First-year Sixers head coach Brett Brown is enjoying his job but has few wins to show for it, writes Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “There are only a handful of times – a very, very tiny handful of times – where you feel embarrassed,” Brown said. “By and large our team has played a style of play and played with an aggression that I’m proud of.” More from the Atlantic..
- The Knicks are still in play for Raptors guard Kyle Lowry, but they still won’t surrender a first-round pick to get him, tweets Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. The Knicks can’t trade a first round selection that comes up earlier than 2018.
- With strong play from Pablo Prigioni, Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com wonders if the Knicks need Lowry at all.
- Interference from owner James Dolan may hurt the Knicks badly, writes Mitch Lawrence of the Daily News. Dolan canned highly respected GM Glen Grunwald before the season in favor of Steve Mills, a GM who isn’t eager to make trades because he doesn’t want to put his job on the line, according to Lawrence.
- With all the talk of Knicks star Carmelo Anthony going elsewhere, you can count Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim amongst those who hopes he stays put, Adam Zagoria of SNY writes. “I think he came to New York, he likes New York, he wanted to be in New York,” Boeheim said. “I think that every player now is looking for the best place to win. Players aren’t looking for money or security. Elite players now are looking for, ‘Where can I win, where can I be in a winning championship-type team.’“