Donte DiVincenzo left the Golden State Warriors during the summer. He signed a deal to join Tom Thibodeau and the New York Knicks. Since making the switch to the Eastern Conference, DiVincenzo has established himself as a core part of the Knicks rotation. He is rapidly becoming a fan favorite.
Speaking to the media following the Knicks’ 113-109 win over the Washington Wizards on Thursday, DiVincenzo credited Steph Curry for his improvements this season and how he’s been able to navigate a bigger role on a new team.
“Just watching how Steph goes about (his preparation),” DiVincenzo said. “Steph, Jordan (Poole) and Klay (Thompson) were huge for me in just seeing how they prepared every day. I watched Steph go 1-for-12 and come in the next day and shoot 1,000 shots. And I’ve seen him go 12-for-12 and come in (the next day) and shoot 1,000 shots. So it just taught me the preparation (needed) to be able to have the confidence in-game. Coming over here, I’m not changing anything about my routine….Good game, bad game. Good shooting night, doesn’t matter. I’ll just come in and do the same thing every night.”
DiVincenzo has played in 42 games for the Knicks so far this season. He’s averaging 11.2 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists, shooting 45.5% from the field and 42.5% from 3-point range.
Golden State could use someone with DiVincenzo’s skill set this season. His point-of-attack defense and tertiary scoring ability have been sorely missed during the team’s slide throughout the season. Still, his former teammates will likely be pleased to see him shine in his new surroundings.
