New York Knicks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

New York Notes: Randle, Brunson, Bridges, Simmons

May 5th, 2023 at 7:31pm CST by Rory Maher

After being sidelined for Game 1 of the Knicks‘ second-round series against Miami due to a left ankle sprain, forward Julius Randle said he had no intention of missing Game 2, writes Steve Popper of Newsday (subscriber link).

“Yeah,” Randle said. “There was no way I was sitting out of that one.

“It’s not really the pain, man. It’s just the getting back on the court. For me, it was not being able to do anything for a while. Getting my conditioning back … the recovery after, all while trying to nurse an injury. So mentally, it’ll take a toll on you. But my wife, my family, everybody in the organization — thankfully for me, I have a great supporting cast.”

Here are a few more notes out of New York:

Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson was limited in Thursday’s practice due to right ankle soreness. However, he told reporters on Friday, including Popper (subscriber link), that he’s “ready to go” for Saturday’s Game 3. Popper heard that Randle and Brunson would not be listed on New York’s injury report and that was indeed the case — both players will be available tomorrow afternoon (Twitter links).
Collin Helwig of NetsDaily.com takes a look at Mikal Bridges‘ chances of being selected to his first All-Star team in 2023/24, concluding that the Nets wing has a good shot to make it in as a reserve next season if he can continue his strong play from the second half of ’22/23.
Australian national team head coach Brian Goorjian is optimistic about Nets swingman Ben Simmons playing at this summer’s World Cup, which starts in late August, according to Seb Mottram of SEN.com.au. “I think his (Ben’s) mindset is getting healthy, getting in shape and getting ready to play in this (World Cup),” Goorjian told 1170 SEN Afternoons. “… As we sit now, I think there is a really strong chance (that he plays at the World Cup).”
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reports that Simmons would like to compete for the Boomers at the World Cup, though that will depend on how his back rehab is progressing. Sources tell Windhorst that Simmons’ injury recovery is “going well” thus far. The three-time All-Star last played for the Nets on February 15 due to a nerve impingement in his back (he was also dealing with left knee soreness).

Josh Hart Considered Unlikely To Leave Knicks

May 5th, 2023 at 1:12pm CST by Luke Adams

Knicks forward Josh Hart is “generating no shortage of chatter” as his free agency nears, Marc Stein writes at Substack. Hart holds a player option for 2023/24, but is expected to turn it down in favor of a more lucrative multiyear deal.

While there would certainly be many teams around the NBA interested in making a play for Hart if he’s truly available, Stein hasn’t talked to a rival team that views the 28-year-old as “gettable.” According to Stein, potential suitors for Hart view it as inevitable that the CAA client will re-sign with the Knicks, whose front office is run by former CAA head of basketball Leon Rose.

The Knicks will hold Hart’s Bird rights entering the offseason, giving them the ability to re-sign him for any amount up to the maximum without regard for cap room.

Atlantic Notes: Brunson, Butler, Celtics, Embiid

May 4th, 2023 at 11:17pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Knicks star point guard Jalen Brunson continues to deal with the sore right ankle that caused him to be listed as questionable ahead of New York’s second game against the Heat.

Brunson ultimately played and performed well in the Knicks’ 111-105 Game 2 win. He scored 30 points on 10-of-19 shooting from the floor and 4-of-4 shooting from the charity stripe. His status for Game 3 in Miami, however, remains murky.

Per Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link), head coach Tom Thibodeau claimed Brunson “didn’t do much” in the team’s practice Thursday, and is considered “day-to-day.”

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

Given the uncertain availability of Heat All-NBA swingman Jimmy Butler, the Knicks are gearing up to play against two iterations of Miami on Saturday, per Peter Botte of The New York Post: one with Butler and one without him. “The good thing about the situation that we just went through is we played one game where he played and one game where he didn’t play,” Thibodeau said. “So we know style of play, what he brings, how they’ll be different when he plays. We also know how they’ll play when he doesn’t play.”
The Celtics worked hard to earn a 121-87 blowout victory over the Sixers to even their series to a 1-1 record, writes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. Boston point guard Marcus Smart, the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year, made it a priority to lock down Philadelphia’s backcourt. “Our defense has been slipping,” Smart said, “and we just wanted to come out and get back to what we do best.”
Sixers head coach Doc Rivers said today that MVP center Joel Embiid‘s knee is responding well following his return to the floor for a Game 2 loss to Boston, per Rich Hoffman of The Athletic (Twitter video link). “Just his speed that he reached, his explosions, they were very close to normal,” Rivers said. “That was great for us to see and more importantly, great for him to be able to do it and see that he can do it, and have very little swelling or anything like that.” Embiid scored 15 points, blocked five shots and pulled down three boards in 27 minutes of action, playing in his first game back from an LCL sprain.

