New York Knicks: Enes Kanter seems unhappy about bench role
By Sam Friedman
New York Knicks center Enes Kanter has been moved to the bench. So far, it seems like he is very disappointed with the role.
During his first interview after accepting the New York Knicks position, David Fizdale harped on the fact that defense is the priority, Enes Kanter is not the best at defense, for starters.
All the while, the Knicks have lacked defensive intensity since the Patrick Ewing days, and it was time for people to start earning their role.
Enes Kanter is a horrendous defender, and it shows throughout his career.
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He was frequently taken out of games with the Thunder, as his defensive inability far out-weighs his offensive skills.
Last year, Kanter’s Defensive Rating was 110.6, just solid enough for the bottom 30 in the league.
Kanter, along with Trey Burke ,Emmanuel Mudiay, Luke Kornet and Courtney Lee all finished in the bottom 50 in the league.
To his credit, but to the chagrin of Kanter, Fizdale is trying to correct this before it gets out of hand.
I do not believe that Kanter is happy about this at all. Kanter worked his, you know what off this summer to get into shape, and he is getting benched less than 10 games into the season.
Here is Kanter’s reaction when being asked about his new role on the team:
A subdued Enes Kanter answers questions about coming off the bench tonight against Golden State. Kanter had started the Knicks’ first 5 games: pic.twitter.com/68mNFpmh1A
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) October 27, 2018
Kanter, normally very gregarious and full of energy, nonchalantly deflects the question from the reporter.
Kanter’s cookie cutter answer is all I need to hear to understand how he feels.
This guy actively speaks his mind about his native country (Turkey), about other players (trying to recruit LeBron). Very easy to see through this interview.
I see the both sides of the coin here.
Kanter is very dominant on the offensive end, and on the boards. His game doesn’t translate to the new NBA, but he still puts up great numbers.
On the other hand, he can’t possibly keep up with these new age centers like
Anthony Davis, Karl-Anthony Towns , or Joel Embiid
Without Kristaps Porzingis, Kanter being unable to contribute on the defensive end, and Mitchell Robinson being young and new to NBA level talent, leaves the Knicks in a precarious place defensively.
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One thing is for certain, Kanter needs to embrace this role. Without his offense, the Knicks don’t stand a chance against any team.