No more fake basketball for the next eight months, folks!<\/p>\n
The Knicks wrapped up the preseason with their most solid performance, defeated the Raps in New York, and will next see the banner(s) rise to the rafters of MSG.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s the latest from everybody and their mothers.<\/p>\n
On the Knicks\u2019 progress over the past year heading into their title defense:<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m going to keep it real that there\u2019s something in front of us. I\u2019m not a fan of having an elephant in the room. I\u2019ll address it: It\u2019s about the process. It\u2019s not about the end result. We can\u2019t think about the end result right now. We have a ways to go. This is a new season, new team and we\u2019re gonna have challenges in front of us.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s like climbing a mountain. Sometimes you go a 100 yards, but you might get knocked back five yards. Hopefully, it\u2019s not 50 yards, but you might get back five or 10 yards, and you regroup as a team, and you figure out how to keep going forward the right way.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut making sure we embrace the process without slippage in that is going to be huge. And if I see us slipping up, it\u2019s my job to let us know as a team that we\u2019re off track. We need to get back on hopefully sooner than later.\u201d<\/p>\n
On why Jalen Brunson is the NBA\u2019s best leader, as voted by GMs:<\/p>\n
\u201cHe studies the game, and that helps a lot because you can always grow in any field you do. But he walks the talk. He works extremely hard, and he strives for perfection from himself. And when you do that, your peers see you do that, and you\u2019re looked upon as the best player on the team, and it gives you credibility to tell somebody else when they\u2019re not given their all or when they need to do this a little bit better or that a little bit better.\u201d<\/p>\n
On Brunson\u2019s toughness and willingness to hold teammates accountable:<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s not afraid because, as a leader, sometimes you can be on an island because you have to always be conscious of \u2018I got to do more, I got to do more\u2019 in terms of work harder, focus, everybody\u2019s going to make mistakes, but those little things. And so when you tell your teammates, they can get pissed at you, or they can be like, \u2018hey, screw him because who is he to tell me what to do?\u2019 And so you have to have some thick skin because it\u2019s not going to always be you telling somebody to do something, then they embrace it. And I think Jalen has that thick skin and a toughness about him to be in a seat like this.\u201d<\/p>\n
On Brunson potentially becoming an NBA head coach after his playing career:<\/p>\n
\u201cI think Jalen has that thick skin and toughness about him to be in a seat like this. You won\u2019t need to, though. My view? If you don\u2019t want to\u2026 It\u2019s up to you, Jalen.\u201d<\/p>\n
On what he expects from the Knicks\u2019 final roster spot:<\/p>\n
\u201cIf one of those guys makes our team, at least right now, they may not even play seven minutes \u2014 you know, seven straight minutes. And then at the end of the day, we just have to make a decision.\u201d<\/p>\n
On the mentality required from the Knicks\u2019 third-string center:<\/p>\n
\u201cWe just hope that there\u2019s a passion and an energy and a focus coming from that spot because, I\u2019m sure at times that person will start, at times they may be the first backup and at times they may be second backup. So as the minutes are fluctuating, you\u2019re going to have to generate some internal energy at times, to go play in a low-minute game.<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes he\u2019ll maybe not play one or two, maybe three games in a row. You look for that, and then you know, you just look for somebody that\u2019s going to play hard at the end of the day \u2013 try to do the things that you\u2019re asking on both sides of the floor. And bring a little something different than what the two guys in front of you bring.\u201d<\/p>\n
On Bruce Brown\u2019s experience, toughness and versatility:<\/p>\n
\u201cBruce has been through a lot with a lot of different teams at a pretty high level. His toughness, his experience, his feel, all those things \u2014 he\u2019s a winner. It seems like every place he\u2019s gone, he\u2019s won, but all those things can add a lot to the program, and then he\u2019s versatile both ends of the floor. He could play a few different positions offensively; he can guard a few different positions defensively. So a guy like that, especially a veteran winner, can be helpful to any team.\u201d<\/p>\n
On James Wiseman\u2019s potential and development:<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s young, he\u2019s talented, you know, he\u2019s raw, still. I think he\u2019s still trying to establish a foothold in this league. But with the God-given attributes he has, in terms of athleticism and length and quickness, [they] can bode well for him on both ends of the floor. And at 25 years old, he hasn\u2019t even reached his prime, especially knowing he hadn\u2019t played a ton of basketball; having a vertical threat at the rim will help [the Knicks], or could help everybody else play the game a little bit easier, whether it\u2019s driving the basketball or playing pick and roll.\u201d<\/p>\n
On his recovery from wrist surgery:<\/p>\n
\u201cI had nine different casts. I was able to take it off if I ran or worked out with it. So I had one for workouts, one for showering and obviously one for everyday use.\u201d<\/p>\n
On maintaining the Knicks\u2019 championship-winning approach entering a new season:<\/p>\n
\u201cI think what\u2019s most important is that last year we took everything one day at a time. We were talking about \u2014 obviously, the topic was getting back to the conference finals and trying to advance. And I think for us now, the way we approached it last year was to take it one day at a time, every single day. So not talking about certain things.<\/p>\n
\u201cObviously, we know what it takes, but just going into this with the same mindset for this journey. Even though it\u2019s a new journey, it\u2019s a different journey; the approach has to be the same, if not better.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe first couple of weeks of the season is going to show us who we are and where we are. No matter what we\u2019re doing, whether we\u2019re playing great, playing bad, how are you going to be able to learn? And so, I mean, we\u2019ll find a way. We\u2019ll hold each other accountable, just like we did last year, and then we\u2019ll be better.\u201d<\/p>\n