And-Ones: Hustle Award, Free Agent Guards, Brooks, Hawkins

May 4th, 2023 at 12:44pm CST by Rory Maher

Celtics guard Marcus Smart has won the NBA’s Hustle Award for 2022/23, the league announced in a press release (story via Brian Martin of NBA.com). The 29-year-old also won the award last season, becoming the first back-to-back winner, and has now been the recipient three times in the past five seasons.

This is the seventh season for the Hustle Award, which was created in ’16/17, Martin notes. It is a merit-based award reflective of NBA.com’s hustle stats, including charges drawn, loose balls recovered, deflections, box outs, screen assists and contested shots.

The top-five finishers for the award, in order, were Smart, Warriors forward/center Draymond Green, Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith, Knicks center Mitchell Robinson and Pelicans forward Herbert Jones.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report takes a look at the best guards available on the 2023 free agent market and their potential landing spots. Pincus thinks a team with cap room might try to pry restricted free agent Austin Reaves from the Lakers with a large offer sheet, but he thinks L.A. will ultimately match.
John Hollinger of The Athletic, who used to work for the Grizzlies and was part of the front office that drafted Dillon Brooks, believes the small forward can still be a positive contributor for a number of teams as long as he can toe “The Line” between “competitive and crazy.” Teams over the cap but below the luxury tax line could offer the impending free agent the full mid-level exception, and Hollinger points to the Bulls, Hornets, Mavericks, Kings, Trail Blazers and Hawks as clubs that could use defensive help on the wing. As for teams with cap room, the Pistons, Rockets, Pacers and Jazz might be interested in Brooks if they miss out on pricier targets, according to Hollinger.
UConn guard Jordan Hawkins has been invited to the NBA draft combine, which takes place later this month, according Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com (Twitter link). Considered one of the best shooters in the 2023 class, Hawkins is a potential lottery pick, currently ranked No. 13 on ESPN’s big board. As Zagoria previously reported, Hawkins will be joining a couple of his teammates (Andre Jackson and Adama Sanogo) at the combine.

Community Shootaround: NBA Playoff Check-In

May 3rd, 2023 at 4:03pm CST by Luke Adams

After meeting in the NBA Finals a year ago, the Celtics and Warriors will have to overcome early second-round deficits if they hope to compete again for a title this June.

The Celtics lost the first game of their second round series to the Sixers on Monday, despite the fact that the game was played in Boston and Philadelphia was missing MVP center Joel Embiid. The Warriors lost Game 1 to the Lakers on Tuesday even though they made 21 three-pointers to L.A.’s six. The two teams’ disparate styles were on full display, as the Lakers knocked down 15 more two-pointers and 20 more free throws than Golden State.

Even though Embiid is on track to return in Game 2 on Wednesday and Boston has lost its home court advantage, the Celtics are still the favorites to advance beyond the second round, per BetOnline.ag. That’s not the case for the defending champions though, as the Lakers are now considered the betting favorites in the West’s No. 6 vs. No. 7 matchup.

Neither the Celtics (-158) nor the Lakers (-155) are overwhelming favorites in their respective series, but they’re still viewed as better bets to make the conference finals than either the Heat (-118) or Knicks (-102), according to BetOnline.ag.

That matchup of Eastern Conference upstarts is essentially viewed as a toss-up, with the Heat’s split of the first two games in New York having been negated by Jimmy Butler‘s uncertain status going forward after he missed Game 2 with a sprained ankle. Miami is already playing without Tyler Herro and Victor Oladipo — missing Butler may leave the team with too little firepower to knock off the Knicks, but if he’s able to return for Game 3 on Saturday, the Heat’s position looks much stronger.

