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Knicks Notes: Thibodeau, Drummond, Robinson, Ntilikina

March 20th, 2021 at 10:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau has a reputation for preferring veterans over young players and other future assets, but he indicated the organization might not take that approach this year, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. The Knicks have exceeded expectations so far, holding a 21-21 record that has them tied for sixth place in the East. Although there’s temptation to add talent to end a long playoff drought, Thibodeau suggested the team is willing to take a long-term approach.

“It’s important for us to go step-by-step and not skip over things,’’ he said. “The whole goal this year is to build a foundation and the right type of habits. Wherever that leads us, it leads us. Our players have responded. In this league, you’re always looking for player development first, then look at the draft and free agency, then trades. You never stop working in all four areas. Every day it’s how can we make the team better. That’s where our focus lies with coaches, front office and players. We’re all tied together. We’re going to do what’s best for the Knicks.’’

Berman notes that two of the most prominent names the Knicks have been tied to — Rockets guard Victor Oladipo and Pelicans guard Lonzo Ball — will be free agents this summer and may be obtainable without breaking up the young core.

There’s more from New York:

Andre Drummond could be worth watching if he reaches a buyout with the Cavaliers, Berman adds in the same story, but there’s “mutual disinterest” between the Knicks and Spurs big man LaMarcus Aldridge, who plays the same position as Julius Randle.
Center Mitchell Robinson could be back Sunday after missing 15 games with a broken hand, but he may not rejoin the starting lineup right away, Berman states in a separate story. Nerlens Noel has been effective in his place, and Robinson may return on a minutes restriction. “I want to see how that goes,” Thibodeau said. “There’s great versatility there. Eventually, he’ll get back to starting. Whether that happens right away or down the road … I’m comfortable with both guys in that role. And I’m really comfortable with Taj (Gibson) as well. That gives us great depth at that position.”
Frank Ntilikina, who’s on the final year of his rookie contract and will have a $15.6MM cap hold if he receives a qualifying offer, seems to be the most likely Knicks player to be traded, according to Steve Popper of Newsday. Alec Burks, Reggie Bullock and Elfrid Payton all have expiring contracts, but an Eastern Conference scout told Popper their trade value is limited to a second-round pick apiece.

Knicks Center Mitchell Robinson Could Return Sunday

March 20th, 2021 at 1:12pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Knicks center Mitchell Robinson could return to action on Sunday against Philadelphia. He’s listed as questionable on the team’s injury report, the Knicks’ PR department tweets.

Robinson’s shot-blocking presence adds another big man option for coach Tom Thibodeau. Robinson underwent surgery to repair a fracture in his right hand in mid-February.

Robinson was expected to miss four to six weeks after suffering the injury, which occurred against Washington when his hand banged Julius Randle‘s elbow as he attempted to block a Rui Hachimura shot. He was cleared for practice earlier this week.

He’s averaging 8.4 PPG, 8.4 RPG and 1.5 BPG in 28.8 MPG. The 2018 second-round pick is one of the lowest-paid regulars in the league at $1.66MM. The team holds a $1.82MM option on his contract for next season.

Derrick Rose, who has been sidelined throughout the month due to the league’s health and safety protocols, will not play on Sunday. The club has not publicly indicated if Rose contracted the COVID-19 virus, but Thibodeau said the veteran point guard was “feeling a lot better” earlier this week.

Atlantic Notes: Perry, Robinson, Ainge, Powell

March 18th, 2021 at 6:53pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

During a conversation on the Glue Guys Podcast, do-everything Nets guard Bruce Brown expressed his excitement about rookie power forward Reggie Perry, freshly returned to Brooklyn after logging time in the G League “bubble” for the Long Island Nets. As relayed by Net Income of Nets Daily, Brown raved about Perry.

“The person I hadn’t seen a lot that was killing it in training camp was Reggie Perry,” Brown said. “He looked like he could be in the rotation. He was doing a little bit of everything, hitting threes, jump hooks, killing people, killing (center DeAndre Jordan) low key. He literally was killing training camp.”

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

Though the Knicks have yet to supply a recovery timeline for the fourth metacarpal fracture incurred by center Mitchell Robinson on February 12, a Northwestern University-based orthopedic hand surgeon indicated to Marc Berman of the New York Post that Robinson could be out for a total of six to eight weeks.
During a conversation with Brian Robb of Mass Live, Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge discussed a variety of topics, including just how active Boston will be in the week leading up to the trade deadline. “I always go into the trading deadline, thinking that there’s something that we can do to help our team,” Ainge said. “I’m not talking about a big talent swing, I’m talking about just incremental positional changes you know one position in place of another, that we could use.”
Raptors guard Norman Powell, on a tear of late, has emerged as perhaps Toronto’s top trade asset ahead of the deadline next week, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports. Powell has an $11.6MM player option for the 2021/22 season.

