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Frank Ntilikina will likely sit out of Friday's preseason finale on Friday so the Knicks can see more of Elfrid Payton and Dennis Smith Jr. at point guard. 

"Frank has played three (games), Elfrid has played two, Dennis is now going to play two, so I feel like I'm getting them all (playing time)," David Fizdale said Thursday. "… I feel like I gave all three guys ample opportunity to show what he can do."

Fizdale is choosing among Ntilikina, Payton and Smith Jr. for his starting point guard. Smith Jr. missed about ten days with a back ailment during preseason and looked rusty during his preseason debut Wednesday. He should get plenty of minutes on Friday against New Orleans. 

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Wednesday's game didn't provide much clarity in the Knicks' starting point guard competition.

Dennis Smith Jr. was out of rhythm in his preseason debut, shooting 1-for-5 in 20 minutes. Elfrid Payton was a DNP, by design. And Frank Ntilikina defended well but didn't provide the offensive spark that David Fizdale said he's looking for in his starting point guard.

The Knicks fell to the Atlanta Hawks, 100-96, on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden. >> Box Score

Five things to know from Wednesday's game...

1) David Fizdale started Dennis Smith Jr. at point guard, as the coach said before the game that he wanted to mix up the starting lineup. Smith Jr.'s night did not get off to a great start, as he quickly picked up two fouls in the first three minutes, finding himself back on the bench in a hurry. Frank Ntilikina was then called upon off the bench. Like Smith Jr. though, Ntilikina was not very impressive. The duo combined for just six points. Meanwhile, Elfrid Payton did not play. Ntilikina did come up with a pair of key defensive plays in the game's fiinal minutes. 

Prior to the Knicks' Wednesday night preseason matchup with the Atlanta Hawks, the team announced that guard Amir Hinton had been waived. 

An undrafted player out of Division-II Shaw University, Hinton signed with the Knicks on draft night. He was then officially added to the team's training camp roster in September.

SNY's Ian Begley reported at the time that Hinton had likely signed an Exhibit 10 deal, which would give Hinton a financial incentive to sign with the Knicks G League club, the Westchester Knicks, in the case he was released by the team. 

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When Dennis Smith Jr. takes the floor on Wednesday against the Atlanta Hawks, the stakes will be a little higher than your average preseason game. His performance in the Knicks' final two preseason games will factor heavily into who New York starts at point guard on opening night. Smith Jr. -- who missed the Knicks' first two preseason games with a back ailment -- is competing against Elfrid Payton and Frank Ntilikina for the starting position.

On Wednesday, New York will get a chance to evaluate Smith Jr.'s new shot for the first time in a formal game setting. They'll also see how he plays with a lighter frame.

Below, Shawn Farmer, Smith Jr.'s former trainer and an ex-pro himself, discusses Smith Jr.'s shot, his new frame and some other topics, including the NCAA recruiting scandal: 

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We'll learn a lot about the Knicks starting point guard position this week (more on that below), but don't be surprised if you see RJ Barrett handling the ball at times for New York. 

"I've thrown him at that position a couple times already," David Fizdale said Tuesday. "He played some of that in college. I think it adds another layer to how dynamic he can be. Especially having somebody that big that can switch things do some different things defensively. So yeah, I'll sprinkle that in."

Fizdale has mentioned Barrett, Julius Randle and Marcus Morris as potential non-point guard ball-handlers in his offense.

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If you've seen LeBron James' comments on the NBA-China controversy (and the reaction to those comments), you know that the ripple effects of Daryl Morey's tweet in support of demonstrators in Hong Kong will be felt for some time. 

There's plenty to unpack with this story: free speech issues, the NBA -- and many other companies -- conducting business with a country that critics say has a history of oppressing dissent, and the potential financial fallout for the league and its players from losing revenue from the business they do in China. 

It's way too early to predict how much revenue the league may lose in the aftermath of last week's events. But the lost revenue -- if it's high enough -- will have a tangible impact on the Knicks. 

