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“The Fiz Kids” are No. 1 in the NBA in two things. They are the league’s youngest team with an average age of 24.1 and — at least after one game — the fastest.
The Knicks may or may not win 30 games, but they are young, athletic and have a head coach in David Fizdale whose mission is making the Knicks the Phoenix Suns circa the Mike D’Antoni era.
After the season’s first two nights, the 1-0 Knicks ranked No. 1 in pace at 112. That’s 112 possessions in their season-opening win against Atlanta when the Knicks ran like the autumn wind. They piled up 49 second-quarter points and 126 total at the Garden.
“We gotta keep up,” Fizdale said. “It ain’t just us. It’s non-negotiable now in the league. Everybody is playing fast.’’
The Knicks, who face the Nets in Brooklyn on Friday, have the young legs to be atop the pace standings. A new pressing defensive style should enhance their pace stat.
Point guard Trey Burke has wheels. Their three rookies — Kevin Knox, Mitchell Robinson and Allonzo Trier — are speed demons.
Tim Hardaway Jr. has always excelled in the open court. Center Enes Kanter is one of the fleetest big men running down court. And backup center Noah Vonleh is a superb athlete.
“We definitely have chance to be because we have a bunch of young guys,” Vonleh said. “That’s what we have to do. Teams are going to overlook us, but we have to play with energy. We’ll make mistakes, but all the stuff we’ve been doing with the conditioning test Fiz brought in, guys are in pretty good shape to start the season.’’
Fizdale preached speed-ball all preseason. But so did former coach Jeff Hornacek. Last season, Hornacek’s Knicks ranked 25th in percentage of transition possessions. After one game, the Knicks rank fifth.
Wednesday the Knicks launched 99 shots. They reached 99 shots just four times in regulation last season. They also took a healthy 33 3-pointers Wednesday.
Prior to last season, the Knicks were hamstrung by Phil Jackson’s triangle and Carmelo Anthony, who didn’t prefer D’Antoni’s speed-ball in New York, but is now playing for him again in Houston.
“We had good moments where the pace was right,’’ Trier said. “We did that to get the correct pace by getting stops on defense to get out and push in transition.”
With the pressure D and emphasis on a fast offense, Fizdale admitted he may go this season with an 11-man rotation. That’s not exactly from the Pat Riley School.
“I’m definitely playing 10,’’ said Fizdale, weaned in Miami under Riley. “And 11 or 12 isn’t too far-fetched. It was easy to play all three bigs. If we’re really sacrificing for each other and giving everything we have offensively and defensively, the way we want to play, it could happen.’’
Fizdale used 11 men in the first quarter against Atlanta. The defense helped spur fast breaks, while notching 12 steals and 11 fast-break points.
“We have to,’’ Fizdale said of a defensive press. “We’re not loaded with veteran talent at every position to be able to just sit back and catch people. We have to be disruptive. We have to apply pressure. We have to make conditioning part of the game. And we want to speed up the game, so if we want to make fast decisions that helps them in our pace, because if they miss shots then now we get to go on offense the way we want to.”
“Pressuring the ball 94 feet makes it tough on guys, make them uncomfortable, taking them out of their offense,’’ Vonleh added. “That’s what we want our identity to be all season long.’’
Steve Mills and Scott Perry, the Knicks’ brain trust, has told the story since last winter. After the Knicks got blitzed at Staples Center by the Lakers, they made a pact to become more athletic, which wasn’t a Jackson priority. The Knicks have done so and are putting athleticism to good use. Seven Knicks hit double figures Wednesday.
“So many different guys involved,’’ Fizdale said. “Everyone seemed OK with the next guy scoring.”
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