NEW YORK — Josh Harrellson and Iman Shumpert shot a combined 4 for 22 in the Knicks 88-82 preseason win over the Nets Wednesday at Madison Square Garden.
But both impressed head coach Mike D’Antoni to the point where they could be in the rotation when the regular season begins Christmas Day against the Boston Celtics.
“The two rookies, you just keep thinking that they’re going to be part of everything, that they’ve earned some time,” D’Antoni said, adding that he expects to play “10 or 11 guys” because of the condensed NBA schedule. “So that’s a question mark that seems to be OK right now.”
Harrellson, the former Kentucky star known as “Jorts,” finished with seven points on 2-of-10 shooting, but hit two 3-pointers and added 10 rebounds, three steals and two blocks. He also dove out of bounds for a loose ball to the delight of the Garden faithful.
He and Shumpert were both on the floor in the final minutes.
“I think he can really play,” D’Antoni said of Harrellson. “He is strong. I mean, he is dirt strong. He was standing people up. He’s got a little bit of pop to his game that I didn’t know that. He surprised you about how he gets up off his feet on some rebounds. And once he gets his hand on it, they’re not taking it away from him.
“He can shoot all the way up to the 3. And when he gets comfortable, I think he can become a very good shooter. So there’s a lot of good things, a lot of good things. He’s a very smart basketball player.”
During one stretch, Harrellson dove out of bounds for a loose ball and then hustled down the court and hit a 3-pointer on the other end, drawing crowd support.
“They were great,” Harrellon said of the fans. “They were into the game. They showed us all love for playing defense and hustling hard and that’s what we are this team, a defensive team and that’s what our big emphasis is.”
Harrellson, who was part of Kentucky’s Final Four team last year, didn’t feel like he had to prove anything to D’Antoni but hopes he’s in the rotation.
“I’m just trying to do the little things,” he said. “I don’t know if I’m in the rotation. You know, I hope so. But I’m just going to keep doing what I’ve been doing. Keep hustling, keep getting rebounds, keep playing defense. And hopefully that’s good enough to get in the rotation.”
Tyson Chandler, who won an NBA title last season with the Dallas Mavericks, was impressed with Harrellson’s performance.
“The Big Fella’s a bruiser down there, so they’re going to help us,” Chandler said.
Shumpert didn’t know much about Harrellson in college, since Georgia Tech never played Kentucky while he was there.
“I would’ve loved to play against Kentucky, though, at Kentucky,” he said. “I always wanted to play over there.”
Yet Shumpert professes an admiration for Harrellson’s game.
“I always liked him,” he said. “I’m a blue-collar guy myself that’s going to stick my nose in stuff. Josh [is] one of them dudes that get a cut on his eye and then yell. He’s one of them dudes.
“Like today, that loose ball. He gonna dive and knock somebody down. Playing with a guy like that, you know he gonna do that dirty work….I always wanted to play with guys like that because that’s gonna make me get on the floor.”
Shumpert, taken with the 17th pick in the first round of the NBA Draft, shot just 2-of-12 for seven points (including 1-of-6 from deep), but added three rebounds, three assists and two steals.
On the bench, Baron Davis told Shumpert he was “settling for 3’s,” so Shumpert tried to be more aggressive.
“I got Baron to get in my ear,” Shumpert said. “Made me drive in, made ’em help, create, kick out, open 3’s for other guys.”
Despite his shooting struggles, D’Antoni likes Shumpert’s attitude and length. He could be a key defender on guys like LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Derrick Rose.
“His defense is really good,” D’Antoni said. “He’s a big guard, point guard, small forward that can guard a lot of people. And he is quick and strong and long and his shot will be fine.
“First time in the Garden, I’m surprised that he and Josh played that well.”
