Lamar Peters Playing His Way Into Knicks' Plans
WHITE PLAINS, NY — The beige, Art Deco decor of Westchester County Center, home of the G League’s Westchester Knicks, is starkly interrupted by a large blue and orange banner. Visitors are informed upon viewing of the former Westchester denizens who have earned an NBA promotion, be it with their brother organization in Manhattan or elsewhere.
If Lamar Peters keeps his current pace, that banner will soon require maintenance.
Peters, 21, is one of the freshest Knicks in the system, but he is already making changes to the more stagnant sections of the team record books. The rookie recently made White Plains history on February 26. Less than two months after tying it, Peters lent a literal helping hand with a franchise-best 19 assists. He would also contribute 19 points to a 129-115 Knicks victory.
Despite his individual name topping the revised Westchester record books, Peters said after the game that his accomplishment wouldn’t be possible without the success of his teammates.
“I was focused on making the right plays, and my team was hitting shots,” Peters said. “I credit them for knocking down the shots for me. I was happy just to make those plays for them.”
The Mississippi State alum is in only his first year of professional service, entering the system as an undrafted free agent. His name has picked up right where it left off: at the top of postgame statsheets.
A town of quarterbacks, Peters was the de facto man under center in his record breaking night, dishing out throws that would make the fellow young locals like Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones blush. As the pesky Swarm constantly crept back into the game, Peters’ antics were enough to lull the home team back into a sense of security. His contributions were further evidenced by a plus/minus posting of 24, tops amongst the victors.
“(I’m) just working hard, just focusing on leading the team,” he said. “Back when I was in college and in high school, I was a scorer, I was a score-first type of player. (Now), I’m just focused on getting my team going and then getting myself going. Just making all the right plays.”
Debut seasons, after all, appears to be a Peters speciality. His first year in Starkville ended with SEC All-Freshman team honors alongside names like De’Aaron Fox, Malik Monk, and Bam Adebayo.
With the exception of in-and-out NBA participant Ignas Brazdeikis, Peters is the leading scorer on the Westchester side of things to the tune of 17.8 points per game. He’s also, as you’d expect. far and away the leader in team assists (7.3 per game). Such an output is surely to catch the eye of the parent club at Madison Square Garden, which will be looking to evaluate their talent arsenal in the final stages of the season, once it resumes.
Peters, however, isn’t worried about that. He’d rather accomplish as much as he can in White Plains for now.
“I’m just focusing on playing," Peters said. "When that day (of an NBA promotion) may come, whenever that may be, I’ll deal with that then. But right now, I’m just focused on me and my teammates in the locker. I’ll just keep playing hard, trying to get wins.”
True to his theme of assists, Peters was sure to give a special shout out to the Westchester coaching staff for his progress this season. The Westchester coaching staff recently added two-time NBA champion Beno Udrih to their bench, joining fellow assistant Lisa Willis and head coach Derrick Alston. Each of the latter two played professionally in the WNBA and NBA respectively, as well as in leagues overseas.
“It’s great because they all believe in me and give me great confidence,” he said. “Plus, it’s good to know that I’m playing for people that have actually played, and who know what they’re talking about. It’s always good to pick their brains and see what they know about the game.”
“It’s also good to get the experience they’ve got from them. It’s great, and I enjoy playing for them.”
