Beno Udrih has been barely serviceable with the Knicks this season, but due to injuries and a lack of other point guard talent available on the roster, the team hasn’t had a choice but to give him 12 starts, and 30 appearances in total where he’s averaged 19.2 minutes per contest.
It isn’t always the numbers that are bad when Udrih is on the floor, but his decision-making when running the offense and his overall court vision are below average by NBA point guard standards.
None of that means, of course, that Udrih has deserved to be the one so often singled out for his miscues by Knicks head coach Mike Woodson, and that, along with a whole host of other drama surrounding New York this season was the likely cause of his reported trade request made earlier this week.
Udrih downplayed that report a couple of days later, saying that remaining with the Knicks is now his preferred option.
From Marc Berman of the New York Post:“Yeah, that’s my first option,’’ Udrih said. “There’s a lot of options out there for everybody. I’m a Knick. I want to be here. I think the team has more than enough talent to succeed. We just got to get it together and do our job.’’
The Post reported Udrih would be content if nothing happened on the trade front despite a previous report of a trade request.
“I’m a Knick,’’ said Udrih, who won two titles with San Antonio. “I’ve always been professional. I’m going to stay professional. Whatever happens outside the basketball court, it’s not in my power. If something happens, it happens. But right now, I’m a Knick, wearing a Knick uniform, staying in shape.’’
It’s true Udrih has received an unfair share of the blame, but it’s also true he hasn’t been sharp in running the offense when given the chance. The minutes he received in Wednesday’s loss to the Sixers with Pablo Prigioni and Raymond Felton both available reflected this -- that number was zero.
It’s also possible that Udrih received a wakeup call from his agent or from someone in the Knicks front office explaining the cold reality that there is no trade market for him at the moment, given his substandard play. The change in tone may have come from the realization that for better or worse, Udrih is likely stuck in New York for the remainder of the season.