As the Knick centers turn, Enes Kanter has gone from fourth string to starter — off one bad turn of an ankle.
A disgruntled Kanter, who sounded open to a trade following the MLK Day rout by the Thunder, is expected to start against the Rockets on Wednesday after it was announced starting center Luke Kornet has a bone bruise/sprain in his left ankle.
Coach David Fizdale said he’s hopeful Kornet will be back in “a couple of weeks,” but a more likely scenario is three weeks as he starts out in a walking boot. Now there will be less Kornet and less angst surrounding Kanter, who can be showcased anew for a trade.
Kornet, 23, has started nine of the past 10 games, getting the initial call in Milwaukee on Dec. 27. In those 10 games, Kornet has impressed everyone in the Knicks’ organization in averaging 11.8 points and shooting a whopping 47.3 percent from 3.
Fizdale noted the lone thing Kornet’s missing is above-average athleticism.
“Luke came in and showed that he has a really big NBA skill set that can help other people be better players out there,” Fizdale said. “He’s a 7-footer who can really shoot the basketball and is really good at defensively quarterbacking things. He’s our best ball-moving big by far. When you find something like that within your own building, you have to recognize it and start growing it immediately. To a man, all of us, from top to bottom, really see Luke as a guy that can end up helping a team.”
With center Mitchell Robinson back from injury, Fizdale met with Kanter on Sunday to inform him that there would be games in which he did not play as the franchise attempts to develop Kornet and Robinson, their rookie project. That’s all changed now thanks to Kanter’s buddy, Thunder center Steven Adams, who landed on Kornet’s foot Monday while Kornet was defending him.
“Right back in the mix,” Fizdale said of Kanter after Tuesday’s practice. “Even when I told him, I said, ‘I know you’re not going to be happy about it, but stay ready.’ With Luke going down, we’re right back where we were. I’m leaning toward him [starting] because Mitchell’s still running into the same thing with the fouls. And so to try to max out Mitchell’s minutes, I have to bring him off the bench.’’
Kanter noted Monday he was the fourth center used after Kornet, Robinson and Noah Vonleh, who was moved to the 5 for a brief period in the second quarter. Of his sit-down with Fizdale, Kanter said he was “very disappointed. There was nothing to be happy about, so I’m not happy and I definitely don’t agree with the decision.”
He went on to say his agent and general manager Scott Perry will handle his future after being asked if he now wants out. Kanter was not available for comment Tuesday.
Fellow veterans Courtney Lee and Lance Thomas have handled their demotions without complaint, but Fizdale said he understands where Kanter is coming from.
“I can’t make these guys into different people, they’re going to be who they are and they’re gonna react to this stuff the way they react,” Fizdale said Tuesday. “He should be upset, he should be down. He wants to play. He’s a heck of a player. We’re trying to build something from the ground up. Those two young bigs are important pieces to that puzzle.”
Kornet, undrafted out of Vanderbilt and signed to a two-way deal after the 2017 draft by the departed Phil Jackson, has been a revelation after spending a portion of the season in the G-League.
“I’m very grateful for the path that it’s been,” Kornet said. “I feel I’ve been playing better, playing well and produce in that way. Of course you want to have results, more wins, but you feel like you’re doing some things that can help winning. I think it’s a good step forward in that personal aspect. There’s still a lot of room for growth.”
The Knicks feared Kornet may have had a break or torn ligament after X-rays were inconclusive Monday and they scheduled an MRI exam.
“If you watch the video of it, it could’ve been really bad if there was a little more weight,” Kornet said. “ Just being a bone bruise, it’s a pretty good situation compared to what could’ve happened.”
“It wasn’t as bad as we thought it was gonna be,” Fizdale added.
While the Knicks (10-35) still will try to trade Kanter by the Feb. 7 deadline, the urgency is no longer there until Kornet gets back.
