When the captain talks, you listen.
The Knicks legendary center Willis Reed shared his opinions on the new-look group after watching the team participate in training camp sessions at West Point this week. President Phil Jackson assembled the current roster that features eight new projected rotation players, including two first round draft picks.
“I just think the chemistry is better. And that’s always a positive,” Reed reacted on Friday morning.
Last season marked the first trip to West Point for training camp under the direction of Jackson and with head coach Derek Fisher leading the team from the sidelines. For the past four days, Fisher has praised the new Knicks for their character and dedication on the practice court.
"I really believe that we’re going to have a great improvement in our performance this year on the court. Everybody seems to be working hard. I think the level of skill, you’ve got a lot of young players who have pretty much been in the league and have got some experience. They’ve got potential," Reed explained.
The two-time NBA champion and Finals MVP joked about the players picking his brain during camp, “I’m sure they read that I got lucky and made two shots.” Reed is certainly an expert when discussing the center position and although he played a drastically different style of game, he can see the tremendous potential for the No. 4 overall pick, Kristaps Porzingis.
“He’s got skill,’’ Reed stated. “Most guys [that size] are clumsy, unskillful. He’s well coordinated. He’s got to get stronger and learn the game. He’s got very good skills. Now it’s a matter of learning how to play our game. How long that takes, I don’t know. I’m betting on it. I think he can do something most guys his size don’t do well. That’s shoot the ball.’’
The team will conclude training camp at West Point on Saturday morning and will return to MSG Training Center for practice on Monday.