Channing Frye, the 6-11 center selected ninth in last June’s draft, did not take Las Vegas or Minneapolis by storm in July. Frye showed promise with free-throw shooting (89.4 percent) and getting his shot off from the low block.
But in 10 games, Frye (above) showed up small on the boards and was plagued by fouls in virtually every contest. With Larry Brown’s first practice six days away in Charleston, S.C., Frye is unsure he’ll merit a permanent spot in Brown’s rotation, even though the club is desperate for a shot-blocking force.
“It didn’t help me confidence-wise, but it showed me what I needed to work on,” Frye said yesterday during a charity appearance at the Ronald McDonald House in Manhattan. “The biggest thing was getting used to rules of the NBA.”
Frye averaged 13.4 points and 5.1 rebounds, but that’s because players can’t foul out in the summer league. Frye averaged 5.2 fouls per game. He admitted his rebounding was subpar, but believes he played good team defense.
“I’m going to make my own history with Coach Brown,” Frye said. “If he feels I’m not ready to contribute, I’ll have to work harder. I’ll go in with a humble attitude.”