For Tyson Etienne, it wasn’t simply rising up within the space that attracted him to the Knicks. There was additionally an intimate connection.
Etienne’s godfather is former Knick middle Marcus Camby and the connection makes it really feel like blood.
“I call him ‘uncle,’” Etienne stated. “He’s that close. If something happened to my parents, I would live with him.”
On Wednesday, Etienne tried to impress the identical coach, Tom Thibodeau, who as soon as helped information Camby to the NBA Finals as an assistant in 1999.
The 22-year-old guard out of Wichita State was a part of a gaggle of six prospects to work out for the Knicks on the facility in Tarrytown, becoming a member of Fresno State’s Orlando Robinson and Oklahoma’s Jordan Goldwire, amongst others.
None are thought-about first-round expertise and should go undrafted. But Etienne brings intrigue past his New York background – which incorporates taking part in AAU for the PSA Cardinals out of the Bronx – and his longstanding Knicks fandom – which ceaselessly introduced him to the Garden as a spectator.
Etienne, who’s 6-2, was thought-about a rising prospect and possible draft choose a 12 months in the past because the AAC Co-Player of the Year. He examined the draft waters however returned to Wichita State, solely to have the group wrestle (the Shockers went 15-13) and his 3-point proportion dip from 39.2% to 32.6%.
Etienne’s hoping the pre-draft course of, which already included exercises with six NBA groups (Knicks, Nets, Kings, Hawks, Jazz and Celtics), will reinvigorate his inventory.
“The predictions for what I was supposed to be coming into this season (with Wichita State) were super high. Then obviously, as a team we didn’t have much success,” Etienne stated. “Started out pretty low but the past month, month and a half, I’ve been turning up.”
He additionally has the advantage of an early view of an NBA profession, courtesy of his father’s greatest pal.
“One thing I’m appreciative of my uncle (Camby) is he never kept me away from the game,” Etienne stated. “If my uncle had a game, I’d see him warming up and see what he’d do before a game. I’d see the travel. He was able to open my eyes to that at an early age and it’s really benefited me in my own career.”
The Knicks personal the eleventh and forty second picks on this month’s draft. Their 58th choose final 12 months (Jericho Sims) cracked the rotation by the tip of the season.
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Jeriah Horne, who related on a loopy buzzer-beater final season for Tulsa, was additionally a part of the Knicks exercises on Wednesday, in response to his agent Daniel Hazan.
Horne is likely one of the older draft prospects at 24 and a sixth-year senior, however the sharpshooter impressed on the Portsmouth Invitational final month the place he additionally interviewed with the Knicks.
Horne already labored out for the Spurs, Lakers, Kings, Timberwolves and Suns. He is scheduled to work out with the Grizzlies on Thursday.
Horne averaged 16.1 factors final season whereas taking pictures 42% on 3-pointers. His greatest trey was the ultimate one at residence for Tulsa, when he launched a 60-foot buzzer beater to defeat UCF.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com