Luca Vildoza just joined the New York Knicks for Summer League. But will he make the final cut for this upcoming season?
The New York Knicks take the court today. It’s the start of Summer League, and Luca Vildoza just arrived from Japan and was jet-lagged after competing in the Tokyo Olympics.
Now, this is quite an adjustment for Luca. First off, he hasn’t played with his new teammates. Sure, he got some practice in with the Knicks back in June. But that wasn’t enough time for him to adjust. Considering he had to leave to join the Argentinian national team for the Olympics so this is his first real practice with the rest of the squad.
Luca appears optimistic. Knicks Fan TV’s CP The Fanchise asked Luca what his biggest strengths are and what he brings to the team. Luca’s said, “I’m trying to be who I am. I am just trying to hit my shots, to run the floor. I know I can play in fast breaks, I know I can read the defense, I know I can steal a lot of balls even if I’m not a good defender.”
But regardless of all he knows, he will have to make a quick pivot. Although he hasn’t had enough time to learn the sets, he’s played in a lot of similar sets in Europe. This time, though, it’s is a brand-new team.
Luca said he’s happy to be with the team and ready to make an impression on the coaching staff. However, he knows this is essentially a tryout. As I noted in the Rokas Jokubaitis piece, Luca’s contract doesn’t become fully guaranteed until the day after opening night.
Still, Luca appears content that he has the potential opportunity to play in the NBA. As he said himself, “I’m trying to work hard. I’m trying to show myself to get better every day. If after that I can’t get to the team, that’s okay because at least I gave everything. This is a new adventure for me to be in the US for the first time. It’s awesome.”
Hopefully, Luca’s time with New York’s summer league team is better than in the Olympics. He knows that Argentina didn’t play well and that he didn’t perform to his usual standards. It’ll be interesting to see if Luca touches the court tonight. And if not tonight, then when?
Luca stated yesterday, “I will be there tomorrow, so let’s see if I get the opportunity to be [on] the court. I know I can make mistakes every time because I have never been with my teammates until now so I will try to be helpful for the team.”
Let’s see if he can bounce back and earn that last roster spot.
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