SALT LAKE CITY — Cam Payne admits he “honestly didn't know” what his role would be when he signed with the Knicks in the summer, but the 10-year NBA veteran played in 11 games off the bench. He contributed 8.2 points in 17.1 minutes. .
Payne is also shooting 44.4 percent from 3-point range, second only to Karl-Anthony Towns (50 percent) among the team's regular rotation members entering Saturday's game against the Jazz.
“Honestly, I just wanted to help,” said Payne, who signed a one-year contract worth $3 million guaranteed. “When I go out there I want to be aggressive and take advantage of my opportunities. Obviously, yeah, I'm there. But I didn't know if I was going to come in. I just wanted to be the best player I could be every day. It is.
“I had to start all over again and get people to like me and show them what I can do. …What I do, what I bring to the table. It's like going out and letting people know what's going on. And I'm starting to move my head a little bit. I hope I can get some love in New York.”
Josh Hart is setting career highs in minutes (37.3), points (14.1), rebounds (9.0), assists (5.9) and field goal percentage (59.6) through 15 games.
“He's like a Swiss Army knife. There's so many things he does,” Tom Thibodeau said. “He can create an attack. He moves well without the ball. He plays fast. He can play in transition.
“And he's been working very hard on shooting. I think he has a good feel for his shots. He's put a lot of time into it, so that's a positive for us. But , our team has the ability to take action. I think his defense, toughness, and hustle play are the big factors. He has the talent to get the ball. His effortless play gives the team a lot of energy. He gives us that, and that's what we need.”
Miles McBride (knee) is questionable and Precious Achiuwa (hamstring) remains sidelined with the Knicks.
