Su Xi noticed this as well, so he encouraged Milicic.
He even told Milicic, "Forget that you were the second pick in 2003. Forget everything that happened over the past three and a half years. You are the player the Knicks selected with the second pick in the 2006 draft, and we will give you the kind of development a second-overall pick deserves."
To Milicic, this was an incredible show of faith.
How many people ever get a second chance?
How many people, after floundering for three and a half years, are still treated and developed like a rookie—let alone a potential superstar?
When the Knicks began to develop Milicic with the mentality of raising a rookie, everything started to change.
In the following games, the Knicks completely abandoned their run-and-gun offense in the first half. They had Su Xi, Randolph, Stephen Jackson, and Gary Payton specifically on the floor to help Milicic level up.