Of the eight teams in the second round, the Nuggets (-430) are the biggest favorites to make the conference finals after registering two strong home wins over the Suns. But with the series heading back to Phoenix, a home victory or two for the Suns could significantly alter the outlook of that matchup.

If the Suns hope to mount a comeback, they’ll likely have to do so without Chris Paul, at least for the next two or three games. The future Hall of Famer has a strained groin and isn’t expected to return to action before next week.

With the first round behind us and this year’s potential title contenders emerging, we want to check in on your thoughts on this spring’s playoffs. Has your NBA Finals pick changed since the postseason tipped off? Which four teams do you expect to make it through to the conference finals? Are the Nuggets the best bet to advance, or is there another team you’re more confident in?

Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts!

Knicks Notes: Randle, Hartenstein, Barrett, Quickley, Hardaway

May 3rd, 2023 at 12:41pm CST by Luke Adams

Julius Randle‘s stat line (25 points, 12 rebounds, and eight assists) in the Knicks‘ Game 2 win over Miami on Tuesday suggests he didn’t miss a beat after being sidelined for the first game of the series due to a left ankle injury. However, Randle admitted after the game that the rehab process he went through in order to return for Game 2 wasn’t easy, per Nick Friedell of ESPN.com.

“It was hell,” Randle said. “Just every day around the clock, trying to get my body right. I don’t have a problem doing the work, mentally it’s a grind, though. But I just want to make myself available to the team … just happy that I was able to be out there and contribute and help us get a win.”

Asked after the victory about how his ankle was feeling, Randle deflected the question.

“It doesn’t even really matter, to be honest,” he said, according to Friedell. “I do whatever I got to do to make myself available to play. And just take it a day at a time.”

Here’s more on the Knicks:

After Mitchell Robinson was a difference maker in New York’s first round win over Cleveland, backup center Isaiah Hartenstein has come up big early in round two. Hartenstein was a team-best plus-six in 14 minutes in Game 1, then played 26 minutes in Game 2 as Robinson battled foul trouble. As Zach Braziller of The New York Post details, Hartenstein gave the Knicks a much-needed spark with his physical play on Tuesday.
After an up-and-down first round vs. Cleveland, RJ Barrett has scored 26 and 24 points in the first two games vs. Miami. Barrett, whose nine-figure contract extension will take effect in 2023/24, took a seat late in the game for defensive reasons, but the fourth-year forward earned praise from head coach Tom Thibodeau for his performance, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post.
Immanuel Quickley, the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year runner-up this season, logged a season-low nine minutes in Game 2 and scored just six points, but Thibodeau remains confident that the Knicks will once again lean on Quickley before the series is over, according to Peter Botte of The New York Post. “We need him,” Thibodeau told reporters after the game. “.. He’s got a knack for putting the ball in the basket, and I don’t want him overthinking it. Shoot your shot, when he’s aggressive and attacking, he’ll be fine. We’ve seen him now, as everyone knows, he’s a scorer.”
Tim Hardaway Sr., who had been working as a scout for the Knicks, was on an expiring contract and left the team a few weeks ago to pursue media opportunities, a league source tells Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link).

Butler Out For Game 2; Randle Returns To Action

May 2nd, 2023 at 6:24pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Jimmy Butler won’t play in Game 2 of the Heat‘s second-round series against the Knicks on Tuesday, the team tweets. Knicks forward Julius Randle and guard Jalen Brunson will be available, their PR department tweets.

That trio was listed as questionable to play on Monday. Caleb Martin is starting in Butler’s place, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald tweets.

Miami’s Game 1 win gave the Heat more leeway to sit out Butler. He scored 25 points in 43 minutes but only attempted one shot after rolling his right ankle with just over five minutes remaining.

Game 3 won’t be played until Saturday afternoon in Miami, so Butler will have three off-days to heal.

Randle, who is nursing a sprained left ankle, missed Game 1. He only played 16 minutes in the closeout game against Cleveland on April 26 when the ankle flared up.

Brunson, who logged 40 minutes on Sunday, will try to play through a sore right ankle.

