Knicks shooting guard Tim Hardaway Jr., coming off his First-Team All-Rookie season, will do a periodic diary from Las Vegas this week as a member of the U.S. Select Team, which is practicing against Team USA in preparation for FIBA’s World Cup tournament.
LAS VEGAS — From summer-league action to USA Basketball, I’ve been fortunate to play a lot of great basketball here in Las Vegas. Right now I’m blessed to be working out with the USA Basketball Select Team.
We started our week of practice on Monday, and the coaching staff wasted little time in getting us to work. Coach Mike Krzyzewski had a quick 10-minute meeting introducing the coaching staff, including Tom Thibodeau and Jim Boeheim, and making sure we knew what we’re here for — to get the national team better and prepared for the FIBA World Cup in late August.
He also reminded us that a lot of guys on the USA National Team started out on the select team, so this is a great opportunity for me to take advantage of.
We got right to it on Monday. The coaches had us in there for two-plus hours and everyone got better. We scrimmaged two 12-minute halves. I guarded many of the guards/wings including Paul George, Steph Curry and James Harden. I also got some action with the ball in my hands, made plays for others, ran the wings — basically what I did during my rookie season for the Knicks — and knocked down open shots.
For me, just having the opportunity to play against the highest-caliber players in the league is the best way to improve my game. You’re going against the best so I’ve got to take advantage of that.
I remember when I got the call that I was invited to USA Basketball’s training camp. I was so excited. I was really at a loss for words.
Not everybody gets this opportunity and, as I’m learning, these guys don’t take it for granted. They’re out here playing as hard as they can to represent our country. Definitely one of my goals as a professional basketball player is to have the opportunity to represent my country at the Olympics, whenever that may be.
Like I said earlier, I’ve played a lot of basketball in Vegas this offseason. I went home for a couple of days after summer league to rest and recharge before returning over the weekend. I think I played really, really well for the Knicks at summer league. Obviously there’s still a lot I can work on, but we have a new coaching staff, system and a new way of playing, so it was a positive step forward for all of us.
Coach Derek Fisher is getting better just like everyone else. It was great that we went 4-1 as a team.
Nobody thought we could do that with a first-year head coach.
Coach Fisher did a great job and Kurt Rambis was great, too, by Fisher’s side. Coach Fisher and Coach Rambis sat down with us and talked about what they want fundamentally and physically. When you factor in that we have Phil Jackson behind us as well, we really do have the best of both worlds.
It was also great to see some of the younger guys like Cleanthony Early and Thanasis Antetokounmpo at summer league. Both of them are great energy guys. Cleanthony’s a legit 6-foot-8 ballplayer who can run the wing, knock down shots and post up. They both did a great job of listening and learning. They want to learn.
Being back at summer league had me already looking forward to the upcoming season. I’m so excited to have Carmelo Anthony come back. Why wouldn’t you be? He’s one of the top players in our league and we’re happy to have him.
A young basketball camper last week in Freeport, Long Island, asked me what I thought of his return. I told the kids: “Thank the Lord he decided to come back. If he had left, I thought he would’ve gone to Chicago, and that had me worried for a little while. That would’ve been rough.”
He told me to get ready to go to work, so that’s what I’m focused on for the rest of the offseason, with this Vegas mini-camp with Team USA by far the highlight.