Westchester Knicks: Top 5 Moments Of 2016

There were many bright moments that happened in 2016 for the Westchester Knicks. What were the Top 5 moments of the year?

It has been one long, exciting year for the Westchester Knicks. A combined 32 players suited up for the Knicks in 52 games, which includes the franchise’s first ever playoff series.

While Westchester didn’t win a playoff game, it was something that excited the crowd at the Westchester County Center.

Unlike the previous year, the Knicks started off the season with a positive by picking up a victory at home against the Delaware 87ers. The Knicks went through a few bumps throughout the year.

The team lost five of six in January, which included a tough 21-point loss to the Iowa Energy.

Even with the struggles, the Knicks saw many positives in the following months. The Dub Knicks defeated the Sioux Falls Skyforce—a team that was 21-4 at that time and eventually finished the season with an all-time wins record with a 40-10 record.

Both Thanasis Antetokounmpo and Jimmer Fredette received a call-up within the span of a month. Antetokounmpo showed his defensive ability and amazed everyone with his athleticism.

Fredette had a stellar performance at the NBA D-League Showcase, which gave him momentum leading up to his call-up.

It didn’t stop there for the BYU product. Fredette had his hands full at the All-Star Game. He competed in the 3-point shooting content. In addition, he, along with Jordan Bachnyski, competed in the D-League All-Star Game.

Two months later, Westchester hosted its first ever playoff game. 2,096 fans cheered for the Dub Knicks at the Westchester County Center as they took on the Skyforce. Ultimately when the season ended, the Knicks finished with a 28-22 record—a 10-win improvement from the previous season.

Even with a different group of players, several familiar faces remained in Westchester. Just like the start of the 2015-16 season, the Knicks started off the season with a 6-1 record.

In the span of three games, Chasson Randle went off. His 38-point performance against the Texas Legends was the second-most points a Westchester Knick scored in a game. That doesn’t include the record the Stanford product broke that night.

After his performance in December, Randle was named to the  D-League Prospect Watch in consecutive weeks. On Dec. 21, he was the No.25 prospect. The following week, he moved up five spots.

With all the bright things that have happened in 2016, what are the Top 5 moments of the year?

5. Mirroring 2015-16 Start

The Westchester Knicks started off the 2015-16 season by winning their first six games. DaJuan Summers powered the Knicks in the first two games by averaging 25.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 2.0 steals per game before suffering a left achilles tendon injury.

In the first week, Summers was named the Performer of the Week. He became the first Westchester Knick to accomplish that feat.

The Knicks took full advantage of their schedule, as five of their first six games were at home. Westchester totaled many impressive wins to start off the season.

Jimmer Fredette, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 NBA D-League Draft, made his debut in the sixth game of the season and had a game to remember.

The following season, the Knicks mirrored their production from the 2015-16 season. Even though the Dub Knicks lost their first game of the 2016-17 season, the team went on a six-game win streak after the season opener.

For the first six games, the Knicks were led by Chasson Randle. Despite getting waived by the New York Knicks, Randle came out of the game with something to prove. Westchester didn’t win the game, but Randle showcased his scoring ability by totaling 25 points while shooting 7-of-16 from the field.

Damien Inglis has been valuable to the team’s success thus far. Inglis has been taking advantage of his size when he gets his opponent in the post, as he tries to out muscle them to knock down a jumper. The most noteworthy part of his game is his ability to be a good passer.

Inglis is mostly the point forward when he’s on the court and benefits when he draws a double team, as he can find the open man and kick it out to them.

With a minimum of 10 games played, Inglis leads the team in assists per game (3.9).

The Knicks were able to get a solid performance from their assignees against the Greensboro Swarm. In his first game with Westchester, Marshall Plumlee sparked the team with his grittiness and rebounding.

While he finished the game with 10 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, and a block, Plumlee has been valuable to the team when he’s assigned to Westchester since he does most of the dirty work.

The Knicks have greatly benefited from their assignment players this season.

“In this league, it helps a lot when you can get assignment players that can give you a little boost,” Westchester head coach Mike Miller said. “When you get the players, they all bring something different, so when Marshall [Plumlee] comes he brings what he does at a high level.”

After starting the 2015-16 season with a 6-1 record, the Knicks finished the season with a 28-22 record. That also included making the D-League playoffs for the first time in franchise history.

After mirroring the record from last season, are the Knicks bound to make the playoffs in consecutive years?

4. NBA D-League Playoffs In Westchester

Coming off a 10-win season, the Westchester Knicks were looking to rebound in a strong fashion. Westchester went 1-20 in the final 21 games during the 2014-15 season and were hoping head coach Mike Miller would lead the team towards success.

That’s what he did.

The Knicks had a strong roster. Travis Trice was a master of the midrange shot and he could also distribute the ball. Although he missed the first five games of the season, Jimmer Fredette was the go-to scorer on the team.

The frontcourt was loaded with a strong defensive presence. Darion Atkins and Jordan Bachynski, two players who were the Defensive Player of the Year of their respective conferences in college, helped the Westchester Knicks to be one of the top defenses in the NBA D-League.

Bachynski was a strong interior defender and the shot blocker the Knicks needed.

