3 things to watch during Knicks preseason

The Knicks enter the preseason with some young players competing for rotation spots, a few veterans getting back in rhythm, and a coaching staff looking to set the tone for a successful year. It all starts on Tuesday night when New York hosts Jaden Ivey and the Detroit Pistons at the Garden. 

Here are a few things to keep an eye on during New York’s four-game preseason:

Role for Reddish?

Cam Reddish should get playing time in the preseason, particularly early on. Quentin Grimes has been sidelined with foot soreness. He will not play on Tuesday against Detroit. Evan Fournier logged significant minutes for the French national team in Eurobasket last month. So it’s fair to assume that he won’t play extended minutes early in the preseason. Logically, that leaves an opportunity for Reddish to establish himself as a rotation player. 

When speaking to reporters last week, Reddish said he feels fully healthy coming into camp; he also talked about the importance of making an impact on the defensive end of the floor. 

Reddish, 6-8 with a 7-1 wingspan, has the physical tools to defend wings – one of the more important assignments in the NBA today. 

So I’d assume New York is taking a long, hard look at Reddish in training camp and the preseason with an eye toward getting him on the floor in the regular season. 

Something worth noting: a lineup featuring RJ Barrett, Reddish, and Jalen Brunson was used last week while Grimes and Fournier were sidelined. It will be interesting to see if New York looks at that lineup during the preseason. 

In a big-picture sense, it would be odd if Reddish didn’t get minutes in the preseason and an earnest opportunity to earn a rotation spot. 

New York traded Kevin Knox and a protected first-round pick to the Atlanta Hawks for Reddish last January. Reddish was initially out of Tom Thibodeau's rotation but played regular minutes later in the season due in part to injuries. Then, Reddish suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. 

The 23-year-old will be a restricted free agent this summer. His frame and talent alone should be enough to draw significant interest in 2023 free agency. Even after the Donovan Mitchell trade, several teams inquired with New York about Reddish’s situation/availability via trade. 

So the Knicks and members of other organizations believe in Reddish’s potential. That’s why his performance during the preseason is something worth keeping an eye on.

Starting shooting guard?

Given Grimes’ foot soreness, you’d assume that Fournier has an edge in the competition for starting shooting guard. Thibodeau said last week that Fournier was the 'front-runner' for the job. If/when Grimes is healthy, I’d expect him to get consideration for the starting role. But he has to get on the floor first, obviously. There is no indication that his foot injury is significant. 

When New York signed Brunson in July, some with the organization had concerns about the defensive pairing of Brunson and Fournier. Grimes showed a lot of potential as a perimeter defender during his rookie season. 

When Thibodeau called Fournier the front-runner for the starting shooting guard spot last week, he noted that a lineup featuring Julius Randle, Brunson, and Barrett needs shooting. Fournier set the franchise single-season record for 3-pointers made last season. He hit 39 percent of his 3-pointers. Grimes made 38 percent of his threes as a rookie. 

First look at Brunson, Hartenstein

Knicks fans will see Brunson and Isaiah Hartenstein on the floor for the first time. Both players have been working out with teammates at the facility in Westchester County for several weeks. So the Knicks' free-agent signees aren’t strangers to their teammates. 

Thibodeau believes Brunson will be a steadying presence on and off the court, managing the game for a Knicks team that doesn’t have a clear hierarchy on offense at the moment. Thibodeau sounds very excited about the ways both Brunson and Hartenstein will impact New York. 

For Hartenstein, look for the big to continue defending the rim well and also distributing out of the high post on offense. Hartenstein mentioned Obi Toppin as a target for layups/dunks off of cuts in half-court sets.