"Can he handle New York?'

In years past, the Knicks factored that question in to their player evaluation.

They wondered if a player could perform amid fan and media scrutiny in the Big Apple. They wondered if he could handle the added attention/headaches that can come with pro sports in a big market.

It’s safe to assume that new team president Leon Rose and his group are factoring some of the same things into their player evaluation.

When it comes to Killian Hayes, it doesn’t sound like they’d have anything to worry about.

“He knows exactly what he wants and knows the work that he has to do to get there,” veteran NBA guard Will Bynum says. “Some of the things that may deter him – he knows about all of them already and he’s preparing himself and embracing it.

“For a 19-year-old kid to be that way, it’s impressive.”

Bynum played eight seasons in the NBA. He knows the challenges that come with playing against the best in world every night.

And he’s worked with Hayes – a 6-7, left-handed guard – for the past three years. So when he talks about Hayes’ mental approach, he has an informed opinion.

“It’s a stubbornness – and it’s a gift,” Bynum says of Hayes’ approach to the game. “When you’re that young and you know exactly what you want and you’re not going to let anybody deter you from it. He just has that (presence) about him — he knows exactly what he wants and what needs to get done.”

Longtime trainer Shawn Faust feels the same way. He’s been working with Hayes for the past seven months to prepare for the draft. Like Bynum, Faust has been impressed by Hayes’ sharp focus.

“One of Killian’s biggest strengths is being able to play through struggle and being able to adjust and refocus when he does struggle — because struggle is part of the game,” says Faust, who has worked with scores of NBA players. “He doesn’t struggle much because he’s a really good player – but he does a really good job of playing through it when he does.”

WHAT ABOUT THE RIGHT HAND?

In addition to mental fortitude, Hayes is also incredibly skilled. He probably won’t be available for the Knicks when they select at eight. If he's available at seven, it’s hard to see the Pistons passing on him.

One of the criticisms of Hayes’ game? He doesn’t drive/attack well going right.

“He’s very left hand dominant and teams know it,” says Tom Primosch of the professional basketball scouting firm BPA Hoops. “He’s not a threat to drive right and he can be overly reliant on his left hand when making passes.”

Faust, Bynum and Hayes have been working on the prospect’s right hand regularly over the past seven/eight months.

And, Faust says, teams who’ve seen Hayes workout lately don’t have much concern about his ability to drive/attack in both directions.

“His right hand is not an issue at all – I’m telling you right now, the right hand is good to go,” Faust says.

Faust has worked with Hayes on all aspects of going right, including passing, finishing, shooting off the dribble and shooting off the catch.

“It’s not just going right, it’s about getting him confident in trusting the right - that’s what we’ve been able to do over the last eight months,” Faust says.

The trainer also points out that an analysis of Hayes’ right hand that’s based on his games last season may be misinformed. Faust says Hayes may have looked left-hand dominant while playing with the Germany-based club Ulm because opponents rarely forced him to go right.

“He just kept doing what was efficient,” Faust says. “Thinking that he doesn’t go right because he didn’t have to go right (while playing with Ulm) — I think it’s more of an assumption than it is a fact.”

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