WESTCHESTER TIPS OFF 2018-19 SEASON AT MAINE
The Westchester Knicks look to tip-off its fifth season at Eastern Conference opponent Maine. The matchup comes on the frontend of a back-to-back as the Knicks pay a visit to Long Island Saturday.
Westchester and Maine split a 2-2 series’ record in last year’s campaign. New York Knicks guard Trey Burke registered 39 points in his only appearance in the Red Claws’ series last year.
Isaiah Hicks averaged 16.8 points against Maine for then-fifth best. This figure leads current Knicks’ squad. Hicks’ 8.8 boards through last year’s Red Claws series led the Knicks. Westchester shot 49.4-percent against Maine contrasting the foe’s 42.0-percent clip.
INJURY REPORT
Trevon Blueitt (low back) is out.
Isaiah Hicks dropped 16.8 points per game against Maine last season which bested his season average by 1.2 ppg. His 8.8 rebounds against the Red Claws was a team superlative and upstaged his overall 2017-18 production.
On January 20, 2018, Westchester was unable to go two-for-two against the Maine Red Claws (14-14), falling 97-92 despite a triple-double performance from Xavier Rathan-Mayes. Finishing with 25 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, Rathan-Mayes recorded his third triple-double of the season, which is also Westchester’s third all-time. Knicks Two-Way player Luke Kornet supplied 20 points with seven rebounds, his fellow Two-Way player Isaiah Hicks contributing eight points with 10 rebounds and 5 blocked shots. On assignment from the New York Knicks, Damyean Dotson added 13 points with four rebounds.
Red Claws center Guerschon Yabusele nabbed a double-double of 25 points and 10 rebounds, guard Kadeem Allen recording his own of 17 points and 10 rebounds. On assignment from the Boston Celtics, Abdel Nader fell just short, finishing with 20 points and nine rebounds. Anthony Bennett chipped in 16 points with five rebounds, and Daniel Dixon supplied 11 points with seven rebounds.
Westchester Knicks head coach Mike Miller was named the 2017-18 NBA G League Dennis Johnson Coach of the Year, as voted on by G League head coaches and general managers. Last season, he led the Westchester Knicks (32-18) to its first Eastern Conference and Atlantic Division titles and the top overall seed in the 2018 NBA G League Playoffs.
Westchester, the official NBA G League affiliate of the New York Knicks, finished the 2017-18 season with a league-best 19-6 on the road, boasting one of the league’s top defenses, ranking second in the league in opponent points per game (101.5), first in opponent blocks (3.7), third in opponent field goals made (36.9), and third in defensive rating (102.1). The team also finished the season second in the league in both net rating (4.5) and three-point percentage (38.7). Westchester’s longest losing streak of the season (three games) happened just once, with the team losing back-to-back on only three occasions.
Three players received a combined five NBA Call-Ups last season: Trey Burke (New York Knicks), Xavier Rathan-Mayes (Memphis Grizzlies), and Nigel Hayes (Los Angeles Lakers, Toronto Raptors, Sacramento Kings).
Current New York Knicks guard Trey Burke was twice the NBA G League Player of the Week and subsequently the Player of the Month for December last season. Head coach Mike Miller was named the NBA Development League Coach of the Month back in November 2016, a first for both the league and the team.
Beginning in the 2017 offseason, NBA rosters expanded from 15 to 17 players with the addition of two spots for players under “Two-Way Contracts.”
NBA teams may have up to two players under NBA Two-Way Contracts who will spend the bulk of the season in the NBA G League and not more than 45 days with their NBA team. Two-Way players are paid a corresponding daily amount based on the number of days they play in each league. Only players with four or fewer years of NBA service are able to sign Two-Way Contracts, which can be for either one or two seasons.
Allonzo Trier and Isaiah Hicks are both under Two-Way Contracts for Westchester.
The NBA G League’s flexible assignment system – which was instituted prior to the 2014-15 season – will continue to enable the independent NBA teams to assign players to the NBA G League for development or rehabilitation from injury. Trevon Blueitt is on flex assignment via the New Orleans Pelicans.
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