On the Knicks\u2019 preseason progress and preparing to defend their championship:<\/p>\n
\u201cEach game got better and better. Just happy to be back. I feel like it\u2019s a learning experience for us. We have to turn the page on last year and figure out how to get better every single day. It\u2019s gonna be a different journey for us. Our mindset has to be different, and we\u2019ll be ready to go.\u201d<\/p>\n
On the Knicks\u2019 preseason finale and preparing for opening night:<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought today was a good dress rehearsal. It was cool, it was very nice to get back out there and get back into our flow and be really good. Obviously we have a lot of things to work on. But it was a good way to end the preseason.\u201d<\/p>\n
On how he feels physically and his rhythm entering the regular season:<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, I feel good. I feel really, really good.\u201d<\/p>\n
On who\u2019s the biggest complainer to referees among Knicks:<\/p>\n
\u201cJosh Hart. Why\u2019d y\u2019all laugh? Did y\u2019all agree with that or something? Everyone behind the camera, I just want y\u2019all to know: y\u2019all just clowned Josh Hart. That\u2019s crazy for y\u2019all to say \u2014 in New York, too.\u201d<\/p>\n
On choosing between winning another NBA championship and a World Series:<\/p>\n
\u201cWin a World Series, for sure. I already won an NBA championship.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBefore the game starts, I always give everyone at the table, including the fans behind, a chance to really get into the game. Just giving everybody a fist bump down the line of the table, and then go on the court.\u201d<\/p>\n
On his favorite all-time big man:<\/p>\n
\u201cI think Hakeem. I feel like, in a way, he kind of is mythical, like Wilt Chamberlain… but I\u2019ve been able to talk and meet Hakeem, and he\u2019s an amazing, amazing human.\u201d<\/p>\n
On the Knicks\u2019 roster decisions involving Bruce Brown, James Wiseman, Pacome Dadiet and Tyler Kolek:<\/p>\n
\u201cBrown and James Wiseman have made it through preseason cuts. The Knicks clearly like both players. But New York only has room under the second apron in team salary to keep one player. In order to keep both Brown and Wiseman, the Knicks would need to trade a player on a standard contract without taking back salary.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy read heading into the weekend: Wiseman is a lock to make the roster. There is strong support to add Brown as well. The Knicks would need to make a trade by Monday afternoon if they want to keep Brown. I think they will explore all avenues to make that happen.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s logical to assume that the Knicks will move third-year wing Pacome Dadiet. But I believe New York will explore other deals \u2014 including trades involving third-year guard Tyler Kolek \u2014 this weekend and Monday.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Knicks will be asking teams to take on a player without sending back salary. To get a deal done, New York may need to attach its own second-round picks (New York will have at least 11 second-round picks in the next seven drafts).\u201d<\/p>\n
On the Knicks\u2019 handling of Karl-Anthony Towns\u2019 contract negotiations:<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, it was smart to dead the conversation. Now, how you deaded the conversation is the problem. I can\u2019t find out on Twitter if that\u2019s what happened\u2026So if that\u2019s the case (Towns learning from the media that the Knicks paused negotiations), then that\u2019s a communication thing right there. [The Knicks] dropped the ball on that one for one. You don\u2019t let that get outside. So again, I don\u2019t know that. The only thing I\u2019m saying is you don\u2019t break up the family. That\u2019s all I\u2019m going to say. You don\u2019t break up the family.\u201d<\/p>\n
On fulfilling his childhood dream of becoming a police officer:<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s something I always wanted to do since I was a kid. I remember back when I was in grade school, elementary school. They asked you on career day, \u2018What do you want to be when you grow up?\u2019 And my initial response was a police officer.\u201d<\/p>\n
On his family\u2019s history in law enforcement:<\/p>\n
\u201cIt runs in the family. My uncle was a captain. His brother was a deputy. My cousin is a captain. My sister\u2019s in the academy. So, it\u2019s a family tradition, basically.\u201d<\/p>\n
On the physical demands of police academy training compared with the NBA:<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, it was a little bit [more] challenging actually because now I\u2019m running a lot more than I had before. Obviously, in the NBA you run short distances, right? And the police academy, you\u2019re running more long-distance mileage.\u201d<\/p>\n
On his wife\u2019s initial concerns about his decision to become a police officer:<\/p>\n
\u201cMy wife at first was a little bit concerned because obviously being a police officer, there\u2019s some danger to it. But if you are well-trained and you understand your policies and procedures, you\u2019re able to somewhat have officer safety, which is very important, and that\u2019s the goal.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"No more fake basketball for the next eight months, folks! The Knicks wrapped up the preseason with their…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":375388,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[52132,9,11,10],"class_list":["post-375387","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-new-york","tag-knicks-news","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-headlines","tag-new-york-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/375387","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=375387"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/375387\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/375388"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=375387"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=375387"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=375387"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}