Sports

Knicks alum: Don’t boo Kristaps Porzingis for wanting out

Channing Frye thinks Knicks fans should only boo Kristaps Porzingis because he’s the opponent in a Dallas uniform — not because he wanted out of the Knicks’ maelstrom.

Frye, a TNT/NBA TV analyst promoting the broadcast of Porzingis’ first visit to the Garden as a Maverick, is also a former Knicks lottery pick as an outside-shooting big man. He has firsthand knowledge of the organization’s workings.

“They have every right to boo him, but boo him because he’s on the other team,’’ Frye told The Post. “ Not because he wanted to get out of that situation. As you see, most people don’t want to be in that situation right now. Boo him because he’s a Maverick and not because he didn’t want to be on the Knicks.’’





The Knicks haven’t recovered well from the Porzingis trade and Frye doesn’t see the same competitive roster president Steve Mills does.

“I don’t see this roster winning above 22-to-23 games this year,’’ Frye said. “It’s not a knock on players. They’re all pros. Some are good players. I played with a bunch of them. I just don’t know the direction. You got a lot of the same type of guys. That causes dissension within the team. How can I cheer for you when you got four guys who do the same thing? It’s tough.’’

Frye was shipped out of New York to Portland after his second season in 2007 for Zach Randolph, in yet another reversal of direction.





“Look at my rookie year, we had the most starting lineups in NBA history,’’ Frye said. “There wasn’t any stability in that organization. We should’ve done good things. On paper, we had a nice mix of vets, all-stars, defenders, tough guys.”

It’s all part of a tragic era that has seen the Knicks make the playoffs four times in 18 seasons and not once since 2012-13.

“How many coaches, GMs, presidents — God knows how many players have they had,’’ said Frye, who won an NBA title with Cleveland.

“Realistically, what stability do you have in that organization that’s going to attract big-name free agents to develop the rookies you do get? That to me is a problem. When something doesn’t work out, you go away from it instead of building around it. There’s no stability to get better.’’





Already, owner James Dolan created chaos around his club by suggesting Mills and GM Scott Perry stage a fiery postgame press conference Sunday that seemed to indict coach David Fizdale.

Though it appeared Fizdale had been put on a 10-game notice, sources indicated that is farfetched. The Post reported the deterrent in firing Fizdale this early is it puts one of his assistants in an impossible interim situation, according to a source.

Still, the firestorm surrounds the club as Porzingis arrives as a Maverick.

“One hundred percent, he’s in a good spot,’’ Frye said. “Mark Cuban is more attentive. Dirk [Nowitzki] played there 20 years. That’s a sign of a good organization. You don’t see a player say ‘Trade me from Dallas.’ They develop their talent well.’’





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