Donte DiVincenzo proves to be perfect fit for Knicks' style
Knicks guard Donte DiVincenzo reacts in the second half of an NBA game against the Cavaliers at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 1. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
ATLANTA — Since he signed in New York, much has been made of the Villanova roots for Donte DiVincenzo, And there is a connection there that has helped him quickly fit in with the Knicks, having spent his college years winning NCAA titles with Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart.
But DiVincenzo has brought something else to the Knicks, a style of play refined in a short turn with Golden State. While the Knicks offense can be productive and efficient, DiVincenzo just looks different — cutting without the ball, finding creases in the defense in a way that carries lessons of playing alongside Steph Curry and Klay Thompson.
“It’s just playing basketball,” DiVincenzo said. “Simple as that to be honest with you.”
Maybe so, but he is a player who fits in with the Knicks without seeming exactly the same as the rest of them. DiVincenzo, who signed a four-year deal worth as much as $50 million, was a natural addition. He is a defensive-minded player with versatility on both ends of the court and a skilled three-point shooter — a lesson to remember of what type of player they seek next as rumors rise of trade possibilities.
Each game he seems to fit a little bit better.
“I mean, I’m confident in my abilities,” he said. “So that’s kind of the answer I have for you.”
While DiVincenzo shrugs off the notion that he is doing anything unusual it just looks unusual on a Knicks team that has seemed so schooled and scripted. From the very start of the season, as he has acclimated himself to his new teammates, there have been visible flashes of what he can be. Playing with the second unit, he has created havoc at times defensively, getting into passing lanes and igniting fast breaks. And on offense he has created passing lanes, cutting to the rim for uncontested dunks and layups — and finding teammates who have begun to mimic his moves.
“That’s just him being Donte,” RJ Barrett said last week. “It opens up our offense even more. I think everybody is really playing at a high level right now.”
“Smart player,” Immanuel Quickley said. “Smart players are easy to play with. They make the game much simpler for yourself, whether he’s cutting off the ball, or being aggressive on defense. Sometimes, if I gamble, he’ll take mine, I’ll take his. It makes the game a lot easier.”
Through the first 10 games DiVincenzo has averaged just 19.2 minutes — the fewest of his career since his rookie season. And his shooting has been erratic compared to prior seasons — 33.3% from three-point range after shooting 39.7% last season. Still, with DiVincenzo added to the Knicks second unit in place of Obi Toppin they have become a reliable change of pace, speeding up the game with versatile defenders and shooters on the perimeter.
DiVincenzo acknowledged that different coaches have different systems and allow for more or less freedom. It depends on whether it is playing for Tom Thibodeau or Steve Kerr in Golden State or his two other NBA stops in Sacramento and Milwaukee.
“I’ll say it like this, every team is different,” he said. “I think last year I thrived [with Golden State] because of how much movement there was . . . it was pass, pass, pass, get off and screen.
“And we have that here. It’s just a little bit of different variations so like I said, every team is different. There are always different variations to every action that teams run, so it’s just figuring out what actions that you can implement that stuff in.”
Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
