Landry Fields will be keeping a daily playoff diary for The Post, as the 22-year-old rookie shooting guard chronicles his first postseason series, the Knicks’ opening-round battle with the Celtics. As told to Mark Hale.
I am feeling a lot of excitement. I’m trying to take it as Game 83 instead of the play offs, and trying to not get myself psyched out. I just want to go out there and play and have fun. I’m not really nervous yet. Not right now. I think maybe when we get out there, the lights come on, the crowd . . . it could be a little bit different.
But I’m just trying to go out there, keep my composure, remain poised and focus on what I have to do for the team and what we need to do collectively.
Amar’e Stoudemire came up to me yesterday and said, “When you go out there, it’s the playoffs, your nerves might be jumping a little bit. But just kind of get yourself relaxed and calm. Just go out there and talk. Get outside of yourself. That naturally will relax you and you can get back into your game.” I think it will help. As long as I’m not out there just thinking and out there playing and reacting, I should be fine.
Definitely, the preparation is different for the playoffs. Going through the ins and outs of all their plays, their defense. Practices have been a lot longer, with a lot of teaching right now. Mike D’Antoni remains pretty even keel, always. But like I said, it’s been a little bit more tedious, a lot more attention to detail out there.
I’m just trying to go out there and really focus on locking and trailing against Ray Allen, because they set a lot of screens for him. Hopefully I can carry that over into the game. Playing against him three times helps, definitely. Like I said, it’s just going to be a focus on what I need to do on him as an individual.
Individually from the offensive standpoint, I want to going out there, pick and choose my spots, and when I’m open, take the shot — just kind of remaining aggressive but still confident at the same time.
I agree with Coach D’Antoni’s claim that I’ve been thinking too much on the court recently. I think it’s actually one of my biggest strengths and biggest weaknesses at the same time. Right now it’s just going out there and reacting, and not trying to be so cerebral.
We just need to go out there and have fun.