in field-goal percentage (he now has 227 and needs 300 for the season). He leads the league at .732, and if he stays at that figure, he will record the highest single-season field-goal percentage in NBA history, surpassing the .727  by Wilt Chamberlain in 1972-73.

“I am? Great. I didn’t know that,” Robinson said. “It’s good. I don’t really get a lot of shots up, but when I do, they’re most likely going to go in. It means a lot. I put in the hard work and it paid off.”

When he was told about Chamberlain, the 22-year-old Robinson said, “For real? I don’t know what to say about that. That’s crazy. Damn. That’s amazing. I didn’t know that . . . I don’t really watch old-school basketball. I don’t even know why, it’s just not me. We don’t even play like that anymore, so what’s the point of watching?”

Notes & quotes: Barrett hosted Antonio Sellers, a 16-year-old Hudson Catholic High School student who attended practice through the Garden of Dreams Foundation and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Sellers played basketball before recently being diagnosed with brain cancer, and his wish was to meet Barrett. Barrett also broke the news to Sellers that he will be attending the Duke-North Carolina game Saturday and will get to meet Krzyzewski.

By Steve Popper

steve.popper@newsday.com@StevePopper

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.