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2018/19 Over/Unders: Atlantic Division

October 8th, 2018 at 8:47am CST by Luke Adams

The 2018/19 NBA regular season will get underway in just eight days, which means it’s time to start getting serious about predictions for the upcoming campaign. With the help of the lines from Bovada and the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook, we’re running through the predicted win totals for each of the NBA’s 30 teams, by division, to have you weigh in on whether you think those forecasts are too optimistic or too pessimistic.

We’ll kick things off today with the Atlantic division…

Boston Celtics

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Toronto Raptors

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Philadelphia 76ers

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Brooklyn Nets

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New York Knicks

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Atlantic Notes: Fizdale, Thomas, Redick, Stevens

October 7th, 2018 at 3:59pm CST by JD Shaw

The Knicks have started their preseason on a high note, winning each of their three games under new head coach David Fizdale. Fizdale is known for his high energy, positive attitude and veteran mindset, with each of these habits quickly rubbing off on some of his players.

“Absolutely, heck yeah. I want to win everything,’’ Fizdale said after team’s victory over the Pelicans on Friday, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. “I want to win every game. These guys are building habits right now. And winning is a habit. Anytime we step on the court, if they decide to play checkers together, pool, ping-pong, I want them competing to win. We have to get that really rooted deeply into who we are.’’

Fizdale is well-respected across the league and has two NBA titles under his belt as an assistant with Miami. The Knicks hired him this past offseason as head coach, and he’s quickly made his mark on changing the overall culture of the organization.

Fizdale’s decision to bring in Hall of Famers Walt Frazier and Patrick Ewing to discuss what it means to play for the Knicks was praised this week, with the second-year head coach now focused on getting his team ready for the regular season.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

  • Lance Thomas is working hard to maintain his status as the Knicks’ starting power forward, Berman writes in a separate story. “Lance is just … man is he a good leader,’’ Fizdale said. “He’s just a really good leader. Those guys respect him big time. When he speaks, the gym shuts down and everybody listens.”
  • J.J. Redick has provided some much-needed firepower off the bench for the Sixers, as detailed by NBA.com’s Brian Seltzer. Redick shot a perfect 10-of-10 against the Mavericks on Friday.
  • Celtics coach Brad Stevens offered strong words of support for assistant Jerome Allen this week, according to Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports. Allen pled guilty to accepting a $18K bribe from the parent of a prospective recruit when he coached for Pennsylvania in 2014.
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Forward Jeff Coby Signs With Knicks

October 7th, 2018 at 10:41am CST by Dana Gauruder

OCTOBER 7: The signing is official, the Knicks announced on Twitter. The move brings New York back to the training camp limit of 20 players.

SEPTEMBER 20: Forward Jeff Coby will sign a contract with the Knicks, according to Nicola Lupo of Sportando.

It’s unclear whether the Knicks intend to add him to their 20-man training camp roster. If he signs an Exhibit 10 deal, he would receive a bonus worth up to $50K if he’s waived and then spends at least two months with the club’s G League affiliate, the Westchester Knicks.

Coby, 24, played four seasons at Columbia and went undrafted last year. He played for two Spanish teams last season. He’s also a member of the Haitian national team.

At Columbia, Coby averaged 6.2 PPG and 4.6 RPG in 16.4 MPG as a college senior.

The Knicks agreed to an Exhibit 10 deal with Tyrius Walker on Wednesday.

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Knicks Waive Paul Watson

October 7th, 2018 at 8:28am CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks once again opened a spot on their training camp roster by waiving a player who appears destined for their G League team, tweets Ian Begley of ESPN. This time it’s Paul Watson, a shooting guard from Fresno State who signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the team Friday.

Watson follows Tyrius Walker, John Jenkins and Billy Garrett, who have all been signed and quickly waived in the past week.

Watson played for New York’s Westchester affiliate last season, so the Knicks already owned his returning G League rights. However, the Exhibit 10 clause gives him the chance for a $50K bonus if he spends at least two months in Westchester this season. He averaged 6.2 points and 3.4 rebounds in 45 games last year.

