Emmanuel Mudiay has faith in the Knicks.
The 22-year-old guard may no longer be on the team, agreeing to a one-year deal with the Utah Jazz this summer, but Mudiay believes New York should be excited about some of the pieces the organization has, starting with head coach David Fizdale.
"This year wasn't the year to judge him for his work, but he's taken teams to the playoffs before," he told Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News. "So I think it's only a matter of time. If they keep putting the right people around him, then he'll flourish."
Mudiay was certainly able to flourish under Fizdale. After a disappointing three years in Denver, which led to him getting traded to New York during the 2017-18 season, the point guard resurrected his career last season with Knicks.
While the team went a franchise-worst 17-65, Mudiay averaged a career-high 14.8 points per game and shot career-highs of 44.6 percent from the field and 32.9 percent from beyond the arc.
The Knicks would love to see a jump in production in second-year forward Kevin Knox, and Mudiay is confident he can deliver.
"Just kept telling him to stay confident, don't get too low on yourself," Mudiay said. "With him, it's been learning the speed of the game, but every rookie goes through it. ... You're going to have your ups and downs, and you just have to stay steady."
Knox averaged 13 points per game and shot 37 percent from the field and a mere 34.3 percent from 3-point range.
"The man still averaged 13 points," Mudiay said. "He's a natural scorer. I think this year he'll take a little jump to get a little more comfortable."
Mudiay saved his highest praise for Mitchell Robinson, though.
The 21-year-old was a defensive force as a rookie last season, averaging 2.4 blocks per game and earning Second Team All-Rookie honors. The center continued to show his potential these past few weeks, being named to First Team Summer League.
"The sky's the limit for that boy," Mudiay said. "I see about two or three Defensive Player of the Year awards for him over the course of his career."