New Nets forward Royce O’Neale has a chance to enter the starting lineup, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post, who thinks the decision for the final spot on Brooklyn’s starting five will come down to O’Neale vs. Joe Harris.
Since Harris is coming off a pair of ankle surgeries and has missed a little time this preseason with a sore foot, there could be an opportunity for O’Neale to claim that spot, Lewis writes. Harris is traveling with the Nets for Wednesday’s preseason contest against Milwaukee, but won’t play in that game, tweets Lewis.
Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, Ben Simmons, and Nic Claxton are the Nets’ other projected starters.
Here’s more on the NBA’s two New York-based teams:
- Veteran NBA executive Jeff Bower, a former general manager in New Orleans and Detroit, has been hired by the Nets in a scouting role, league sources tell Marc Stein (Twitter link). Bower most recently worked in Phoenix’s front office, but parted ways with the team in 2021.
- John Hollinger of The Athletic liked the Knicks‘ decision not to go all-in for Donovan Mitchell this offseason, even if it means the team will likely spend another season in “NBA purgatory.” After breaking down New York’s offseason moves, Hollinger projects the club to go 39-43 and finish 10th in the Eastern Conference.
- Quentin Grimes won’t be the Knicks‘ starting shooting guard to open the season, but he has earned Tom Thibodeau‘s trust and respect, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. “No one’s close to putting the amount of work that he puts in,” the head coach said of Grimes, per Fred Katz of The Athletic. Thibodeau’s fondness for Grimes is presumably one reason why the team has been reluctant to discuss the second-year wing in trade talks. “My name was in the trade rumors last year at the trade deadline, they called me and were like, ‘Thibs love you. …We love your work ethic,'” Grimes said, per Bondy.
It’s news that Grimes won’t be the starting SG? He’s probably not even going to be in the second unit, at least to start the season.
Starters: Brunson, Fournier, Barrett, Randle, Robinson
Backups: IQ, Rose, Reddish, Obi, Hartenstein
Grimes will backup Fournier. The guy is in his best shape ever. He looks ready to take over. I can see him starting after 20 gms or so. He is lean and looks ready to me. Fact Thibs respects him. Will help him. Grimes and McBride are two young guys I like a lot.
Who does Grimes bump out of the second unit? imo, it’s either IQ or Reddish, but bumping Reddish makes that a small unit.
Second unit being small is not terrible. Many NBA teams go small ball on the second unit
Reddish will only get PT if it’s to showcase him for a trade
I expect that Grimes will be the starter (or at least be getting starter minutes) by January, as long as he’s healthy. It’s mostly up to Fournier, his defense in particular. Grimes, for his part, in addition to getting healthy, needs to cut back on bad shots.
Reddish played his best game as a Knick in the last preseason game, even though he didn’t shoot well. If his head doesn’t find its way back up his butt, he’ll be a factor as well. I’m not really bullish on this scenario (old habits are tough to shake), but since it’s preseason, there’s no reason not to be hopeful.
Agreed. Evan has given much more of a defensive effort in the limited preseason thus far, but do Knick fans expect that to last? Probably not. I believe Grimes will close games bc of his defense and 3 pt shot making ability. Would Rose be the odd man out as the Knicks slowly build his min back? Plus he’d be the ideal trade candidate at the deadline…
Grimes looks lean and ready. I expect him to challenge for that starting role. Seems Thibs really likes him. Which means he has impressed him thru hard work.
Royce O’Neale should be in the starting lineup because he’s very good on defense and a knock down shooter.
Claxton should be the back up the Nets should have signed a free agent Center bad move Claxtons a back up he is too light
Wait. I was told that the Knicks holding onto young players and not trading for Donovan Mitchell was the big plan. Now Thibs isn’t even going to give many minutes to one of those players that was a stumbling block for that proposed trade.
I don’t think this means he won’t get minutes. We’ll see how it unfolds. Presuming Rose and Fournier will stay healthy all year and that IQ will shoot better this year would probably be a mistake. He’ll get an opportunity sooner or later.
Harris’ better shooting and minus defense vs O’Neale’s still good shooting and plus defense … yeah I’d def start O’Neale. Either way though, it’s more important who plays the minutes that count at the end of games. Not who starts all the time.
Both o’neal and harris should start, and claxton should come off the bench
I also still contend the knicks should have never signed Brunson, and let McBride and Grimes have more opportunities, and then use that money to pursue more wing help/a spacer at the 4, or maybe they could have even grabbed Bogdanovic themselves, who might have been a good fit, and surprisingly didnt get moved for much