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Knicks Notes: Vonleh, Ntilikina, Preseason, Durant

October 6th, 2018 at 4:59pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Power forward Noah Vonleh may be angling his way onto the Knicks’ opening-night roster, Marc Berman of the New York Post reports. V0nleh posted a double-double in a preseason game against the Pelicans on Friday and coach David Fizdale said Vonleh brings a unique skill set. “You can the see guy’s an animal, a lot like Enes [Kanter], but more bouncy. … He’s a beast on the offensive glass,” Fizdale said. “I really think he’s an underrated passer. He really settles us down offensively with the way he can control the game when you throw the ball to him. He really gives us a unique element.” Vonleh signed a one-year, $1.5MM non-guaranteed contract in July and received $100K prior to camp. The contract doesn’t become fully guaranteed until January 10th.

We have more on the Knicks:

  • Fizdale plans to use Frank Ntilikina more at shooting guard with Emmanuel Mudiay and Trey Burke sharing the point, Howie Kussoy of the New York Post writes. The 6’6” Ntilikina gives Fizdale more options at both ends of the floor. “I just think that he brings so much value with his length and his size, and the fact that he can play some point,” Fizdale said. “It’s nice to have him out there with multiple handlers because I can put him on a ‘three’ and feel very comfortable with that, and that’s just a luxury to me.”
  • The team has won all three of its preseason games and Fizdale sees value in that, Ian Begley of ESPN tweets. “We’re building habits right now. Winning is a habit. I don’t care … if they decide to play checkers together, pool, ping pong, I want them competing,” Fizdale said.
  • The Knicks’ best hope of landing Kevin Durant in free agency is to sell him on the dream of bringing their downtrodden franchise a championship, Frank Isola of The Athletic opines. Durant still seems unsatisfied with winning back-to-back titles and Finals MVP awards, Isola continues. He also remains sensitive to criticism and could be convinced that he would stand alone from his peers by bringing a title to New York, Isola adds.
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Mudiay Auditions For Knicks Point Guard

October 6th, 2018 at 9:38am CST by marksuleymanov

After Kyrie Irving‘s verbal long-term commitment to the Celtics, it appears the free agent class of 2019 became a little less lucrative. Irving was reportedly one of the Knicks’ prime targets next summer and now, New York’s free agency hopes may be Kevin Durant or bust, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News opines.

Beyond Durant and Irving, the remaining top free agents do not appear to be realistic hopes for the Knicks. Kawhi Leonard reportedly prefers to play in his native Los Angeles, Jimmy Butler wants to sign a long-term extension and Kevin Love has already signed an extension with Cleveland. That leaves Durant as the biggest target and a realistic one, as we relayed earlier this week.

“The New York Knicks have a very good shot at luring KD away from the Bay Area,” Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports said during an appearance on FS1’s Undisputed (video link). “His business partner, Rich Kleiman is based in New York, huge New York Knicks fan. Their business is located and based in New York. KD’s dad is a big New York Knicks fan. The same allure that LeBron [James] had toward the Los Angeles Lakers – just the building, the culture – is the same thing, the same way, I know, that KD feels about the Knicks.”

  • The Knicks acquired Emmanuel Mudiay from the Nuggets last season as a former top pick who fell out of favor in Denver. Through the first two preseason games, Mudiay has not performed well for the Knicks, but head coach David Fizdale remains committed to seeing improvement from the point guard, Steve Popper of Newsday writes.
  • One of the lone bright spots for the Nets during a preseason loss to the Knicks was the performance of Latvian Rodions Kurucs, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes. Kurucs posted 13 points, four rebounds and four steals, all of which came in the fourth quarter of a 107-102 loss. “I was very pleased with Rodi,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said. “I love his energy. He’s a talented guy.”
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Knicks Sign Paul Watson

October 5th, 2018 at 12:32pm CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks‘ 20th-man carousel continues to rotate, with the team announcing today (via Twitter) that it has signed former Fresno State shooting guard Paul Watson to fill the opening on its roster.

Watson, who went undrafted in 2017, played for the Westchester Knicks last season, averaging 6.2 PPG and 3.4 RPG in 45 G League games (23 starts). He also played five games for the Knicks’ Las Vegas Summer League squad in July.

The Knicks already had Watson’s returning NBAGL rights, so signing him doesn’t change that — it does give the club a chance to give him a bonus worth up to $50K via the Exhibit 10 clause if he rejoins the Westchester Knicks and spends at least two months with the club this season. That bonus won’t count against New York’s NBA salary cap.

