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Knicks Notes: Brunson, Randle, Toppin, Robinson

April 27th, 2023 at 9:02am CST by Arthur Hill

Jalen Brunson was the best player on the court during his first playoff series with the Knicks, writes Nick Friedell of ESPN. Brunson was New York’s top offseason addition, joining the team on a four-year, $104MM contract in free agency. The Knicks were docked a second-round pick in 2025 for early negotiations with Brunson, but it seemed like a small price to pay on Wednesday as he led the franchise to its first series victory since 2013.

“It’s a really cool experience knowing that my dad (Knicks assistant Rick Brunson) played here — he was on that team that got to the Finals (in 1999),” Brunson said. “It’s special. The connection that me and my dad have, everything, all the full circle, it’s really special.”

Brunson had 23 points, four rebounds and four assists in the close-out victory at Cleveland and made big plays to hold off several Cavaliers rallies. He quickly emerged as a team leader after coming to New York and has provided stability at point guard that the team lacked for years.

“He’s a star player,” Josh Hart said. “He showed that last year in the playoffs. He showed that this whole season, and he’s continuing to show it, continuing to prove people wrong, and none of us in that locker room or in that front office or coaching staff is surprised by how he’s playing.”

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The only downside to Wednesday’s victory was Julius Randle reinjuring his left ankle, Friedell adds. Randle didn’t return to the game after limping off in the second quarter, and coach Tom Thibodeau said he will be reevaluated today. Randle, who had struggled with his shot during the series, was back in All-Star form before the injury with 13 points, six assists and four rebounds in 16 minutes
The Knicks got a lift from Obi Toppin, who replaced Randle after he left the game, per Peter Botte of The New York Post. Toppin scored all 12 of his points in the third quarter and thrilled his teammates with a breakaway windmill dunk. “I feel like my approach is the same every time I enter the game. I feel like I know what I got to do,” Toppin said. “Be aggressive, bring a lot of energy and have fun and definitely play defense. I feel like we all did that today.”
Mitchell Robinson‘s work on the boards helped the Knicks survive despite shooting just 21.1% in the fourth quarter on Wednesday, states Zach Braziller of The New York Post. Robinson finished the game with 11 offensive rebounds and 18 overall as he continued his domination of Cleveland’s big men. “I’ve said this all along, I think he’s the best offensive rebounder in the league,” Thibodeau said. “Oftentimes, he’s got two bodies on him and they’re making a conscious effort to keep him off the glass. And now his defensive rebounding is coming along also. That rebounding piece is huge. The shot blocking, the rim protection, the pick-and-roll defense, and his offense is starting to come as well.”

Knicks Notes: Randle, Thibodeau, Offense, Robinson

April 26th, 2023 at 1:32pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

All-Star Knicks power forward Julius Randle provided a terse response when asked about being sat for the entire fourth quarter of the team’s Game 4 victory over the Cavaliers, writes Zach Braziller of The New York Post.

“We won the game,” he offered after the game. “You know, I’m a competitor. Obviously I would like to play, but like I said it’s [head coach Tom Thibodeau‘s] decision.”

Thibodeau felt that Randle is still dealing with the effects of a sprained left ankle. The 6’8″ big man scored just seven points while shooting 3-of-10 from the field.

“He had to do a lot to get back to play,” Thibodeau remarked. “So you’re talking about a quick turnaround from a late Friday night game to early Sunday… But he’s got a couple of days to recharge. He’s bouncing around today pretty good, which is what we thought. I felt he would be impacted in that game.”

New York currently leads the Cavaliers 3-1 in their first round series. A potential closeout game is scheduled for tonight.

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Thibodeau has restored his reputation as an elite NBA coach thanks to his performance during the 2022/23 regular season and now the playoffs, opines Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post. The Knicks’ third-year had coach made some major lineup adjustments in early December, emphasizing high-upside youth over some of his previously preferred veterans.
By employing Knicks swingmen RJ Barrett and Josh Hart as the primary screeners in pick-and-roll actions with star point guard Jalen Brunson, the Knicks have been able to keep the Cavaliers’ intimidating starting fronctourt away from the ball and stuck near the baseline, writes Peter Botte of The New York Post.
A rival NBA coach spoke with Fred Katz of The Athletic about how Knicks center Mitchell Robinson has enjoyed so much success in the series so far. “I think the matchup helps him because he’s never gonna guard any stretch bigs against the Cavs,” the coach said. “He’s gonna be on [Jarrett] Allen. He’s gonna be on [Evan] Mobley. He can be in the paint and do what he does best. I think it’ll be interesting to see when, if they advance, if they play a big who’s more of a stretch big, how they handle it. But I think the matchup helps.”