The Knicks won their first six games of the season. Westchester won their 10th game of the season on Dec. 18, which was huge for the team since the 2014-15 squad totaled 10 wins for the season.

Some of the most impressive wins Westchester totaled were against the Sioux Falls Skyforce. Westchester picked up a victory early on in the season. The two teams met in three straight games in January and February (Jan.  29, Jan. 30, and Feb. 5).

In the first two games, Jimmer Fredette had an explosive performance on offense. In their final meeting of the regular season, the Knicks defense stepped up and held Sioux Falls to 91 points.

It benefited the Knicks that the Skyforce were a little short-handed that night, as Sioux Falls chose to play seven players.

But as the season went on, the Skyforce bolstered their roster and became one of the most dominant teams the NBA D-League has seen. Sioux Falls went on to win 18 of their final 21 games en route to a record 40-win season.

The Westchester Knicks had the support of 2,096 fans at the Westchester County Center. Larry Johnson and John Starks were in attendance, along with former New York Liberty guard Teresa Weatherspoon.

Some of the 2015-16 Knicks players—Kristaps Porzingis, Cleanthony Early, Kyle O’Quinn, Langston Galloway, Sasha Vujacic and Jose Calderon—were on hand to support the Dub Knicks, as well.

With the first game of the series in Westchester, there was a thought that the Knicks had an advantage by playing the first game at the Westchester County Center. That wasn’t the case.

The Knicks dug themselves into a hole in the first quarter and couldn’t comeback after. The Dub Knicks only mustered 18 points in the opening quarter and almost got doubled up by their opponent.

In both games, the Knicks struggled containing Jarnell Stokes. Stokes was working the glass and dominated the interior. He totaled a double-double in both playoff games against Westchester.

Losing two straight games to the Sioux Falls Skyforce in their first-ever playoff appearance was not the result the Knicks envisioned. But the Knicks put up a good fight against a dominant team that eventually won the 2016 NBA D-League Finals.

The Knicks made huge strides from the 2014-15 season. After winning only 10 games during their inaugural season, Mike Miller led this team towards the playoffs.

Miller returned to the helm for his second season and he’s looking to bring the Knicks their first ever playoff series win this season.

3. A Year Of Call-Ups

The Westchester Knicks had their first call-up in franchise history in 2015, when New York signed Langston Galloway to a 10-day contract. In 2016, Westchester saw not only one player receive a call-up, but two.

Both of those players—Jimmer Fredette and Thanasis Antetokounmpo—received their call-ups within the span of three weeks. Fredette received a call-up on Nov. 10, 2015 & Feb. 22, 2016 and Antetokounmpo earned a 10-day contract on Jan. 29, 2016.

Before he suited up in a Westchester uniform, he received a call-up from the New Orleans Pelicans via the NBA hardship exemption. He saw limited playing time with the Pelicans, as he totaled almost 12 minutes (11.52) of action in four games.

After he was waived by New Orleans, he was reacquired by Westchester. Fredette started to build a campaign for another call-up in his NBA D-League debut. Not only did the 6’2″ guard play nearly every minute against the Grand Rapids Drive, but he was getting it done all-around.

He finished the game with 37 points, eight assists, and four rebounds.

As the season continued, his production only went up. Fredette had impressive performances against the Texas Legends and Reno Bighorns during the D-League Showcase, which only increased his stock during the call-up season.

Three weeks after the D-League Showcase, Jan. 29 and Jan. 30, Fredette and the Knicks took on one of the top defenses in the NBA D-League, the Sioux Falls Skyforce. The Knicks went 1-1 in those two games, but the BYU product furthered proved that he deserved another opportunity for a second 10-day contract.

In those two games against the Skyforce, Fredette totaled a combined 73 points on 8-of-14 from beyond the arc (57.1 percent).

After his superb season, he was named to the D-League All-Star Game. And what did Jimmer Fredette do? He poured in a record 35 points, along with eight assists, and six rebounds on 6-of-12 from deep in 25 minutes.

His performance earned him the D-League All-Star Game MVP.

Nine days after the NBA D-League All-Star Game, Jimmer Fredette received his second call-up of the season. The New York Knicks signed him on Feb. 22. He made his Knicks debut that night against the Toronto Raptors and totaled three points in less than two minutes of action.

Fredette only played in two games during his short tenure in New York.

Prior to Thanasis Antetokounmpo receiving a call-up, he spent two-and-a-half years in the NBA D-League—a year with the Delaware 87ers and a year-and-a-half with the Westchester Knicks. During the 2015-16 season, Antetokounmpo displayed flashes of his shooting abilities. He scored in double digits on many occasions, but had trouble developing consistency on the offensive end.

The Greek native used his athleticism to his advantage on both ends of the floor. His teammates know when they can throw it up around the rim and he’ll be there to throw it down.

The most valuable skill he brought to the table was his defensive presence. On many occasions during his tenure in Westchester, he would take the task of guarding the tougest opposing player. Along with that, Antetokounmpo displayed his ability to block shots.

After seeing one player receive a call-up in 2015, the Westchester Knicks saw two call-ups in 2016. Who will be the first Westchester Knick to receive a call-up in 2017?

