Rautins, Fields Eager to Suit Up for Knicks
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Andy Rautins and Landry Fields are eager to make their mark on the Knicks.
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Andy Rautins compares himself to Steve Nash. Landry Fields considers himself a very athletic player.
Already, signs are pointing to the Knicks’ two draft picks fitting in nicely in Coach Mike D’Antoni’s offense.
A day after Rautins and Fields were selected by the Knicks with the 38th and 39th picks in Thursday’s NBA Draft, the two rookies spoke highly of the Knicks’ run-and-gun style of play and seemed eager to get on the court right away. And it’s likely the two second-round selections will have their time to shine for the shorthanded Knicks.
New York enters next month’s free agency period with only five players – Toney Douglas, Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, Eddy Curry and Bill Walker- on the roster for next season. That means both Rautins and Fields will have an opportunity to not only make the regular-season roster but perhaps compete for a spot in the Knicks’ rotation.
Who knows? Maybe there will come a time when Rautins is tossing up an alley-oop to Fields on the break or Fields is driving and dishing to Rautins for an open 3-pointer from the corner.
D’Antoni is in fact known to bring out the best of his player’s offensive abilities. He helped transform Nash into a two-time MVP and has helped players like Chandler dramatically increase their scoring averages. Rautins and Fields both racked up big numbers during their four-year college careers so it will be interesting to see how they will adjust to the NBA game playing under D’Antoni.
“They are both good basketball players, and they both have identifiable NBA assets that can make them better as NBA players,” Knicks President Donnie Walsh said. “I think we got guys for where we picked were good picks.”
The 6-foot-4 Rautins averaged 12.1 points and 4.9 assists for Syracuse last season on his way to being named to the All-Big East Second Team. Rautins was considered one of the top long-range shooters in the draft after hitting 282 3-pointers last season, which accounted for over 78 percent of his total made field goals. But he insists he is more than just a shooter, adding that he can pass the ball and play strong defense.
“To the general public I think my ability to make plays is very underrated,” he said. “I always tend to say that I’m a little bit like Steve Nash and Dan Majerle. Steve, for the way he scores and his passing ability, his decisions. And Dan, for the way he shares the ball and grinds it out on defense.”
Rautins’ versatility will give D’Antoni the option to play him at either guard position.
“Whatever the coach needs me to play,” Rautins said. “If Coach D’Antoni needs me to bring the ball up the floor, I’d be more than happy to do that.”
Having played at Syracuse, Knicks fans may already be familiar with what Rautins has to offer. The same probably can’t be said for Fields, who played out on the West Coast at Stanford. According to Fields, due to TV obligations from his school, his team mostly played on local stations rather than national TV.
“I knew coming into this draft process I had to show a lot of people what I could do,” said the 6-foot-7 swingman.
And what exactly can he do?
“My game is a lot of versatility,” said Fields, who averaged 22.0 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists last season. “I can shoot the ball pretty well. Athleticism has been great. I think my passing is even underrated for what it is and high basketball intelligence.”
While training camp doesn’t start for another three months, the Knicks certainly have a lot to look forward to in their two newest players. They might just be the two steals late in the draft for the simple fact that they’re both perfect matches for the Knicks’ exciting style of play.
Already, signs are pointing to the Knicks’ two draft picks fitting in nicely in Coach Mike D’Antoni’s offense.
A day after Rautins and Fields were selected by the Knicks with the 38th and 39th picks in Thursday’s NBA Draft, the two rookies spoke highly of the Knicks’ run-and-gun style of play and seemed eager to get on the court right away. And it’s likely the two second-round selections will have their time to shine for the shorthanded Knicks.
New York enters next month’s free agency period with only five players – Toney Douglas, Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, Eddy Curry and Bill Walker- on the roster for next season. That means both Rautins and Fields will have an opportunity to not only make the regular-season roster but perhaps compete for a spot in the Knicks’ rotation.
Who knows? Maybe there will come a time when Rautins is tossing up an alley-oop to Fields on the break or Fields is driving and dishing to Rautins for an open 3-pointer from the corner.
D’Antoni is in fact known to bring out the best of his player’s offensive abilities. He helped transform Nash into a two-time MVP and has helped players like Chandler dramatically increase their scoring averages. Rautins and Fields both racked up big numbers during their four-year college careers so it will be interesting to see how they will adjust to the NBA game playing under D’Antoni.
“They are both good basketball players, and they both have identifiable NBA assets that can make them better as NBA players,” Knicks President Donnie Walsh said. “I think we got guys for where we picked were good picks.”
The 6-foot-4 Rautins averaged 12.1 points and 4.9 assists for Syracuse last season on his way to being named to the All-Big East Second Team. Rautins was considered one of the top long-range shooters in the draft after hitting 282 3-pointers last season, which accounted for over 78 percent of his total made field goals. But he insists he is more than just a shooter, adding that he can pass the ball and play strong defense.
“To the general public I think my ability to make plays is very underrated,” he said. “I always tend to say that I’m a little bit like Steve Nash and Dan Majerle. Steve, for the way he scores and his passing ability, his decisions. And Dan, for the way he shares the ball and grinds it out on defense.”
Rautins’ versatility will give D’Antoni the option to play him at either guard position.
“Whatever the coach needs me to play,” Rautins said. “If Coach D’Antoni needs me to bring the ball up the floor, I’d be more than happy to do that.”
Having played at Syracuse, Knicks fans may already be familiar with what Rautins has to offer. The same probably can’t be said for Fields, who played out on the West Coast at Stanford. According to Fields, due to TV obligations from his school, his team mostly played on local stations rather than national TV.
“I knew coming into this draft process I had to show a lot of people what I could do,” said the 6-foot-7 swingman.
And what exactly can he do?
“My game is a lot of versatility,” said Fields, who averaged 22.0 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists last season. “I can shoot the ball pretty well. Athleticism has been great. I think my passing is even underrated for what it is and high basketball intelligence.”
While training camp doesn’t start for another three months, the Knicks certainly have a lot to look forward to in their two newest players. They might just be the two steals late in the draft for the simple fact that they’re both perfect matches for the Knicks’ exciting style of play.
