Benching against Rockets further angers Knicks' Kanter

New York Knicks coach David Fizdale changed his mind about playing already-disgruntled center Enes Kanter on Wednesday night against the Houston Rockets, adding to the thick layer of friction between the two and prompting Kanter to suggest he be traded. Kanter spoke earlier in the week about his frustration with losing playing as the team has decided to go with younger centers Luke Kornet and rookie Mitchell Robinson, and he said Wednesday's benching had an extra sting, since he had been told that morning that he would be starting.

Instead, he didn't play at all, ending up with the first "did not play, coach's decision" of his career. "What they're doing to me is pretty messed up," Kanter said. "I deserve way better."

"I want to play basketball. We're all competitors. I want to play basketball. So just if you're going to play me here, play me. If not, then just get me out of here," Kanter said. Fizdale had talked Tuesday about likely starting Kanter, a seven-year veteran, but told reporters he changed his mind because he thought Noah Vonleh and others could provide more quickness and perhaps do a better job of defending the Rockets' major scoring threat, James Harden, on pick-and-roll plays.

Instead, Harden scored an NBA season-high 61 points as Houston held off the Knicks 114-110 at Madison Square Garden. "I was thinking how much speed I can keep on the floor to just balance it and keep up with him and be able to challenge him," the coach told reporters after the game, referring to Harden. "And obviously he still went for what he went for, but I thought it at least gave us a chance to compete and win at the end."

ESPN has ranked Kanter 66th out of 67th centers in ESPN's defensive real plus-minus. Kanter is averaging 14.4 points and 10.8 rebounds in 26.3 minutes per game this season, roughly the same as his numbers last season. He broke into the NBA in 2011-12 with the Utah Jazz and also spent 2 1/2 seasons with the Thunder before the Knicks acquired him in the September 2017 trade that sent Carmelo Anthony to Oklahoma City.

Kornet, who joined New York after going undrafted in 2017, took over Kanter's starting role in December. The 23-year-old out of Vanderbilt is averaging 7.0 points and 2.5 rebounds in 15.2 minutes per game across 23 contests (nine starts) this season while shooting 43.4 percent from 3-point range. --Field Level Media