The New York Knicks have fallen woefully short of playoff expectations this season as they have the worst record in the league.
Following New York's loss to Washington on Friday night, the frustrations boiled over for shooting guard Tim Hardaway, Jr.
“I’m not going to sugarcoat anything. It wasn’t the year I wanted to have. I know that, and I know the guys on my team know that as well,’’ said Hardaway. "All you can do is go out there and give it all you’ve got and finish the season out strong. It’s just a point to try to end on a good note.
"You don’t want to leave your team behind. I mean, it’s my wrist — it’s not like it’s my leg or my hips. I’m able to run, I’m able to talk, I’m able to communicate out there on the court. I just want to go out there and play. I play for pride, and I play for the guys on our team.”
Head coach Derek Fisher understands Hardaway's frustrations, and said he wants the second-year player to focus on getting better for the remainder of the season:
“Tim is just continuing to evolve as a young man, and I think continuing to break away from the idea that shot-making is the thing he can do to help his team,’’ Fisher said. “Tim is much more versatile. His ballhandling is improving, his size gives him the chance to guard multiple players on the defensive end. Those are things he can do every night, and he’s making a more concerted effort to do those this year.
“Hopefully these last six games, he can try and focus on the things we talked about focusing on when the season started. People know you can make shots, but the other parts of your game you’re going to have to continue to mature and develop, so even with the wrist possibly still bothering him, the defense, the hustle, the rebounding, making good decisions, those are all things he can still do.’’
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