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Dennis Smith Jr. is expected to make his preseason debut on Wednesday against the Hawks, which adds a layer of intrigue to the Knicks' starting point guard competition.

Smith Jr. missed New York's first two preseason games due to a back strain. He returned to practice over the weekend and, barring a setback, will make his preseason debut on Wednesday.

The Knicks had taken a cautious approach with Smith Jr.'s ailment.

Presidential candidate Andrew Yang has been sounding off on the Knicks for months. Here's the latest...

Oct. 14, 11:44 AM:

Once a big Knicks fan, Yang has grown increasingly agitated with the direction of the team. And he is now saying that he "prefers" the Nets.

"Better than the Knicks, man," Yang told Forbes about why he now prefers the Nets. "The (Knicks) ownership is just too. ... too s--ty."

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Did Justin Anderson have any extra motivation against Marcus Morris and the Knicks on Friday night?

"I'd be lying if I said it wasn't. Obviously, there's been a lot of talk about (Morris hitting him in the head with the ball). My biggest thing is making sure I go out there and whatever opportunity I get, making sure I play hard defensively, compete defensively," Anderson said. "And offensively, I told my brother, I'm just trying to kill. So I'm glad I played that way and maintained my composure and handled it like class."

Anderson had 15 points in 19 minutes off the bench for the Wizards, who knocked down 46 percent of their 3-point attempts in a 16-point win. Earlier in the week, Morris was ejected from a game against the Wizards for hitting Anderson in the head with an elbow and then hitting Anderson in the face with the ball.  

The Knicks fell to the Wizards 115-99 in their preseason home opener. >> Box Score

Six things to know from Friday's game...

1) Right off the opening tip, Julius Randle showed off his ability as a point-forward. Off of a Washington miss, Randle hauled in the defensive rebound and brought the ball up the court himself, something that Knicks fans can expect to see often this season. Randle then backed down the much smaller Ish Smith, and then kicked it out to an open Marcus Morris, who drained the three. Randle finished the night with 14 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists.

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In response to Kevin Durant, Marcus Morris tweeted on Thursday that he was never a fan of doing what was cool. 

He expanded on that idea when asked about it on Friday. 

"That's just me personally. Me reading what KD said, or listening to what he said about the cool thing," Morris said on Friday before the Knicks-Wizards game at MSG. "I just never was a real fan of that. Being cool and being in the NBA. Me personally, I get what he was saying. I actually have a good relationship with KD. But the cool part about playing somewhere. Playing in all cities - playing in Utah. Is it cool to play in Utah? It's cool to play in other places. It's cool. I just never was a fan of the cool thing. Making a decision off of what's cool."

If the current rift between the NBA and the Chinese government continues, it could have some adverse effects on the league next season. 

Teams are already preparing for that scenario. 

According to Yahoo! Sports' Keith Smith, "at least five NBA teams" are beginning to plan for a scenario where the NBA salary cap for the 2020-2021 season could diminish because of the NBA-China situation. Smith has it potentially falling between 10 and 15 percent. 

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A day after Julius Randle responded to Kevin Durant's critique of the Knicks, teammate Marcus Morris chimed in. 

Never was a fan of doing what was cool! I love being a Knick!!! Feeling right at home

Tags: Frank Ntilikina, Kevin Knox, Ian Begley

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Kristaps Porzingis made his Mavericks debut on Wednesday night, marking his first return to NBA action following a 20-month absence.

The Latvia native scored 18 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and was a team-leading +13 in 19 minutes on the night, as the Mavericks fell to the Pistons 124-117.

🎥: We may have lost the game, but we got the first look at Luka & KP on the floor together...and we're PUMPED! Who else?! Check out all the game highlights from our second preseason game. #MFFL pic.twitter.com/gu1rYsJJtf

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The New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets first face each other in the second game of the regular season Oct. 25 at Barclays Center, and the intrigue has already begun with off-court comments from both sides.

