La previa del NY POST....
Starting five
1. How will David Fizdale’s and his staff’s close relationships with players affect development and record?
From the get-go, the charismatic Fizdale went hard establishing close bonds with players, almost immediately taking Frank Ntilikina and Emmanuel Mudiay to a Cleveland-Boston playoff game. The 43-year-old Los Angeles native said his No. 1 priority in the offseason was getting close to his players — which his bosses felt wasn’t a strong attribute of former coach Jeff Hornacek. It’s a new age in the NBA, where tyrannical leadership out of the Riley/Van Gundy era is discouraged and young coaches are in. Fizdale and management carefully selected a player-development-friendly coaching staff with that in mind, spearheaded by Keith Smart, Jud Buechler, Pat Sullivan, Kaleb Canales and Royal Ivey. Attendance at voluntary workouts was splendid and, to a man, a new positive vibe existed in preseason not seen during those Phil Jackson years.
However, if — and when — the losses mount, Fizdale, who has just 101 regular-season games as head coach under his belt, will have to manage the tension attached to a losing record. After a successful first year (43-39) in Memphis, Fizdale didn’t have a harmonious locker room early in his second season and got fired after 19 games (7-12).
2. When will Kristaps Porzingis play his first game?
The Knicks have steadfastly given no timetable for his return, but Porzingis made a revealing statement the last time he spoke to the media, on Sept. 26. There’s no preexisting agenda on keeping him out the entire season because of the team’s lottery expectations. Porzingis said when his knee and quad pass certain strength tests, he will be cleared to play. When that is, Porzingis said, he doesn’t know, nor do the Knicks.
Either way, Porzingis will be on a minutes restriction in the 20-25-minute range if he returns. During preseason practices, Porzingis has been engaged and helping the coaching staff teach. Porzingis mostly stayed away from the team after his injury late last season.
3. How will the point-guard situation play out?
Fizdale added Ron Baker to the derby, giving him four point guards to consider for playing time. That’s three lottery picks and a scrapper who went undrafted. Ntilikina played the best of the four, showing silkier moves to the basket, active defense and his outside shot fell. He shot a healthy 45.2 percent in preseason. However, Fizdale may decide to go with Trey Burke at point guard and bring Ntilikina off the bench where he can play three positions. In the five preseason games, Burke didn’t show the dynamic shot-making he displayed last season. Emmanuel Mudiay was a playmaker, but his shooting was dreadful. Fizdale fell in love with Baker’s defensive hustle (1.5 steals). In Fizdale’s position-less offense, a lot of point guards are going to find the court.
4. What are the expectations for the three rookies?
In an upset, undrafted Allonzo Trier of Arizona staged the best preseason, statistically, averaging 14.2 points on 47.8 percent shooting. He’s on a two-way G-League contract and the Knicks will wait until December, when they have to make a decision on whether to convert it into a regular roster spot and cut someone else. As it stands, Trier can spend just 45 days with the Knicks, though travel days will no longer count on the clock.
Kevin Knox, selected ninth, entered preseason with a wave of hype after his Las Vegas summer-league explosion, but faltered across the final three exhibition games. He was turnover prone and his shot wouldn’t fall. Fizdale said Knox is assured of a starting small-forward slot because he wants him to take his “bumps.’’ After Knox averaged 8.8 points and shot 32.7 percent, rookie expectations have lowered a touch, but there is mounds of pressure for him to at least look like a future stud. This is one pick team president Steve Mills and Perry needed to get right after passing on forwards Michael Porter Jr., Mikal Bridges and Miles Bridges.
Meanwhile, second-round center Mitchell Robinson missed two of the five preseason games, which led Knicks brass to change its tune and talk about him needing some G-League work to get more reps. In preseason, Robinson blocked shots and rebounded, but other than putbacks and alley-oop dunks, he has no offensive game. Robinson’s lone jump shot missed by several feet.
5. Can Enes Kanter play his way into the future?
The Knicks haven’t ruled out re-signing Kanter this summer, but that would mean no max free agent for 2019. Kanter’s cap hold to re-sign, allowing them to go over the cap, is astronomical. He looked the best of anybody in his three preseason games. He was a leader, a bull on the boards and unstoppable inside (16.3 points, 13.3 rebounds).
The trends have Kanter’s low-post style as antiquated, Fizdale even calling it “a luxury.’’ But Kanter became more active defensively in preseason, though his 3-point shot is still a work in progress. Trends change, however, and he’s only 26.
