[ad_1]
With the Pistons losing starting point goalie Delon Wright to groin strain and the Knicks losing Elfrid Payton to hamstring strain, Sunday’s game against Motown PG is set.
Derrick Rose versus Dennis Smith Jr. at Detroit’s Little Caesar’s Arena.
Rose and Smith were traded three weeks ago and it has worked out perfectly for the Knicks.
Rose, in his second straight game since Payton fell, had 17 points, 11 assists and five steals in Saturday’s big win over the Pacers to drop them to .500 (17-17).
It has also been instructive for the Pistons as Detroit seeks to revive the Knicks excluded Smith. Pistons coach Dwane Casey made Smith the starting point goalie four games ago and he’s found his mojo.
In that span, Smith averages 12 points in 21.6 minutes and 50 percent – 46.7 of 3. He averages four assists and 1.5 steals.
“The truth is, you never want to be too comfortable because you end up being complacent,” Smith said on the eve of the Knicks showdown. “But you can definitely tell when the feel of the game starts to come back, especially from where I was from. I can feel my feelings coming back to me.
Smith, once the centerpiece of Kristaps Porzingis’ trade, has only played three first games for the Knicks – two in the trash. Then he injured his quad and never returned to the field before the rally. He eventually asked for reps in G League training camp for Westchester.
It was in Atlanta’s G-League bubble that Smith learned Sunday during the Super Bowl that he was moving to Detroit. After the exchange, Smith told a Zoom press conference that he “smiles all day.”
Three weeks later, Smith is still smiling.
“Much better,” Smith said when asked how his conditioning now compared to the day of the trade. “Shout out to the trainers and everyone on the staff. They are always looking to work. After every game we have post-game training – which is new to me. They take time out of their night. So I appreciate it.
“I think I just come in and be myself in terms of presence,” added the 23-year-old former North Carolina state guard. “I have come and I am me. I feel like I really love everyone here. I have the impression that it is reciprocal. I just continue to be a big part of this team and try to lead as much as I can. “
The Pistons own the worst NBA record in the East at 9-24 – still uncomfortable losing their lottery pick point guard Killian Hayes to a serious hip injury. Hayes could return before the end of the season.
On Friday against Sacramento, Smith threw a monstrous driving dunk into traffic – something out of his college days. When told he hadn’t dived into a game in a year, Smith already knew it.
“It’s crazy to think it’s been a year,” Smith said. “The last one was in Charlotte because it appeared in my Facebook memories. It was a stimulus for the team.
Meanwhile, the Knicks are also smiling because of the Rose-Smith deal.
Rose, who wanted to leave Detroit to play again with coach Tom Thibodeau, did almost everything as advertised in nine games. He’s been a leader on the ground – and played better defense than in his first stint with the Knicks. He averages 13.5 points and 4.5 assists.
Having played in Detroit only two seasons. he tries not to get sentimental.
“There’s no thought,” Rose said of her return. “I got over these feelings every time I returned to Chicago. It helped put me in my mind to know it’s a business and to understand that you can’t play in a way that’s going to be detrimental to the team.
“This is my first time. I don’t talk about it unless someone talks about it. I try to leave it in hindsight, I just work on my craft, I try to learn guys every days and I try to put my stamp on the team whenever I can, but I can’t look back.
[ad_2]
Source link