After Kevin Durant said that "the cool thing right now is not the Knicks," Julius Randle, among others, had a response for reporters Wednesday when asked about the new Nets star's thoughts from Tuesday on Hot97 FM's Ebro in the Morning Show.

"S--t, I feel cool in blue and orange," Randle told reporters. "I don't know about everybody else but I feel pretty cool wearing my Knicks gear every day. It's a dream come true for me. Everybody has their own opinion."

Marcus Morris has avoided any suspension by the NBA.

A league source confirmed to SNY's Ian Begley that Morris won't be suspended for Monday's incident.

The nine-year veteran had a very strong preseason debut against Washington, going off for 17 points in the first half.

Early in the the second half, after some back-and-forth with Justin Anderson, Morris hit Anderson in the head with the ball as Anderson guarded him. He received a Flagrant 2 foul and was ejected from the game.

Ian Begley, SNY.tv | Twitter | 

Nets center DeAndre Jordan didn't want to comment on the international controversy between the NBA, the Chinese government, the Houston Rockets and Houston GM Daryl Morey. 

"It was unfortunate that the events were cancelled today but we're not experts in that field," Jordan said on ESPN's The Jump on Tuesday from China, where the Nets are scheduled to play the Lakers. "The field that we are experts in is basketball. We wanted to come here to play basketball and see all our fans in China."

Ian Begley, SNY.tv | Twitter | 

David Fizdale plans to use several different lineups in the preseason. So we may see a different starting five when New York plays Washington on Friday at Madison Square Garden. 

But Fizdale gave some interesting insight when he answered a question about his starting lineup for Monday's preseason opener.

Ian Begley, SNY.tv | Twitter | 

In an interview on the Ebro in the Morning Show on Hot97 FM, Nets star Kevin Durant talked about several topics, including his decision to sign with the Nets and why "it's hard" for the Knicks to attract top players. Here is the full interview.

Here are some highlights:

ON HIS DECISION TO SIGN WITH THE NETS

Ian Begley, SNY.tv | Twitter | 

Frank Ntilikina spent some time in Dallas over the summer, training for the NBA season and the FIBA World Cup. David Fizdale flew to Texas for a visit with Ntilikina in July. At one point, the coach shared a simple, poignant message with his young guard: "We've got a lot of confidence in you, play free, leave everything behind you."

Ntilikina seemed to do just that with the French National team. He started at guard for the club and his play -- which included a clutch performance against Team USA -- propelled them to a bronze medal in the World Cup.

"It gives you a lot of confidence," Ntilikina said of his World Cup success. "But I say now: it's a new start with a new team with the Knicks. So it's another competition."

Ian Begley, SNY.tv | Twitter | 

Marcus Morris said his decision to hit Justin Anderson in the head with a ball early in the second half of the Knicks' preseason win over the Wizards was "unprofessional" and "a bad move." 

Morris received a flagrant-2 foul on the play. The sequence started when Morris hit Anderson in the head with an elbow when he swung his arms through to create space. He then hit Anderson with the ball.

Morris said afterward Anderson said something to provoke him, though he didn't use that to excuse his reaction. He and the Wizards forward had to be separated after the play.

Ian Begley, SNY.tv | Twitter | 

Here are a few takeaways from the Knicks' 104-99 win over the Wizards:

MORRIS EJECTED: Marcus Morris was ejected 13 seconds into the second half for doing something you don't see often. First, he appeared to hit Justin Anderson, his defender, with an elbow when he swung his arms through to create space. That happens regularly in the NBA. Here's the odd part. He then hit Anderson in the head with the ball and started jawing with him. He received a flagrant-two, presumably for the whole sequence.

TKTKTK

Ian Begley, SNY.tv | Twitter | 

Based on what we've heard from players at Knicks training camp, defense has been a priority this week. You'll get your first look at the Knicks' defense in action on Monday when they open the preseason in Washington.

Something to expect? Ball pressure. That's been a point of emphasis during camp.

