Knicks SG Damyean Dotson loves what he has seen so far from new head coach David Fizdale.
Fizdale was brought in by GM Scott Perry and team president Steve Mills to change the culture of the team. Though the season hasn't started yet, Dotson can already feel a change.
"Coach is a great guy," he told The Post's Marc Berman. "He knows what he is talking about. Very detailed and makes sure everyone is on the same page, feedling off each other and together. He's big into making sure we come together, play together and believe in each other. That we produce, play hard and scrappy. All the things that you want a coach to do. He inherited that mindset from [Pat] RIley and [Erik] Spoelstra. He has instilled a great culture in himself and wants to put that into our team."
Dotson, the Knicks second-round pick last year, was one of three Knicks players that Fizdale decided to take with him to Boston to experience the Eastern Conference Finals between the Cavs and Celtics. Frank Ntilikina and Emmanuel Mudiay were apart of the group as well.
Fizdale brought the young guards to give them a feel of what playoff basketball is like, and being in TD Garden, the atmosphere was electric. Dotson admitted to even getting booed by the Celtics faithful.
"I had only been to two NBA games before as a fan," Dotson said. "And then going into TD Garden for a playoff game and seeing the passion of the fans and hearing them boo LeBron [James] and the Cavs. We even got booed."
It didn't help matters that Dotson was wearing Knicks gear, either.
"I was wearing a Knicks jacket, and a couple of fans recognized me, Frank and coach and told us how the Knicks stink," he said. "Coach talked to us the entire game, pointed things out. 'You see this. You see that.' We saw LeBron hold his teammates accountable and watched the young Boston guys compete and go at LeBron. It gave us insight that age doesn't matter, as long as you compete."
The 24-year-old Dotson is looking for more in his second NBA season, but with the log jam of guards, it will be hard to Dotson to ramp his minutes up this year. He averaged 10.8 minutes in his 44 games last season, where he averaged 4.1 points and 1.9 rebounds. He also saw time with the G-League Westchester Knicks.
Dotson admitted his rookie season was a great experience, but he is looking to clean up some of his inconsistencies in his second year.
"My rookie year was decent," he said. "I wasn't super consistent and I need to be more consistent with knowing my role and defensive assignments. Sometimes I slipped up on assignments. I learned a lot throughout the season about what I need to get better at. I think it showed toward the end of the season when I was getting more playing time. The G-League experience was also great for me. It helped my confidence, showing me that I belong. I was also able to score the basketball and grab rebounds and play like I did in college."
Dotson will join Ntilikina on the Knicks' summer league squad this summer in Las Vegas, and he is ready to take the first step there in showing his worth to Fizdale and the rest of the team this season.
""I want to play as many games as I can,'' Dotson said. "It's all about getting better. Hopefully, we play every game and win it."