Again in mid-October, as Karl-Anthony Cities voiced his displeasure with the dearth of a brand new contract extension, he additionally maintained it wouldn’t affect his efficiency.
He might not have been fully truthful. A minimum of up to now, it appears to have pushed him to be even higher.
By eight video games, Cities has been the perfect Knick amid an uneven begin for the reigning champions. However, Cities insisted, one thing larger is at stake than a brand new deal.
“I got here into the season eager to defend the championship in any respect prices,” he stated after follow Friday. “Like I stated earlier than, town hasn’t seen that trophy right here in New York for 53 years, and all of us on this locker room, particularly myself, don’t intend for it to depart.
“Being the No. 1 decide, [reaching] the Finals and getting your title, and having to go on the market and take a look at to determine easy methods to do it once more, that’s sufficient motivation for me.”
Cities has been terrific, even whereas many teammates have struggled. He’s averaging 19.9 factors, a career-high 13.6 rebounds and three.1 assists. He’s capturing a career-best 42.9 p.c from 3-point vary on 4.4 makes an attempt. He owns a NET ranking of plus-9.0, the perfect amongst Knicks starters. Cities additionally leads the group in defensive rebounding share at 33.3, which ranks tied for fifth within the league. The 7-footer additionally has tallied a double-double in each recreation.
“I simply all the time need to affect profitable, and I all the time attempt to get each rebound potential for our group so we don’t quit any second-chance factors or we give ourselves extra probabilities at second-chance factors on offense,” he stated. “Clearly, with [Mitchell Robinson] gone, I needed to decide up the trouble, particularly the rebounding effort. When you might have one of many best offensive rebounders the NBA has ever seen in Mitchell Robinson, it’s a group effort. I simply need to do my half to assist with rebounding.”
Head coach Mike Brown raved about Cities’ all-around play and was significantly effusive in describing the power the large man is bringing each day. If he’s sad about his present contract, Cities is doing a great job of hiding it.
Brown want to see Cities enhance in two areas: pick-and-roll protection and reducing down on turnovers. His 3.8 turnovers per recreation could be a profession excessive, up from 2.5 a yr in the past. A few of that could be a product of getting the ball in his palms extra as an offensive hub.
“I say these two issues as a result of he’s been doing so many issues nicely for us,” Brown stated. “He’s rebounding, he’s working, he’ s capturing the ball nicely from 3, he’s passing when he doesn’t go for the house run ball, he’s speaking. The power he’s bringing is nice.”
Cities agreed. He has performed nicely, however there are issues he can enhance upon. When requested about his season on the whole, he opted to look extra on the group’s total efficiency.
That’s the place his head is at, not particular person numbers or a brand new contract.
“Me and Jalen [Brunson] are right here to steer the group. I need to do my half as finest as I probably can. I can’t permit outdoors distractions and ego to get in the way in which,” Cities stated. “We gained final yr as a result of we put our egos to the facet and we did what’s finest for this metropolis, finest for this group, this group, and we sacrificed, and I’m all the time going to be prepared to sacrifice for my brothers and this household that we’ve constructed right here.”