Atlantic Notes: Harden, Embiid, Celtics, D. Rose

May 2nd, 2023 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Since arriving in Philadelphia at the 2022 trade deadline, James Harden has accepted a reduced offensive role, playing second fiddle to Joel Embiid. Harden’s 25.0% usage rate in 79 regular season games since joining the Sixers is his lowest mark since his last year in Oklahoma City in 2011/12.

With Embiid sidelined for Game 1 of the Sixers’ second-round series vs. Boston, however, Harden turned in a vintage performance, matching his career playoff high with 45 points on 17-of-30 shooting in a narrow upset victory. While the scoring outburst may have surprised many observers, Harden suggested in his postgame comments that it was simply a matter of adjusting his mindset on offense.

“My coaches, my teammates, what they expect me to do all throughout the course of the year was be a facilitator and get Joel the basketball and score when necessary. Joel wasn’t here tonight, you know what I mean?” Harden said, per ESPN’s Tim Bontemps. “…Now it’s like, ‘All right, open the floor. James, you be aggressive.’ And tonight, I was aggressive. So, it’s not that I’m not capable of doing it, it just … this is my role for this team. Now, if you want me to do (what I did) tonight, then I can do that as well.”

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

Joel Embiid worked out on Tuesday afternoon, but Sixers head coach Doc Rivers said there’s “no change in his status” yet, Bontemps writes for ESPN.com. Previous reporting suggested there was optimism about Embiid’s ability to return from his knee injury for Game 2. While Rivers didn’t confirm that, he did say that Philadelphia’s Game 1 win won’t make the team any less willing to bring back the star center for Game 2. “It’s just health-based,” Rivers said. “If he can play, he plays. If he can’t, he can’t. And if it’s 50-50, we would probably err on (the side of sitting him), because we’ve done that all year.”
Following the Celtics‘ disappointing Game 1 loss, Al Horford told reporters that the team lacked defensive urgency and that he believes Embiid’s absence contributed to that, according to Jamal Collier of ESPN. Celtics guard Malcolm Brogdon hypothesized that other Sixers players felt “empowered” with Embiid unavailable. “Everybody else has the green light and guys are gonna step up, and I thought that’s what happened tonight,” Brogdon said, per Jared Weiss of The Athletic. “I think we expected that, guys to step up, but we still struggled with it. We just gotta be prepared.”
Even though he believes he still has “a lot left in the tank,” Knicks guard Derrick Rose has embraced his role as a veteran mentor who’s not part of the rotation, writes Marc J. Spears of Andscape. “I’m fully invested in everything to be here. And if I (wasn’t), I wouldn’t be on the team,” Rose said. “… I’m thankful that they didn’t trade me or buy me out or waive me. I’m happy I have some type of value.”

Randle, Brunson, Butler All Questionable For Game 2

May 1st, 2023 at 10:56pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson are both listed as questionable to play on Tuesday in Game 2 of the Knicks’ second-round series against the Heat, the Knicks’ PR department tweets.

It’s a mixed bag for New York, which trails 1-0 in the series. Randle, who is nursing a sprained left ankle, missed Game 1. His status give the Knicks hope he’ll return to action sooner rather than later. Randle only played 16 minutes in the closeout game against Cleveland on April 26 when the ankle flared up.

The Brunson prognosis, a sore right ankle, is a little more troubling. He played 40 minutes on Sunday and scored 25 points but missed all seven of his 3-point attempts and committed five turnovers. Brunson blamed himself for the loss, calling his performance “terrible.” The Knicks’ offense will be greatly impacted if their floor leader can’t go.

Heat forward Jimmy Butler is also listed as questionable for Game 2 due to a sprained right ankle, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald tweets. Butler scored 25 points in 43 minutes but only attempted one shot after rolling the ankle with just over five minutes remaining.

Miami has already lost third-leading scorer Tyler Herro for the remainder of the postseason due to a broken right hand suffered in Game 1 of the first-round series against Milwaukee.

Unable To Replicate Offensive Rebounding Edge In Game 1

May 1st, 2023 at 1:35pm CST by Rory Maher

One of the keys for the Knicks in their first-round victory over the Cavs was their incredible offensive rebounding, but they were unable to replicate that success in Sunday’s Game 1 loss to Miami, writes Peter Botte of The New York Post. The Knicks averaged 18.2 second-chance points per game in five games against Cleveland, but only managed 11 yesterday, per Botte.