Like Tyrius Walker, John Jenkins, and Billy Garrett before him, Watson will likely be waived by the Knicks shortly after being signed.

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Knicks Waive Billy Garrett

October 5th, 2018 at 11:52am CST by Luke Adams

A day after signing with the Knicks, former DePaul guard Billy Garrett has been waived, the team announced today (via Twitter). New York has been turning over the 20th spot on its roster frequently within the last week, with Garrett’s brief stint as a Knick serving as the latest example.

Garrett was part of New York’s Summer League team this year after playing for the organization’s G League affiliate in Westchester last season. The 23-year-old appeared in 50 G League games in 2017/18, posting 11.9 PPG, 2.7 RPG, and 2.5 APG in 27.2 minutes per contest.

The Knicks have signed and waived a handful of players in recent days, securing those players’ G League rights for the upcoming season. Tyrius Walker and John Jenkins were among the others who were cut shortly after joining the roster.

New York now has an open spot on its 20-man preseason roster. At some point, the club is expected to use that opening to sign former Columbia forward Jeff Coby, another candidate to play for the Westchester Knicks in 2018/19. Coby reportedly reached an agreement with the Knicks last month.

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Atlantic Notes: Fultz, Fizdale, Nets, Green

October 4th, 2018 at 10:05pm CST by JD Shaw

Sixers guard Markelle Fultz will look to establish himself as the team’s third star this season, with the 20-year-old coming off a campaign that saw him play just 14 games.

Fultz, the No. 1 pick of the 2017 NBA Draft, spent a considerable amount of time working on his jumpshot and overall game this offseason with trainer Drew Hanlen. The former Washington prospect believes he can fill the Sixers’ need for a third star throughout the upcoming season.

“I kind of like when people doubt me and say ‘Look for another star,’ “ Fultz said, according to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “I see myself as that player. I just work every day to become better.

“I really don’t look at other people’s goals [for him], but I definitely look at it to see myself as that next player that can step up in that role.”

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

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Knicks Viewed As Legit Suitor For Durant In 2019

October 4th, 2018 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Kevin Durant‘s next opportunity to reach free agency is nearly nine months away, but speculation about his decision has already begun. And according to various reports compiled by Dan Feldman of NBC Sports, the Knicks are viewed by many insiders around the NBA as a legitimate candidate to challenge the Warriors for Durant.

“The New York Knicks have a very good shot at luring KD away from the Bay Area,” Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports said during an appearance on FS1’s Undisputed (video link). “His business partner, Rich Kleiman is based in New York, huge New York Knicks fan. Their business is located and based in New York. KD’s dad is a big New York Knicks fan. The same allure that LeBron [James] had toward the Los Angeles Lakers – just the building, the culture – is the same thing, the same way, I know, that KD feels about the Knicks.”

Having named New York as a viable landing spot for Durant, Haynes cautioned that the Warriors will still “obviously” have the edge to re-sign him. Golden State will hold Durant’s Bird rights at the end of the 2018/19 season, and because he’ll have 10+ years of NBA experience, he’ll be eligible to earn a starting salary worth 35% of the cap.

Based on current cap projections, that means the Dubs could offer a five-year deal worth up to $221.27MM, giving them a significant upper hand. Any rival suitors with the cap room necessary to sign a maximum-salary free agent could only offer a four-year contract worth a projected $164.05MM.

[RELATED: Durant plans to be open, honest about 2019 free agency process]

Still, Haynes isn’t the only national NBA reporter hearing buzz about the Knicks and Durant. As Feldman details, Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post and Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports both conveyed similar sentiments during Bontemps’ recent appearance on Mannix’s podcast.

“I’ve been really surprised at how many people are – NBA types that I talk to on a regular basis – are convinced it’s going to be New York,” Mannix said. “There are a lot of people, Tim, that believe the Knicks are a prohibitive favorite to land Durant.”

If the Warriors win their third straight championship next spring, it’s hard to imagine Durant jumping ship. Of course, if Golden State falls short of a title, leaving also may not be a great look for the two-time Finals MVP, who was criticized for leaving the Thunder after they blew a 3-1 series lead against the Warriors in 2016. Throw in Golden State’s ability to offer the most years and money, and it makes sense that the Dubs would still be considered the odds-on favorites. Still, it sounds like Durant’s 2019 free agency won’t be a mere formality like it has been the last couple summers.

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