2. Chass-on A Record Performance

Chasson Randle started off the season on a positive note, as he was a huge factor in the Knicks’ six-game winning streak. Randle started off the season by playing with a face mask after suffering a left orbital fracture during the NBA preseason.

To start off the season, he displayed his scoring touch and his ability be a solid defender.

In the middle of a 4-game road trip, the Westchester Knicks suffered a 17-point loss to the No. 2 scoring team in the NBA D-League, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. Randle had a poor shooting night, as he shot 4-of-13 from the field and 1-of-9 from beyond the arc.

He was able to rebound in a huge way against the Texas Legends.

Randle was almost unstoppable from deep. When he was on fire, his teammates kept on feeding him the ball. The Knicks guard connected on 5-of-6 shots from distance in the first half. He managed to continue his productivity in the second half and helped Westchester end its three-game losing streak.

Randle finished the game with 38 points, four rebounds, three assists, and two steals on 9-of-11 shooting from deep.

There were several noteworthy stats from Chasson Randle’s performance. The 38 points he scored were the second most points a Westchester Knick scored in a game. Doron Lamb scored 40 points on Mar. 12, 2015 against the Iowa Energy.

In addition, his 9-of-11 shooting from 3-point range is a new team record.

The 6-foot-2 guard maintained his streak in the following game against the Austin Spurs. Randle took advantage of their matchup against the Spurs, as they struggle to defend the 3-point shot.

Even though he only recorded 15 points in the first two quarters, his play helped make his teammates get better opportunities.

Jordon Crawford had his way on offense against the Spurs and struggled to stop the 5-foot-6 guard. His speed was hard to stop and he found many ways to get to the basket. Before the half ended, Crawford raced down the court and drained a 3-point shot.

Just as it was hard to contain Crawford, Randle had his way again. A game after his team record 9-of-11 shooting from deep, the Stanford product scored 36 points on 7-of-9 shooting from beyond the arc.

The most important thing to have in terms of shooting is consistency. While it was a short sample of games where he was almost unguardable from 3-point range, Randle has maintained a high shooting percentage in that area.

If he receives a call-up, Chasson Randle will need to display the consistency he’s shown over the past few weeks.

1. Representing Westchester In The NBA D-League All-Star Game

Things were more positive for the 2015-16 Westchester Knicks heading into the NBA D-League All-Star Game compared to the previous year. The Knicks benefited from a six-game winning steak from the beginning of the season, which helped propel them later on in the season.

Despite being in the midst of a three-game losing streak in February of 2016, the Dub Knicks were 18-14 heading into the 2016 D-League All-Star Game. The Knicks were 9-21 the previous year and came off a seven-game losing streak heading into the event.

The improved success Westchester had didn’t go unnoticed. Jimmer Fredette was selected to compete in the D-League All-Star Game and the 3-point contest. Before the annual event took place, Jordan Bachynski was named as a replacement for Lorenzo Brown.

Fredette kicked off the weekend by participating in the 3-Point Contest. One of the strongest parts of his game has been his range from beyond the arc, which goes back to his collegiate years.

Even with the effectiveness Fredette has shown from deep, Fredette had several tough opponents in from of him: Reggie Hearn, Andre Ingram, Omari Johnson, Nick Minnerath, and Scott Suggs.

Even with that difficult challenge in front of him, Jimmer Fredette came out of the game by totaling 24 points in the first round and advanced to the Finals of the contest. He saw his total decline in the Finals, which gave Andre Ingram, the 2015-16 3-point percentage leader, a huge advantage.

Ingram started off the finals by draining 14 of his first 15 shots en route to winning the 2016 3-point contest.

Along with the 3-Point Contest, Fredette was named to the NBA D-League All-Star as part of the Eastern Conference squad. Not only was it the first time a Westchester Knick competed in the D-League All-Star Game, but two players represented Westchester at the event.

One of Fredette’s best games of the season was at the D-League All-Star Game. Fredette helped lead the Eastern Conference to victory by getting it done in many fashions. He shot the lights out from deep, as he converted six of his 12 shots from 3-point range.

With many high-quality players on the team, Fredette displayed his ability to be a distributor. He finished the game with eight assists and six rebounds. Following his performance, Fredette was named the D-League All-Star Game MVP.

For Bachynski, a native of Canada, it was a huge honor to compete in the event.

“It was amazing. Anytime you can play in an All-Star Game, it’s a huge honor,” Bachynski told me last season. “And to be able to go to my home country and to be with my teammate, it was a lot of fun.

There wasn’t much defense played in the D-League All-Star Game. The teams totaled a combined 252 points. Even with all the talented scorers on the team, Bachynski had the opportunity to chip in by scoring 10 points, along with two rebounds, in 13 minutes of action.

The NBA D-League All-Star Game was huge for the Westchester Knicks. For Jimmer Fredette, he was looking to get a second call-up. He built his case throughout the season and his MVP performance helped him achieve that.

The Knicks didn’t have many bright spots during their inaugural season, but having two Westchester Knicks compete in the NBA D-League All-Star Game was the top moment of 2016.

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