Buzzer beaters
Newcomer to watch: With all eyes trained on Kevin Knox, the Knicks’ 2018 lottery pick, a real intriguing storyline is monitoring whether GM Scott Perry only compounded his 2015 mistake in Orlando when he helped draft combo forward Mario Hezonja by bringing him to the Knicks. The talented, 6-8 Croatian was a first-round bust with the Magic after being selected No. 5, one spot after Porzingis. The new Orlando management staff wouldn’t even exercise Hezonja’s fourth-year option last October, convinced he was a bust. Perry had only his mid-level exception to wield this summer and decided on a redo, signing Hezonja to a one-year, $6.5 million deal. If the Knicks strike out in free agency — always possible — Hezonja would be heavily considered as part of the long-term future. That is, if he has a strong season. Hezonja will come off the bench for now after a modest preseason.
Most important decision: Courtney Lee, 33, has two years and $25 million left on his contract and missed all of preseason with a strained neck. In a season in which winning is not the priority, Lee has an unclear role and a contract that’s preventing the Knicks from having maximum cap space in 2019. He will make $12.25 million this season, but still can be productive based on posting solid numbers in 2017-18 (12.0 points per game on 45.4 percent shooting, 40.6 from 3). The Knicks tried this summer to deal him for a friendlier pact and The Post has reported he’s amenable to a trade to a contender though is still OK with accepting a marginal role. After waiving Joakim Noah under the league’s stretch provision, the Knicks should have about $31 million in 2019 space — a tad shy of the $33 million needed for a full max contract. After the trade deadline, the Knicks can always use the stretch provision on Lee to get that needed space. Waiting until Sept. 1, however, would create more space for 2020.
Good days to come: Mitchell Robinson can turn into a major steal at No. 36, the final remnant of the Carmelo Anthony trade. “The Cajun Kid” will only get more refined after his unorthodox path to the NBA, as the 20-year-old didn’t play college ball, dropping out of Western Kentucky. Nor did the 7-footer play a five-on-five game in 14 months entering his impressive summer league. Trey Burke called the athletic shotblocker “a skinny Shaq’’ and a reason to catch some G-League games as well as spot duty on Knicks.
Bad days ahead: Emmanuel Mudiay didn’t show any improvement with his perimeter shooting (he shot 15 percent in preseason). That has plagued him since being the No. 7 pick in 2015. If he loses a lot of playing time to even Ron Baker, the Knicks may have to cut their losses in December, when it’s time to make a decision on combo guard Allonzo Trier’s two-way G-League contract.
Five games to watch
Oct. 20 vs. Boston: First look at the mighty Celtics at the Garden, where Kyrie chants may reverberate and not just from slew of green-clad Boston fans in the house.
Nov. 25 at Memphis: David Fizdale returns to his old haunt and is face to face with Marc Gasol.
Dec. 25 vs. Milwaukee: Mike Budenholzer, whom the Knicks passed on for their head-coaching spot, arrives with Giannis Antetokounmpo as a Christmas present, but it’s still a long shot for a Merry Kristaps despite ESPN’s hopes and dreams.
March 17 vs. Lakers: LeBron James visits the Garden for the first time in purple and gold, probably looking for 50.
April 10 vs. Detroit: The season mercifully ends and Knicks management can then start talking about winning games in 2019-20.
Three bold predictions
1. Combo guard Frank Ntilikina erases all talk of him being a bust and gets some second-team All-Defense votes.
2. Kristaps Porzingis returns this winter, but heavy rust and restrictive minutes prevent him from making a big impact.
3. Enes Kanter leads the NBA in rebounding average. The Turkish big man tied a career high with 11.0 boards per game last season.
The Post’s forecast
30-52: If Kristaps Porzingis was part of the group to start this season, the Knicks could have contended for the eighth seed, but there’s just not enough veteran power — or enough Kevin Knox — to keep this rebuilding club relevant beyond Christmas.
A mi su estilo de juego no me gusta un pelo, creo que es un chupon pero muchos dicen que tanto él como Burke pueden hacer olvidar esos minutos calentitos y de puntos inmediatos que la pasada temporada nos daba Beasley. 
En lo que si estoy de acuerdo es que ese top 5 va a estar constituido por Kings, Hawks, Bulls, Suns y Knicks, creo que somos los peores equipos del campeonato. Una temporada medio normal nos puede llevar a RJ Barrett, a Reddish, a Williamson, a Little o a Langford 