"Me and all my teammates, we pay a lot of attention to pressuring the ball on defense. And not letting the opposing team be comfortable offensively," Frank Ntilikina, one of the team's top defenders, said Sunday. "So yes, you will see that from the Knicks."

Ian Begley, SNY.tv | Twitter | 

Veteran Knicks big man Taj Gibson has been impressed by Mitchell Robinson so far.

"He has a lot more to offer than what you see. He's only scratched the surface," Gibson said Friday. "He's real talented and athletic but he shows a lot more in practice. He can shoot the ball. He's a great shot-blocker. He has so much to offer. It's up to us to bring it out of him."

Robinson will likely start at center for the Knicks this year. You can argue that his progression in Year 2 -- and beyond -- is one of the Knicks' most important tasks. Robinson established himself as one of the top young shotblockers in the league this season. He plans to start shooting from the perimeter this year. If he can continue to develop on both ends of the court, the 21-year-old could give the Knicks something every NBA team covets -- a shot blocking 7-footer who can shoot threes.

When Kevin Durant signed with the Brooklyn Nets this summer, Knicks fans naturally felt spurned, having held out hope that the 10-time All-Star would bring the magic back to Madison Square Garden.

But what about Allonzo Trier? The second-year Knicks guard has a relationship with Durant that dates back to Trier's days as a high schooler in Oklahoma City, when Durant was a member of the Thunder.

Ian Begley, SNY.tv | Twitter | 

A few notes and observations from Knicks training camp on Thursday:

RJ Barrett spent some time talking to Hall of Famer Bernard King on Thursday.

King didn't want to reveal too much about the conversation, but he seems impressed by the Knicks' No. 3 overall pick.

Ian Begley, SNY.tv | Twitter | 

The Knicks are three days into training camp, so it's probably too early to say anything definitive about the team's identity. But Marcus Morris knows exactly what he wants it to be. 

"Old school Knicks. Protect the Garden. My biggest thing is no one's coming in there and disrespecting us," Morris said Thursday. "If anything, if you come in here you're going to get a hard-fought game. The better team going to win but we're not tolerating no disrespect and no one coming in here thinking it's going to be easy. That's the first and foremost."  

Other Knicks have delivered similar messages in the past. But more often than not, they haven't followed through on them. This instance is probably different; it would be hard to find a player in the league who thinks Morris won't back his words up.

Ian Begley, SNY.tv | Twitter | 

David Fizdale plans to use Julius Randle all over the floor this season. 

"I'm gonna have him handling pick-and-roll. I'm gonna have him setting pick-and-rolls. He'll post and (isolate) and I'll run pindowns for him, cross-screens and pindowns. For a guy like that with that kind of talent I wanna move him around and utilize the skillset from different parts of the floor," Fizdale said Wednesday. 

Spike Lee has added to his Knicks memorabilia collection, and he spent a pretty penny to do so.

According to the Associated Press, Lee recently purchased 13 Knicks-related items from an auction, held by the family of the Red Holzman, the former Knicks coach who passed away in 1998. The family had put 35 items up for auction, with Lee purchasing over a third of them.

Ian Begley, SNY.tv | Twitter | 

Frank Ntilikina learned something important about himself during France's run to the bronze medal in the FIBA World Cup:

"How good I can be playing basketball," the guard said on Wednesday. "It's simple on both sides of the court. A competition like that brought me a lot of confidence."

If Ntilikina can play with the kind of confidence/competence in New York that he showed with the French National Team last month, maybe he earns a spot in David Fizdale's rotation.

A lot has changed for Knicks PG Dennis Smith Jr. this summer. And it wasn't just his jumper. 

Smith spoke to the media at practice Wednesday, and he admitted being down about 15 pounds since the end of last season. The Knicks had told him to cut weight, and he did just that. 

Of course, that came with some food sacrifices.

After the Knicks missed out on landing the big names during the NBA's offseason, the star player they traded away in January now says he's in the best shape of his life. 

Speaking to reporters at Mavericks Media Day, Kristaps Porzingis said he's as healthy as he's ever been on the court.

