The Knicks, however, are juggling a lot of things - even the chance of trading up or trading out for an established player. The Knicks recently interviewed Stubblefield about Duarte. I’m really proud of myself and the people that helped me to get here.’’ “Me being one of those kids, it’s amazing. “Not a lot of kids make it out of the DR,’’ Duarte added. “I can’t think about it because I can’t control that,’’ Duarte said. On Friday, Duarte, who hasn’t been back to his mother country in two years, declined to talk about the joy of playing in New York, and the city’s vast Dominican population. Back in that day, I only know how to say, ‘Hey, hey, I’m hungry.’ ” He admitted recently to the Oregonian: “I still can’t speak English that well. The kids who didn’t grow up with much in the United States had a great life compared to Chris Duarte.’’ĭuarte speaks with a thick accent and came to the U.S. “He’s a very humble young man that comes from the Dominican and didn’t grow up with much from a financial standpoint,’’ Stubblefield said. He was a baseball player first and didn’t pick up a basketball until age 13.ĮSPN’s Fran Fraschilla breaks down Knicks’ Collin Sexton, NBA Draft possibilities from Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic at age 15. He’s still got more upside to his game.’’ĭuarte did not travel the USA/AAU path, moving to the U.S. “And he’s ready to impact winning in an NBA franchise. “No doubt in my mind, good enough for an NBA rotation now,’’ said Tony Stubblefield, the former Oregon associate coach who recently accepted the head-coaching job at DePaul. Too many teams consider a 24-year-old rookie a turnoff, especially one whose journey was so unorthodox - from the Dominican Republic, to a boarding school (Redemption Christian Academy) in Troy, N.Y., to a junior college (Northwest Florida State College) in the Florida panhandle town of Niceville.īut he may not be a turnoff for the win-now Knicks, who will send 25-year-old rookie Luca Vildoza of Argentina into the fray next season. “I’m ready to play.”ĭuarte will likely be on the board at either 19 or 21 when the Knicks select in the NBA Draft on July 29. “I’m ready to step in,’’ Oregon 6-foot-6 swingman Chris Duarte said on a Zoom call Friday after working out for the Warriors in San Francisco. He is the kind of rookie made in Tom Thibodeau’s draft heaven, ready to produce now. He’s 24, can bury the 3-pointer and can play defense. Knicks’ Overtime Elite signee has a familiar mentor Knicks veteran’s tenure with team appears to be over The Future of the Knicks Roster: Key Moves to Watch Where Knicks-Josh Hart situation stands right now
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