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MIAMI – Knicks goaltender Damyean Dotson said he did everything he could do in the pre-season to show coach David Fizdale that he was part of the rotation.
It was not enough. Dotson was the odd man on an 11-player field, taking part in the first two games to start the season. It would probably cost up to four if award-winning rookie Kevin Knox did not bend late in the first quarter on Saturday against Boston with a sprained ankle that will save him at least two weeks.
The man they nicknamed "Dot" was rushed into the match while Knox stopped, but he scored 10 points in 22 minutes and did not stop impressing the Knicks coach.
In Milwaukee on Monday, Dotson spearheaded the club's second unit, finishing with 14 points in 31 minutes. He shot 5 of 13 and drained 4 of 8 3 points.
Animated defender with a solid 6-foot-6 and 212-pound football frame (he was a wide catcher in high school), this 24-year-old player looks like the prototype of the popular "3-and-a-half" -D & # 39; guy. Dotson's two-year contract is in effect after the season.
"Everything is a competition," said Dotson. "I felt like I was doing what I had to do. I did my part. Whatever the coach decided to do, I was going to take it and keep my head up. "
Dotson is a remnant of the Phil Jackson / Clarence Gaines Jr. era, taken in the second round in 2017. Jackson was fired a few days later. According to an NBA source, Dotson felt neglected when the new Scott Perry diet came on board. Dotson, according to the source, felt that the general manager did not seem to discuss it as much as the other players.
In fact, when Gaines tore up Mario Hezonja's defense on Sunday morning, he made sure to praise the efforts of the former University of Houston champion.
Out of the pre-season, Fizdale faced many players selected by Perry and General Manager Steve Mills, although the coach said Dotson was "exactly what we were looking for in a player".
"Dot really made his way into the rotation of this team," Fizdale said after Monday's game. "He's so reliable and solid and shooting really helps."
"I had to stay ready," said Dotson. "The day off was like my game. When I was not playing, I felt I was playing a game the next day because I was working and staying in shape. "
It is part of a second strong and effective unit, consisting of Hezonja, Frank Ntilikina, Allonzo Trier and Noah Vonleh.
"It's natural," said Dotson about Fizdale's fast pace. "I've always played like that, I grew up like that. We do not call play, but play, go there, shoot, play the defense, get out, run and try to stop and move the ball. "
Each of the Knicks' three defeats came back to the 1h30 final. Against Milwaukee, the Knicks collected 19 points at half-time to take the lead in the fourth quarter.
"We just wanted to show that we were not coming here to go back," said Dotson. "We are right here. We must continue to believe. ''
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