Knicks Notes: Barrett, Roster Moves, Brunson, Centers, Thibodeau

April 24th, 2023 at 10:12pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Knicks forward RJ Barrett has gone from bust to boom in the past two games, Peter Botte of the New York Post points out. Barrett shot 6-for-25 from the field in the first two games of the first-round series against the Cavaliers. He has gone 17-for-30 in the last two games, averaging 23.5 points per contest.

“I just wanted to continue to make the right plays, make the right reads. Just do whatever to help the team,” said Barrett, who will begin his four-year, $107MM extension in 2023/24.

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The moves the Knicks made during the offseason and at the trade deadline have put them in a position to reach the second round, Ian Begley of SNY TV writes. They signed Jalen Brunson instead of trading for Donovan Mitchell, signed Barrett to his extension and re-signed big man Mitchell Robinson. They also added Isaiah Hartenstein via free agency and acquired Josh Hart from Portland in February.
Brunson is running pick-and-rolls with wings and other guards such as Barrett to great effect during the postseason, Fred Katz of The Athletic notes. Their defense is also much more intense, particularly in transition. “We’re playing extremely hard,” Barrett said. “We’re making hustle plays. … The whole team, all the hustle plays we’re making, we’re really together collectively.”
The center rotation of Robinson and Hartenstein became increasingly effective as the regular season wore on, coach Tom Thibodeau told Botte and other media members. “That tandem, from the second half of the season on, Mitch is the anchor of the defense. Isaiah gives us the rim protection and he’s different offensively,” Thibodeau said. “So there’s different components to it.” They combined for 13 points, 19 rebounds and four blocked shots in Game 4 on Sunday.
Thibodeau’s willingness to bench gimpy Julius Randle for a good portion of the second half is an example of how much the veteran coach has changed his approach, Mark W. Sanchez of the New York Post opines. Thibodeau has become much more willing to rely on younger players and his second unit, rather than leaning too heavily on veterans.

Knicks Notes: Hart, Randle, Bench Points, Grimes

April 17th, 2023 at 10:57pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Josh Hart is listed as doubtful to play in Game 2 of the Knicks’ series against the Cavaliers on Tuesday, the team’s PR department tweets. Hart sprained his left ankle during the Knicks’ Game 1 victory on Saturday.

Hart was able to participate in Monday’s practice on a limited basis, Fred Katz of The Athletic tweets. However, he mainly got treatment on his ankle during practice, according to Ian Begley of SNY TV (Twitter link).

“Just get treatment again tomorrow, see where he is,” coach Tom Thibodeau said.

The injury occurred when Hart landed on Julius Randle‘s foot in the fourth quarter.

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Re-signing Hart should be a high priority this offseason, Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post opines. Hart is expected to decline his $12.96MM option this summer in order to become an unrestricted free agent. Vaccaro believes that something a bit north of the four-year, $60MM contract the Knicks gave Mitchell Robinson last summer should get the job done.
Randle gave the Knicks a huge lift after returning from a left ankle sprain suffered in late March, Begley notes. He had 19 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and two steals while playing 34 minutes. “Julius played in 77 games until he sprained his ankle. He practiced every day. What you see in the games, what you see in practice — (you know you’re) gonna get whatever he has,” Thibodeau said.
Immanuel Quickley had a rough outing on Saturday, yet the Knicks’ reserves still outscored Cleveland’s second unit 37-14, Zach Braziller of the New York Post writes. “It’s been huge for us all season,” starter RJ Barrett said of the reserves. Naturally, the bench will be weakened if Hart (17 points, 10 rebounds) can’t go.
Quentin Grimes is prepared to take on a bigger role if Hart is sidelined, he told Steve Popper of Newsday. “I don’t think it’s really any more pressure,” Grimes said. “I feel like I’ve been guarding the best player from the other team the whole season. So I feel like it’s just another night, just the stakes are a little bit higher. I’m just going to come in a little sharper probably just knowing that if he doesn’t play, I just have to be more alert at all times whenever (Donovan Mitchell) is on the court.”