"I feel great physically," Porzingis said. "I feel 100 percent. I feel probably better than I ever have in my life."

Ian Begley, SNY.tv | Twitter | 

How does Dennis Smith Jr.'s new shot look in five-on-five scrimmages?

"It's a lot better," David Fizdale said on Tuesday. "It's a lot less movement, it's more efficient. He put in a lot of time on the fundamentals this summer. But it's a process. He'll have days where it's not as great. But I think consistently now he's got a shot that has a better chance of going in."

Smith Jr. has worked extensively on his shot this summer with Knicks assistant coach Keith Smart. He shot 42 percent overall and 32 percent from beyond the arc this season. The Knicks, obviously, would like to see those percentages increase in Smith Jr.'s third NBA season.

Ian Begley, SNY.tv | Twitter | 

After working on his 3-point shot all summer, Mitchell Robinson plans to let it fly from beyond the arc this season. 

"Why work on something you're not going to use? I'm looking forward to it," the second-year center said after the first practice of Knicks training camp. 

Heading into his sixth NBA season, Julius Randle is excited to be playing for the Knicks. It will be Randle's first season with New York, after signing a three-year $63 million contract with the team over the summer. He spent his first four years with the Los Angeles Lakers and the 2018-2019 season with the New Orleans Pelicans.

Randle acknowledged that he's going to be a leader with his new team, and is focused on helping center Mitchell Robinson take a leap forward in his second season in the league.

"That was one of the things I talked to Fiz about, that I was extremely excited about. Mitch has no clue how talented he is, how good he can be," Randle said. "Me being a leader of this team, I'm definitely going to push him, to try to maximize his potential. That's a kid I'm extremely excited to play with day in and day out."

Kevin Knox's rookie season has came and went, and though the numbers may not be what he wanted to see at the end of it, he still showed flashes of that first-round pick type of talent.

Now it's all about improving off that rookie year, and turning those flashes into consistent performance. Speaking at the Knicks Media Day on Monday in Tarrytown, NY, Knox said that he was watching tons of film this summer to see what he can improve on.

"I think with this first season going by, I think this summer I had some film I could really watch," he told reporters. "Going into last year, I had no film really on myself, but this year I could really watch and see where I can grow, get better. Obviously have to get better at the defensive end and that' something that me, Fiz, and a lot of coaches have been working on this summer. Being more consistent, more efficient on the floor. Knocking down open shots."

Since being released by the Knicks, Enes Kanter has alternated between bashing them and praising them and their future. On Monday, the dice landed on "bash."

Asked why he chose to sign with the Celtics during the offseason, Kanter was succinct.

"That's why I chose Celtics. They don't tank," he said Monday, according to Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald.

Knicks first-rounder RJ Barrett was all smiles in his No. 9 jersey during Media Day on Monday. But when the lights turn on at Madison Square Garden in his rookie season, it will be all business for the No. 3 overall pick. 

His true first day at work begins on Tuesday during his first training camp practice. Barrett is excited to get to work with his new teammates in Tarrytown, NY -- something he's already been doing since being drafted by the Knicks. It has been so far, so good as he continues to get acclimated to his new team.

"It's been great so far," he told reporters. "Just really enjoying being around the guys, enjoying working out so just trying to get to know everybody."

It's Knicks Media Day out in Tarrytown, NY, and it's also the first time team president Steve Mills and GM Scott Perry discussed their free agency moves. 

The result wasn't what Knicks fans were hoping for, as the superstars like Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Kawhi Leonard and others found their way to different teams. However, Mills and Perry had multiple plans in place if something like this were to go down. 

So the roster that they have put together with training camp kicking off tomorrow is one that they did envision when prepping for free agency.

Ian Begley, SNY.tv | Twitter | 

Leading up to free agency, the Knicks, Warriors, Clippers and Nets all had serious interest in signing Kevin Durant. People around the Knicks felt that they still had a chance to land Durant in the days leading up to free agency. 

