When the Knicks and coach David Fizdale put the ball in the hands of Mario Hezonja three games ago, inserting him into the starting lineup and letting him run the offense, no one other than maybe Hezonja expected much.
Hezonja scoffed at the notion that at 6-foot-8 and spending most of his brief career as a power forward or small forward he wasn't equipped to serve as the point guard as the Knicks ran down the final days of a lost season.
And after he put up numbers in the three games that were unlike anything he'd done before, he shrugged at the question of whether he could have benefited his own pending free agency by being given the ball earlier. He remains confident that he'll do well this summer on the market _ and would love it if he could get some of the Knicks' cap space.
"I'm ready to talk to (Madison Square Garden Executive Chairman James) Dolan," Hezonja said. "If he gives me that call on July 1, we're done. But yeah, my second family is in this organization. Steve (Mills) was the guy that first called me when Phil Jackson was here. Scott Perry drafted me. Fiz came to L.A. to bring me here. (Assistant coach Keith Smart), he's like my second father right here. So just wonderful relationships with everybody in the organization. The city embraced me to fullest. I just love playing here.
"We'll see. But also, free agency, that was my first time last year so I know it's crazy. People calling all over the place and all those all-stars and everything. I'll be patient. But we all know where I want to be. We'll see."
Hezonja started his run Wednesday with a career-high 29 points in Orlando when Fizdale started him as a gift when the Knicks visited the place where Hezonja was the No. 5 overall pick in 2015 and had spent his first three seasons. Then with Emmanuel Mudiay sidelined Friday _ along with four other point guards _ Fizdale started Hezonja at the position and he responded with a 16-point, 16-rebound, 11-assist triple-double as well as delivering a crucial 3-point field goal in the final minute to help secure a 113-110 win over the Wizards.
With Dennis Smith Jr. returning Sunday from injury, Fizdale brought him off the bench and kept Hezonja in as the starting point. He responded with 30 points, adding six rebounds and five assists. But Hezonja had no worries that he hadn't had the ball put in his hands earlier this season.
"We have a lot of young guys on this team," Hezonja said. "They had to develop. So I wasn't going to step in anybody's lane or anything because there's a lot of great talent in this locker room. This team can benefit a lot from playing them right now.
"I am still like one of the youngest guys on the team. I mean, I've seen it. I've seen it a lot of times. I was in that situation in Orlando. I think it's important the rookies feel it right, what this is about and how serious it is. They're learning. It's a learning experience for them. I wasn't really paying attention to myself at all. I knew with my talent and my abilities I'd be fine, always. So I just want to help them and maximize their potential. I'll be fine. Trust me."
