The New York Knicks are working to turn the tables on what have been two down seasons for the franchise. They have made a lot of adjustments and a lot of players have pressure riding on their shoulders heading into the regular season. One of those players is Langston Galloway who was a breakout star last season, but has competition for his starting spot that could put his future in jeopardy.
Galloway capitalized off the injuries of Jose Calderon last season, but might not get that luxury this year. Calderon has returned healthy for this season while the Knicks went and added Jerian Grant and Travis Trice to the roster. According to Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com, Calderon is the favored starter while Grant could see time as the backup. That leaves Galloway fighting for a roster spot in training camp. Team president Phil Jackson has made it clear that he likes what he sees from Grant as the rookie makes it clear that he can run the triangle offense.
"Really comfortable, I think having coach Fisher in the Summer League with us was a big help. Having some of the other coaches there to help teach us the triangle offense really helped me. Yea, I think I am a lot more comfortable that I was, it's a lot of movement, that's really what it is," Grant said, via the New York Post on media day.
Galloway is aware that the pressure is on. Calderon is the favored veteran while Grant has the rookie momentum. The second-year point guard did not earn a fully-guaranteed contract in the offseason which makes his future at risk. If Calderon and Grant become the favorites, Galloway could end up being out of a spot.
"I'm not satisfied at all," Galloway said, via Sirius XM Radio. "I'm just trying to make my mark each game that goes by and I'm definitely still trying to prove myself to the world that 'hey, I can continue to belong in this league and continue to do the same thing I did last year.'"
The Knicks have a lot of decisions to make. Kristaps Porzingis is working to prove he can be a starter for the team. According to Begley, the rookie is dealing with knee soreness that is not expected to be serious, but did cause him to miss Thursday's practice. The power forward will be battling Derrick Williams for the starting spot, while everyone from Robin Lopez to Carmelo Anthony has said the rookie is ready to play. The knee issue is not considered to be a problem, but if it continues then it is something to monitor.