Injury Notes: Heat, Sixers, Robinson, Mavericks

April 7th, 2023 at 1:38pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

With the seventh seed in the East now sewn up, the Heat will rest their three priciest players and their first-round rookie draft pick tonight against the Wizards, the team has announced (Twitter link).

All-Star center Bam Adebayo will be unavailable due to a left quadriceps tendon strain, small forward Jimmy Butler will miss the bout with a right hand contusion, and veteran point guard Kyle Lowry will rest with a knee ailment. Rookie power forward Nikola Jovic will also be out due to a back injury.

Three other players are considered questionable with various maladies. The statuses of guards Tyler Herro and Max Struss are uncertain due to a right quad contusion and a hyperextended right finger, respectively. Veteran big man Kevin Love‘s availability is murky due to a right rib contusion.

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The Sixers will sit All-Star center Joel Embiid, a 2023 MVP hopeful, point guard James Harden, forward P.J. Tucker and shooting guard Tyrese Maxey against the Hawks, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Forward Tobias Harris and reserve guard Jaden Springer are questionable to suit up.
The Knicks have announced that they will rest starting center Mitchell Robinson tonight against the Pelicans (via Twitter). At 47-33, New York is now locked into the Eastern Conference’s fifth seed, as the team is three games ahead of the Nets in the East standings with just two games left in its regular season schedule.
The Suns will sit their top four players tonight against the Lakers. Sources inform Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter) that Phoenix, playing in the second night of a back-to-back set of bouts, will be without All-Star forward Kevin Durant, All-Star shooting guard Devin Booker, future Hall of Fame point guard Chris Paul, and maximum-salaried center Deandre Ayton against Los Angeles tonight. Charania notes that the Suns have locked up the West’s fourth seed.
The Mavericks tweet that All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving, guard Josh Green, wing Tim Hardaway Jr., and frontcourt players Maxi Kleber and Christian Wood will all sit out tonight’s game against the Bulls. Dallas is just 0.5 games behind the Thunder for the West’s No. 10 seed, but sitting all these key rotation players appears to signal a subtle surrender of the club’s season. The Mavericks are currently tied for the 10th-worst record in the NBA, and given that they owe a top 10-protected first-round pick to the Knicks this year, it makes sense that they would hope to preserve their future draft selection.

Atlantic Notes: Embiid, Brunson, Robinson, Stoudamire

March 19th, 2023 at 8:52am CST by Luke Adams

Even after emerging as the new betting favorite to win this season’s MVP award, Sixers center Joel Embiid believes he can still take his game to another level this spring, as he tells Spencer Davies of BasketballNews.com.

“I don’t think I’m at my best yet. I think I’m trending towards that. I think I’ve got a lot more to give,” Embiid said. “Defensively, I’m getting there. I’m getting back to myself. Usually, I take another step in the playoffs.”

Embiid’s eye-popping numbers this season include a league-leading 33.5 points per game on .546/.355/.855 shooting. The Sixers have a plus-8.8 net rating when he’s on the court, compared to a minus-0.1 mark when he’s off it.

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Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson, who missed five of the team’s last six games due to what he described as a bone bruise in his left foot, didn’t miss a beat in his return to action on Saturday, scoring 24 points to lead the team to a comeback win over Denver, writes Ethan Sears of The New York Post.
Following Saturday’s win, Knicks center Mitchell Robinson wasn’t interested in talking about the Snapchat posts he made on Tuesday griping about his role, telling reporters that he’s “moving forward.” As Sears relays for The Post, Robinson explained on Instagram on Friday that his outburst was related to off-court family issues, and his teammates seemed unbothered by his Snapchat content. “We’re all brothers, so we kinda even joked about it on the plane a little bit,” Immanuel Quickley said. “Mitch, he’s a great guy off the floor. Obviously I think everybody knows that. He’s like, a character. He can be funny and outgoing a little bit. “So we understand who Mitch is and we told him, any time we can help you get the ball a little bit more, we’re gonna try to do that.”
Speaking to Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe, Damon Stoudamire said it wasn’t easy to leave his position as a Celtics assistant as the season enters the home stretch and that he has “nothing but great memories” of his time in Boston. However, he felt he couldn’t pass up on the opportunity to become Georgia Tech’s new head coach. “I think this is an opportunity for me to just see where I stand,” Stoudamire said. “I always want an opportunity on this stage to test who I am, not only as a coach, but test my character, perseverance, and toughness.”

