Takeaways from Cleanthony Earlys Initial Run with New York Knicks: There have been some bright spots in Cleanthony Earlys first minutes as a New York Knick, but he still has plenty to improve on just to become a rotation regular. After New Yorks 109-93 win over the Denver Nuggets on Nov. 16, the Knicks have played 11 games this season, but the 23-year-old rookie did not play in four of them. In the seven contests he did play in, young Cle has seen 54 total minutes of court time, or 7.7 minutes per game. The returns leave much to be desired, even after adjusting for the limited run. Yes, 12.7 points per 36 minutes looks a lot better than 2.7 points per game, and 4.7 rebounds per 36 could be worse for a 68, 220-pound small forward. But prorating Earlys playing time cant erase the ugliness of 35 percent shooting, and his 4.0 fouls per 36 arent ideal for someone playing short spurts. Only one of Cleanthonys earl…ahem, initial stats reads unequivocally positive—save for the small sample size, of course: He has knocked down an even 40 percent of his 10 attempts beyond the arc (you do the math). If he has one plus skill at this formative stage of his career, its his three-point shooting. When Early has the opportunity to make decisions with the ball on the offensive end, he has the raw talent to shine. His treys have come within the flow of the offense, where he has delivered on open looks with catch-and-shoot makes and confident, off-the-bounce play. His best display of marksmanship came against the Brooklyn Nets on Nov. 7. Early calmly knocked down three of his five long-range attempts, each one assisted and each with a measured, smooth stroke. Of course, we have to note that all of Earlys 12 points against Brooklyn came in garbage time of a 110-99 Knicks loss. Cles sure shooting helped narrow the margin of defeat, but considering it came against lackadaisical close-outs in a no-stakes scenario, it must be taken with a grain of salt. After all, Early has hit just 1-of-5 from deep in his six other games. But give the youngster credit for playing with a pulse when no one else would, displaying how he can be a jack of all trades for New York even if hell likely never master any. Brook Lopez may not be fully exerting himself against this New York transition, but he by no means is coasting and allowing Early past him. When J.R. Smith hits Cleanthony with the outlet, the neophyte puts down a hard dribble and goes in strong for the jam, flushing it home with his right hand past Lopezs block attempt. Early isnt particularly bouncy, but he can still finish strong with a 7-footer lurking. He doesnt have a great handle, but if a guy his size can attack decisively and under control, simple moves are more than enough for him. Hes not successfully creating his own shots at this point, but he can capitalize on the chances his teammates get for him. That whole offensive skill set was visible against Brooklyn; he just needs to utilize it in non-garbage scenarios. In a sign of his maturity, he knows it, too, per ESPN New Yorks Ian Begley: Yet while hes offensively versatile, Early is diversely lacking on the other end. He doesnt have the height or the strength to credibly guard the 4 in small-ball lineups, but he doesnt have the quickness to lock opponents down on the perimeter, either. Both situations lead to the fouling—the result of an unpolished, overmatched defender. Those shortcomings, along with his rawness moving the ball within the triangle offense, has kept his workload especially light; no Knick who has appeared this season has played fewer minutes than Early. And he might soon wind up with even less run and even fewer chances to prove himself. According to Marc Berman of the New York Post, Andrea Bargnani has recovered enough from his strained hamstring to practice for the first time this season, while CBS Sports R.J. White reports Derek Fisher is also eyeing Jose Calderon to return from his injured calf and rejoin his teammates as well. Neither of those vets shares a position with Early, but their minutes will have to come from somewhere. Between Carmelo Anthony getting less time at power forward and Iman Shumpert getting spared from emergency point guard duty, Earlys at risk of getting squeezed out of the wing rotation. It comes down to whether he can outplay Travis Wear, his fellow small forward rookie. Wear hasnt been able to score a lick—hes shooting a brutal 27 percent, almost entirely on two-point tries—but at 610, 230 pounds, he provides a better physical presence on the defensive end, and he has made the proper reads within the triangle to keep the offense coherent. Fisher has gone with the undrafted 24-year-old more often than he has Cle, the 34th overall pick and the veritable prize of New Yorks 2014 draft. Even though Early clearly has more talent, Wear happens to show more competence in the couple of areas Early has struggled in most. Which isnt to say he has lost the rookie battle yet. As long as Wear remains individually atrocious on offense, Early will be able to shoot himself into a larger role. He will likely wind up with a few more DNPs between now and then, but give him the ball and a little bit of space, and he has the stuff to stick with the Knicks. All stats via NBA. Josh Cohen writes about the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @arealjoshcohen. Read more NBA news on BleacherReport #Basketball #NBA #NBAAtlantic #NewYorkKnicks #fantasybasketball
Posted on: Tue, 18 Nov 2014 12:15:11 +0000
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