Knicks All-Stars Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns have benefited greatly from being coaches’ sons, writes Steven Popper of Newsday.
Brunson’s father, former nine-year NBA point guard Rick Brunson, is currently an assistant coach guiding his son in New York.
“I think when you’re the son of a coach, regardless of what level, I think you’re consistently talking about what you can do to be better,” Brunson said. “For the most part, at least from my experience, I don’t think there’s any trick to it. It’s just that you’re in this constant mode of learning. Since you have that since you’re a kid, you learn more, you understand more. I don’t know. It’s just more of a natural feel.”
Towns’ father, Karl Towns Sr., was a standout player at Monmouth University before becoming a coach at Piscataway Technical High School.
“I think it’s just a credit to my father,” Towns said. “He was a high school coach, a damn good one, too, in Jersey, Piscataway. Just being with him every single day, just watching him coach and just garnering IQ every single day, learning the right way to play the game of basketball, ways you could help your team win, and the way he taught me. So that’s a shoutout to my father for being the man who taught me the game of basketball at this level.”
There’s more out of the Big Apple:
- Knicks forward OG Anunoby has been an absolutely critical defensive contributor for New York this season, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. According to Bondy, Anunoby seems to be channeling the defensive versatility of an All-Star former Tom Thibodeau charge, Luol Deng. “Each player is unique, and there are things about him that are so unique and different: His size, his strength, his speed, his anticipation, his ability to read and to see things ahead,” Thibodeau said. “And he knows how to read plays. If someone is loose with the ball, he’s very active with his hands. Disruptive off the ball but also very good on the ball, and he’s super long. So he can fly by you and he can come back into the play and still impact the shot.”
- Nets center Nic Claxton has been grappling with a minutes restriction all year as he deals with a lingering hamstring issue. That appears likely to change sooner rather than later, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. “Right now, we just want to see him play consistently every game but also play more minutes,” head coach Jordi Fernandez said. “It’s going to happen. Obviously, I’m not going to tell when at the end of the day, but [everyone] will see it.”
- Surprisingly, the Nets have gotten off to a solid 3-3 start this season. Lewis writes in another piece that a lot of this early success is a credit to Brooklyn’s clutch fourth-quarter defense. “We’re not there yet,” Fernandez said modestly of the club’s defensive growth. “It’s in process. We know that all these high-level defensive teams, playoff teams — Orlando, Celtics, Minnesota — they’re very good in pressuring the ball and very physical. It’s a process. It’s not like in one day, you’ll become those type of teams. You have to go through it. But yeah, we have to do better at the rim.”
It’s still too early. But with Achiuwa out. It’s clear Knicks can use another big. Sims and Hukporti have to take advantage of this time. And make a name for themselves. IMO Knicks need a backup 4. Stretch4 who can rebound.
Mitch is expected back in January. We need him as a defensive force and rebounder. Mitch gives us 20 mins. And they can go to East Finals and maybe more. Mitch playing well as KATs backup. Makes Knicks a force for sure.
Mitch is signed thru next yr. I’m sure he won’t like being a backup. He’s a starting center in this league. Even with his injury history. But you play well and go to Finals. He can go where he wants next yr. He can also go for IHart money. This would be best scenario for Knicks this year. Just not sure Mitch would comply. NYK
“In Thibs we Trust”
Still early… The Thibs effect hasn’t set in this season yet…
That’s in the playoffs…
Sounds like the Knicks needed to keep OB1 as a backup 3 or 4. His brother not as good
NYK can’t do much roster-wise right now. It’s the price of doing the KAT deal. They can (and have to) add two standard roster players by mid-November, but only for one for vet minimum and one for rookie minimum. It appears baked in that they’ll add Shamet as the vet minimum, and Hukporti as the rookie minimum, and then give Pat Ryan the 2-way spot Hukporti vacates. That would add two more guards (Shamet and Ryan) to the available roster, but not a big.
Frankly I’d like to see Hukporti in G-league for at least 10-15 games. Before adding him to roster. He needs mins right now. G-league start 11-8-24.
Agreed; to the extent not needed at NBA level.
He can play in G-league under his current 2-way contract, or under a standard contract. When NYK are at MSG, he could do some of both. Like McBride did. Worst case, they should get him that run after Achiuwa or Mitch is back.
January for Mitch, then gm shape. Really be big if Hukporti can come up and help us. Like McBride did.