New York Notes: Robinson, Brunson, Nets’ Small Ball, Simmons

March 18th, 2023 at 9:32am CST by Dana Gauruder

After Mitchell Robinson vented about his role on social media, coach Tom Thibodeau and guard Jalen Brunson spoke to the Knicks center privately, according to Fred Katz of The Athletic.

Another of the Knicks’ big men — Isaiah Hartenstein — said Robinson hasn’t allowed his frustration to seep into the locker room and onto the court. “It’s not like he’s coming into practice b—-ing,” Hartenstein said. “He’s always there. He’s always interactive. He’s always been a good teammate.”

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Speaking of Brunson, he hasn’t played since March 9 due to what the team describes as a sore left foot. However, Brunson himself calls it a bone bruise, Katz tweets. Brunson went through a full practice on Friday and is listed as questionable against Denver on Saturday.
The Nets have gotten stellar results from their small lineup, Brian Lewis of the New York Post notes. Lacking a backup big, Dorian Finney-Smith has been playing center with Royce O’Neale at power forward when Nic Claxton rests. That small-ball unit has produced a plus-13.5 net rating. “It allows us to fly around,” coach Jacque Vaughn said. “If you don’t cover for each other, we’ll get punished: We’ll get punished on the glass, we’ll get punished just by overall strength and the size of dudes that you have to guard. So (you’ve seen) us fly around, cover for each other, really have a tight shell and be in the right spots.”
Klutch Sports negotiated Ben Simmons‘ five-year, $177MM extension in 2019 before he was traded to the Nets. Now, the agency and Simmons are parting ways, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN tweets. The enigmatic Simmons is expected to hire veteran agent Bernie Lee, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic tweets. Simmons hasn’t played since Feb. 15 due to a knee injury.

New York Notes: Robinson, Reddish, Brunson, Simmons, Brown

March 17th, 2023 at 11:43am CST by Luke Adams

Shortly after the Knicks picked up a victory in Portland on Tuesday, center Mitchell Robinson appeared to gripe once again about his offensive role – or lack thereof – in a pair of Snapchat stories, per Peter Botte of The New York Post.

“Tired asf of just being out there for cardio fam,” Robinson reportedly wrote on Snapchat. “Like I want to play basketball to (sic) really just wasting my time and energy.”

This isn’t the first time that Robinson has taken to social media to complain about only being on the floor “for cardio” — he did the same on Instagram in December of 2021. Of course, at that point in the 2021/22 season, the Knicks were 12-16 and had just lost four straight games.

Robinson’s social media activity this time around came after he attempted just two shots in 21 minutes on Tuesday, but the Knicks won for the 11th time in 14 games and now have a 41-30 record. Given the team’s success this season, it’s a little concerning that the fifth-year center still may not have bought into his role.

With the Knicks enjoying a stretch of three days off between games, Robinson has yet to speak to reporters about his Snapchat posts.

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A few days after Cam Reddish cited “politics” and “favoritism” as reasons why he didn’t play at all during his final two months with the Knicks, head coach Tom Thibodeau took the high road when discussing the forward and the trade that sent him to the Trail Blazers, writes Peter Botte of The New York Post. “He’s played very well. Happy for him,” Thibodeau said of Reddish. “I think it was one of those trades that was good for both teams, and that’s what you like. So, we got what we needed, and I think they got what they needed.”
Jalen Brunson, who has missed five of the Knicks‘ last six games due to left foot pain, practiced in full on Friday and seemingly has a chance to return on Saturday, tweets Fred Katz of The Athletic. Brunson will be listed as questionable vs. Denver.
Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn said at the end of February that there had been no discussion about shutting down Ben Simmons for the rest of the season due to his back and knee soreness. Vaughn reiterated that stance on Thursday when asked about the former No. 1 overall pick, according to Dan Martin of The New York Post. “There is zero discussion about him not playing (again this season),” Vaughn said, adding that Simmons hasn’t experienced any setbacks in his recovery process. “We expect him to be back, we’re waiting for him to be back.”
In case you missed it, the Nets officially signed center Moses Brown to a 10-day contract earlier today. While Brown could stick around beyond the next 10 days if he impresses Brooklyn, it’s worth clarifying that he won’t be playoff-eligible, since he was waived from a two-way contract by New York after the March 1 deadline.

