Ignas Brazdeikis spent most of his NBA debut season in the G-League, appearing in just nine games for the Knicks.
The search for the 2019 second-round election for more regular playing time under new coach Tom Thibodeau began at an inopportune start, but Brazdeikis eventually saw his first action in four pre-season matches in the 119- win. 83 on the Cavaliers on Friday.
“I only work every day to improve. This is the main goal only for the development of my game “, said Brazdeikis, who got a point in 17 minutes. “I’m still young. I have to improve a lot. I’m not even close to the player I want to be.
“We have an excellent coaching staff, who push us every day. I’m just grateful to be here and work every day to improve. “
The Michigan product said he worked on his body and jumped all summer at his family’s home in Ontario. He added that the new coaching staff told him to “just keep improving as a whole player, making the game simple … making the right games, reading right, shooting when you’re open, playing for others. Continue to work hard and defensively, recovering the ball, getting better. “
The Knicks were without guards Alec Burks (personal reasons), Frank Ntilikina (Achilles left painful), Elfrid Payton (left hamster pain), Austin Rivers (right groin pain) and Dennis Smith Jr. (quad injured left) and forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (disease), Nerlens Noel (left knee pain) and Omari Spellman (pain in the right knee). Burks will return to the team on Saturday, Thibodeau said.
The guard point Jared Harper, which turned a four-point play in the first quarter and finished with 10 points, was Net According to Pinson, a remarkable former of Seton Hall Myles Powell (two points in six minutes) and guard Bryce Brown they also saw their first game action.
Thibodeau tied for fifth place in the league’s NBA.com general manager survey for his new or relocated coach, which will have the biggest impact on his new team.
First year Nets coach Steve Nash received the most votes (28 percent), followed by 76 Doc Rivers (24 percent), Clippers’ Tyronn Read and pelicans Stan Van Gundy (16 percent each), Thibodeau (8 percent) and the Bulls’ Billy Donovan (8 percent).