The NBA Rookie of the Year conversation has been dominated by the likes of Joel Embiid, Dario Saric, and Malcolm Brogdon. While all three have had successful seasons, another rookie has been playing near the same level each this season. This rookie is New York Knicks big man Willy Hernangomez.
The Knicks have not so quietly been a mess this season. Offseason acquisition Joakim Noah has played just 46 games this season. Carmelo Anthony was in and out of trade rumors up until the trade deadline. Phil Jackson has caused a raucous off the court and has been unable to put a good team on the court. And most recently, Derrick Rose suffered a torn meniscus and will miss the rest of the season.
Luckily, the Knicks still have Kristaps Porzingis. Porzingis has all the tools and ability to become a star. Still, the Knicks have quite a way to go before they are contenders, or even a playoff team.
However, New York may have another young player that could be a factor and solid piece in their future. That player is Willy Hernangomez.
Whether by the lack of depth or a good coaching decision, Hernangomez has received a hefty dose of minutes this season, and he is producing encouragingly in these minutes. In the early months of the season, Hernangomez’s minutes were sporadic. One game he would play 24 minutes, and the next it would be 8-12. However, February and March have been a different story. Hernangomez is playing more and is showing exciting potential.
Hernangomez’s minutes jumped from 15.2 in January to 25.9 minutes per game in February. With this increase in minutes, his production had spiked too. The Spaniard averaged 10.7 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.1 blocks, and 1 steal per game over that month-long stretch. He also added two assists per game, which for a big man, is a nice bonus. He did all this on 57.1 shooting from the field.
He was able to follow up an encouraging February with a strong March. In 14 March games, Hernangomez averaged 11.4 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 23.1 minutes per game.
Hernangomez has a lot of tools at his disposal. One tool that he possesses is his offensive rebounding capabilities. He does a good job of getting into the best position in order to secure a miss.
Watch the clip below to see how Hernangomez is able to get into position to grab Sasha Vujacic’s miss even after taking a bump near the baseline. Following that play, he was able to give the Knicks another possession by fighting for an offensive rebound and drawing a foul.
Yeah, he’s pretty good at the offensive rebounding thing. Since the All-Star Break, Hernangomez is averaging 3.2 offensive rebounds per game and has a 14.1 offensive rebound percentage.
One developing aspect of Hernangomez’s game is his shooting capabilities. He has not attempted many threes this season, but he has shown the potential to expand his range to that area. He should be able to become an efficient mid-range shooter sooner rather than later in his career.
Where he is most dangerous, and should continue to be so, is in the pick and roll game. He does a good job of setting tough screens which usually forces switches. This makes it easier for him to score when he gets the ball. With a developing deep range game, Hernangomez should only become more dangerous as the screener in a pick and roll offense.
The Knicks are in desperate need for young talent as they are set to miss the playoffs for the fourth straight season. Hernangomez is a piece that they can add to a puzzle that is missing a lot of pieces. With Hernangomez and Kristaps Porzingis, the Knicks have a potentially deadly big man duo of the future.
