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Issue link: http://dimemagazine.epubxp.com/i/56522
see him multiple times, spoke with us and asked us questions to really get some in- sights on what we felt he could do – and ultimately took a chance on him in the second round." What also goes unnoticed is the fact that Fields subscribes to the mantra ev- ery coach preaches: team ball, not me ball. He's a subtle assassin on the floor, and while he doesn't appear particularly monstrous in any single category, his 6-7 frame reaches nearly every line on the stat sheet. What makes him so dangerous is that opposing teams have to pick their proverbial poison. "I look at basketball as there are so many different aspects of the game, and you don't have to be (dominant) in just one thing," says Fields. "You can go out there and help out the team in a lot of different areas. If it's not points, then maybe it's defense or rebounding, assists, making good cuts, screening well – all kinds of different things, and even things that don't show up in the stat book." "Like most young players, he has to fit into the system rather than be the focal point of the system, but he's done a great job of taking what the defense gives him," adds Jeremy Lin, Fields' Knicks teammate and longtime friend from the Bay Area. "Landry does everything on the court from scoring, rebounding, assisting and playing defense, so that helped him make an extremely quick transition into the NBA." Now that his rookie year is over, the real fun begins for Fields and his Knicks. With expectations in the tri-state area as big as the city itself coming into this season, the pressure has been mounting. And as this issue went to press, the Knicks of new have looked a lot like the Knicks of old, starting the year with a lowly 8-14 record. Even with Fields starting to come on strong as of late – averaging 13.9 points over a recent nine- game stretch – the team still looks unsure of itself. It's a problem that hasn't seemed to correct itself since the appropriately dubbed "Melodrama" completely dismembered and reorganized the franchise last February. With the arrival of Carmelo Anthony and departure of Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chan- dler, Ray Felton and Timofey Mozgov, came the popular opinion that wins – and con- sequently championships – would follow. A year later, the Nuggets are unquestion- ably one of the best all-around ball clubs in the league, and the Knicks have found themselves in shambles across the board – even after the addition of free agent Tyson Chandler. A major reason why is consistency. "It's been different," says Fields on why New York has struggled to come together thus far. "From the team that I originally came in with, to the new guys transitioning from last year to this year – and with the lock- out and everything – it kind of hurts not to spend a training camp and preseason games to kind of work out the kinks of- fensively and defensively. I think that could be part of our struggles right now." Take it as you will, but Fields is right. A major reason for New York's woes is the fact that through everything, they're still just not that used to playing with each other. Not every team can come together like the Celtics did in 2007-08 with their trio of All-Stars and become immediate contenders. But even through a rash of injuries and inconsistent team play on both sides of the court, Fields has con- tinued to make the most of his minutes. One night, he's penciling in 18 points and seven assists against Denver, and another, he's grabbing five steals with another 18 points in a win against Detroit. His high basketball IQ is a major reason for his im- provement, but it's his work ethic that has raised his offensive game higher – even if the transition to a 'Melo-led offense has stifled Fields' rebounding to an extent (from 6.4 last year to 3.8 per game). "Personally, I think we have all witnessed Landry's progress," says Andy Rautins, Fields' former Knicks teammate and one of his best friends, who's currently hoop- ing overseas for CB Lucentum Alicante in Spain. "At first, he shot out of a cannon, making a smooth transition from college to the pros, leading the league in rebounds as a guard, scoring and defending well and embracing his status on the team as a great role player. He is the kind of guy who makes those adjustments, as he is showing, and helps a team win. He's very versatile." That versatility, and "an amazing appetite to get better" according to Coach Dawkins, will make Landry Fields a very desired commodity for his NBA years to come. But will it always be in New York? While he has held down the starting shooting guard spot seemingly since Day 1, Fields will also be- come a restricted free agent this summer. AS MUCH AS THE BRIGHT LIGHTS AND ALL-STAR NAMES DAZZLE IN THE BIG APPLE, A GUY LIKE FIELDS KEEPS YOU GROUNDED IN PLAYING THE RIGHT WAY. It's no secret that he fits well into Gotham's build for the future – Dawkins, Lin, Rautins and Fields all agree as such – but is that same future built on stable ground? Maybe the Knicks did give up too much in the Denver trade. Maybe the biggest fishbowl of a media market has placed more pressure on this team to win than is fair. More likely, it's far too early to tell what the Knicks' future will hold, even as much as we would all like to prognosticate. What is clear is that Fields should remain a cornerstone of the franchise. Because with as much as the bright lights and All-Star names dazzle in the Big Apple, a guy like Fields keeps you grounded in playing the right way. "I mean, I would love to stay with New York – that's the whole plan right now," says Fields when asked about his future. "But I'm only going to focus on one game at a time." It's the smart answer – the only answer, re- ally. The kid did go to Stanford after all. 55