Did Durant share that interest?

When asked on Friday how seriously he considered signing with the Knicks, Clippers or Warriors before deciding on the Nets, Durant said, "I thought about it for a couple seconds to see how my life would look in all of those places for a minute. But ultimately, I wanted to be here."

Ian Begley, SNY.tv | Twitter | 

Count Lance Thomas among the NBA players who are surprised that Carmelo Anthony isn't on an NBA roster. 

"I think he deserves to end up on a team. A guy of his caliber is someone who has always been a standup guy in the league. He's given amazing basketball memories to the NBA, has affected almost every teammate he's ever had in a positive way, and always has a smile on his face," Thomas said Friday at Nets Media Day. "I think he does deserve to play on a team. I think it's unfortunate what's happening. But you're not going to take the smile off his face even if you tried."

Thomas signed with the Nets on Friday. His addition puts Brooklyn's roster entering training camp at 20 players - the maximum allowed under NBA guidelines. So the Nets would need to waive someone to add Anthony, which seems unlikely at this point. 

The last coach to have a winning season at Madison Square Garden -- heck, the last coach to lose less than 50 games -- was Mike Woodson. It's been six years since Woodson coached the Knicks to 54 wins and an Atlantic Division title. Six years since the Knicks have had a winning product. Woodson says that that season in New York is one of the highlights of his 30-plus years in the NBA. 

"There isn't anything like winning in New York; it's just different," Woodson says. 

We'll find out in the coming months if this year's Knicks team can recreate that feeling. 

But before we look ahead, Woodson took some time to look back on his coaching tenure in New York. He talks with SNY about why he enjoyed coaching Carmelo Anthony and working for James Dolan and his desire to coach again in the NBA: 

The Nets have agreed to terms with forward Lance Thomas, the team announced ahead of Friday's media day. 

SNY's Ian Begley had previously reported that the team was in conversations with the former Knick, who will look to serve as a stopgap in the Nets' rotation while Wilson Chandler serves a 25-game suspension for violating the league's performance-enhancing drug policy at the start of the season.

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Discussions between Lance Thomas and the Brooklyn Nets have centered around Thomas having a regular season roster spot, per SNY sources.

The Nets have 15 players on guaranteed deals, but can add an extra player after the fifth game of Wilson Chandler's 25-game suspension for violating the league's performance-enhancing drug policy.

Nets GM Sean Marks acknowledged on Tuesday that the team will look into adding a 16th player on the roster during Chandler's suspension.

The Knicks will have a new uniform option for the 2019-20 season, according to Chris Creamer of SportsLogos.net, and that uniform was recently spotted and shown via Instagram.

According to Creamer, the new uniform that was spotted is the "Statement Edition" uniform.

Check it out below:

Ian Begley, SNY.tv | Twitter |

A few days ahead of his first NBA training camp, Knicks rookie Ignas Brazdeikis sat down with SNY to talk about basketball, his upbringing, and how he's adjusting to life in New York so far.

Brazdeikis, selected 47th in the 2019 NBA Draft, says he isn't looking to prove any doubters wrong in his first season in the league.

"I'm just here to prove myself right," he says. "I don't really care about anyone else, proving them wrong, whatever. I know who I am, I know how good I am, and I know how much I can help this team. I'm going to prove it, I'm going to do my thing. And I don't hold anything against anyone (who may have overlooked him). It what it is, but I'm definitely ready to go."

The NBA is entering a season where there are numerous teams in contention for a championship and even more poised to push for a long playoff run. With the Knicks being perhaps the only team in the division out of contention, the Atlantic Division features some heavy hitters.

In a league built on stars, the Atlantic has All-Stars in Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. There's also players on the rise and poised to eventually make an all-star team in Pascal Siakam and Jayson Tatum.

Player movement is at an all-time high, so don't expect any of these teams to look exactly the same five years from now. All five teams in the division feature interesting rosters with numerous questions about how they look currently, as well as where they will be in the next five years.