Knicks Notes: Robinson, Randle, Barrett, Dolan

February 25th, 2023 at 10:43am CST by Arthur Hill

Mitchell Robinson didn’t need any time to adjust to being back on the court as he returned to the Knicks‘ lineup Friday night, writes Peter Botte of The New York Post. In his first game since undergoing thumb surgery in January, Robinson had 10 points, 12 rebounds and posted a plus-12 rating in 28 minutes as New York rallied to beat the Wizards.

Now in sixth place at 34-27, the Knicks have been able to rise up the Eastern Conference standings without Robinson, who anchors the team on defense. His return gives New York a complete lineup as it tries to avoid the play-in tournament and possibly capture home court in the first round of the playoffs.

“Still have work that needs to be done, so I’m gonna take it day by day,” Robinson said. “Still trying to get better at stuff I’m normally already used to doing. So just gotta lock in and get better at it. We only got 22 games left (now 21) in 40-something days. So we’re gonna make the best of it and get it right.”

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Julius Randle played in the All-Star Game, but he looked much fresher on Friday than his more rested teammates, notes Steve Popper of Newsday. Randle scored 46 points and sparked a rally that led to the Knicks overcoming a 19-point deficit. “Just came out aggressive,” he said. “That time of the year. Just gotta lock in. Just lost in the game, man, so whatever the team needs, that’s what I’m gonna do.”
RJ Barrett played just 28 minutes against Washington and remained on the bench late in the game as coach Tom Thibodeau used Immanuel Quickley and Josh Hart to get better defense on the wing, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. “A lot of it is flow of the game,” Thibodeau explained. “Like I said, I love our depth. We have a number of guys that are coming off the bench that are starters. There’s no dropoff. So whoever is going good, whatever the best matchup is, that’s what we’re going to go with. … So we need everyone. We’re asking guys to sacrifice. Some guys would like to start and they’re not starting. And some guys would like more shots and more minutes. That’s common. But everyone has to put the team first.”
Knicks owner James Dolan skipped a New York City Council hearing Friday on facial recognition technology, which he allegedly uses to keep his enemies from entering Madison Square Garden, according to Chris Sommerfeldt of The New York Daily News.

Injury Updates: Giannis, Simmons, Bagley, Oubre, Robinson

February 24th, 2023 at 9:11pm CST by Rory Maher

Star big man Giannis Antetokounmpo was upgraded from doubtful to questionable to available for Friday’s game against Miami after dealing with a right wrist sprain, but unfortunately he knocked knees (right) with an opponent and the Bucks ruled out him for the remainder of the contest, tweets Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

It’s unclear when the injury occurred, but Antetokounmpo signaled for coach Mike Budenholzer to call a timeout and limped slightly to the locker room, per Bally Sports Wisconsin (Twitter video link). Budenholzer didn’t have an update on Giannis’ status after Milwaukee’s win, according to Eric Nehm of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Here are some more injury updates from around the NBA:

Nets swingman Ben Simmons was dealing with left knee soreness prior to the All-Star break and spent the break rehabbing, but he’s still in pain and will be reevaluated in about a week, as Brian Lewis of The New York Post writes. “I had it drained right before All-Star. I also had a PRP (injection),” Simmons said. “It’s frustrating, but it’s something that’s an injury I’ve never dealt with before. So it’s something I’m learning about, that we’re learning about.” Simmons added that he hasn’t been 100 percent the entire season and he’s on a strength program for the knee.
Pistons rookie center Jalen Duren will be sidelined Saturday versus Toronto with bilateral ankle soreness, but Marvin Bagley III is probable after recovering from right hand surgery (Twitter link via Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press). Bagley has missed the past 20 games. The former second overall pick is averaging 10.6 points and 5.9 rebounds in 25 games this season.
Similarly, wing Kelly Oubre returned to action Friday after being sidelined due to hand surgery, per the Hornets (Twitter link). Oubre, who was thought to be a trade candidate given he’s on an expiring contract, previously talked about wanting to remain with Charlotte, which ultimately came to fruition. He last played on December 29.
Knicks center Mitchell Robinson made his return to the starting lineup for Friday’s victory over the Wizards, New York announced (via Twitter). The news was expected, as head coach Tom Thibodeau recently said Robinson had practiced 5-on-5 with no issues. The fifth-year big man has been dealing with a fractured thumb. “I mean, playing basketball and then just running up and down the court, big difference. Big difference,” Robinson said of his condition level after the game (Twitter link via Fred Katz of The Athletic). The 24-year-old played nearly 28 minutes, scoring 10 points and pulling down 12 rebounds.