Well, not quite. But I bet Landry Fields has done his fair share of giving opposing teams some nightmares. While living out what other rookies would consider a dream.
He is the starting 2 guard for the New York Knicks. Our New York Knicks. A winning New York Knicks. Landry had the luxury of not being part of the team for the last ten years so he probably cannot put it into proper perspective as to what playing winning basketball means in New York for its players and us, the fans.
When you look at the box score night and night out you might see something like 10 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal. Not ground shaking numbers. Possibly not even Rookie Of The Month numbers. An award he has one more than once during this young season.
Be careful though, statistics do not always tell the whole story. There is no statistic for intangibles. The utility worker in this league usually will not wow you with statistical numbers but they always leave their stamp on the game. The impact they bring. The key rebound, the great defensive play, the deflected pass, the art of drawing charges, crucial baskets from unlikely heros.
Those things are what Landry Fields brings to the table night in and night out. You know what you can expect from him. And just like our expectations from him when we drafted him with the 39th pick, he often exceeds them.
Coach Donnie Walsh was told he was "going to have a hard time keeping Landry Fields off the court". That might be an understatement. As much as Amar'e, Raymond Felton and the emergence of Wilson Chandler are responsible for this new found success of the Knicks. Landry deserves his fair share of credit as well.
I refer to him as the "Veteran Rookie" for his poise on the court. His basketball IQ is obviously off the charts. Going to Stanford did not hurt either. He rarely ever makes what I would consider a "rookie play" such as bad shots, botched play, or appears lost on defense. Pretty impressive for any player in this league, never mind a rookie.
So while Blake Griffin may be at home polishing a well deserved Rookie Of The Year Award for dunking on everyone who is bold enough to stand in his way. He also will be watching another Rookie perform in the post-season like he's done it before.
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