Injury Updates: Dudley, Hayes, Robinson, Gordon, Fournier

March 16th, 2021 at 10:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Lakers reserve forward Jared Dudley will not have surgery on his torn MCL because he hopes to contribute in the postseason, Dave McMenamin of ESPN tweets. Dudley, who has appeared in 11 games this season, suffered the right MCL tear earlier this month. Surgery would sideline Dudley for about four to six months, so he’ll continue to rehab around the team and remain a veteran presence in the locker room.

We have more injury-related news:

Pistons lottery pick Killian Hayes has shown significant improvement from his right hip subluxation but he won’t return for at least three more weeks, Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press tweets. Hayes has been cleared for on-court basketball activities and will begin a phased progression toward his return to full-contact practice and game action, according to a team press release. Hayes suffered the injury during Detroit’s seventh game this season.
Knicks center Mitchell Robinson has been cleared for practice and will be able to take contact, Ian Begley of SNY TV tweets. Robinson underwent surgery on February 16 to repair a fracture in his right hand.
Magic starters Aaron Gordon and Evan Fournier — two players prominently mentioned in trade rumors — practiced on Tuesday and could return for Thursday’s game against the Knicks, according to Roy Parry of the Orlando Sentinel. Fournier has missed the past four games with a groin strain, while Gordon hasn’t dressed the past two games due to a left ankle injury. Gordon initially sprained the ankle on January 31 and missed 15 consecutive games.

USA Basketball Expands Finalist List for Olympic Roster

March 11th, 2021 at 11:31am CST by Arthur Hill

Fifteen players have been added to the list of finalists for the U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball Team, USA Basketball announced today in a press release. The group will eventually be pared down to 12 players who will participate in the Olympic Games, which are set for July 23 to August 8 in Tokyo.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich will serve as coach for the U.S. team, with Warriors coach Steve Kerr, Villanova coach Jay Wright and former Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce as his assistants.

No tryouts will be held this year. Instead, USA Basketball will choose the final roster by early summer. Training camp is scheduled to being in early July before the conclusion of the NBA playoffs.

“With the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics from 2020 to 2021, it’s important that we continue to remain flexible and consider all players who can contribute to our efforts to field the best USA team possible,” USA Basketball men’s national team managing director Jerry Colangelo said. “These additions we are announcing today will help ensure that we are doing that. Having a larger player pool than what we normally have is critical because of all of the uncertainties we face about availability. But for USA Basketball to receive the commitment of so many outstanding players remains an indicator of the great honor of representing your country means to these men.”

The new names under consideration are:

Jarrett Allen (Cavaliers)
Eric Gordon (Rockets)
Jerami Grant (Pistons)
Blake Griffin (Nets)
Jrue Holiday (Bucks)
DeAndre Jordan (Nets)
Zach LaVine (Bulls)
Julius Randle (Knicks)
Duncan Robinson (Heat)
Mitchell Robinson (Knicks)
Fred VanVleet (Raptors)
John Wall (Rockets)
Zion Williamson (Pelicans)
Christian Wood (Rockets)
Trae Young (Hawks)

Forty-two players remain from the original list, which was announced in February 2020:

Bam Adebayo (Heat)
LaMarcus Aldridge (Spurs)
Harrison Barnes (Kings)
Bradley Beal (Wizards)
Devin Booker (Suns)
Malcolm Brogdon (Pacers)
Jaylen Brown (Celtics)
Jimmy Butler (Heat)
Mike Conley (Jazz)
Stephen Curry (Warriors)
Anthony Davis (Lakers)
DeMar DeRozan (Spurs)
Andre Drummond (Cavaliers)
Kevin Durant (Nets)
Paul George (Clippers)
Draymond Green (Warriors)
James Harden (Nets)
Montrezl Harrell (Lakers)
Joe Harris (Nets)
Tobias Harris (76ers)
Gordon Hayward (Hornets)
Dwight Howard (Sixers)
Brandon Ingram (Pelicans)
Kyrie Irving (Nets)
LeBron James (Lakers)
Kyle Kuzma (Lakers)
Kawhi Leonard (Clippers)
Damian Lillard (Blazers)
Brook Lopez (Bucks)
Kevin Love (Cavaliers)
Kyle Lowry (Raptors)
JaVale McGee (Cavaliers)
Khris Middleton (Bucks)
Donovan Mitchell (Jazz)
Victor Oladipo (Rockets)
Chris Paul (Suns)
Mason Plumlee (Pistons)
Jayson Tatum (Celtics)
Myles Turner (Pacers)
Kemba Walker (Celtics)
Russell Westbrook (Wizards)
Derrick White (Spurs)

Two players removed from that list are Warriors guard Klay Thompson, who is out for the season with a torn Achilles tendon, and Celtics guard Marcus Smart. Sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic that Smart turned down an invitation because of injury concerns due to having a short offseason and playing late into consecutive seasons (Twitter link).

Knicks Rumors: Rose, Robinson, Trade Targets, Attendance

March 11th, 2021 at 9:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Knicks guard Derrick Rose remains in the NBA’s health and safety protocols and may not join the team on its four-game road trip, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post. Rose has missed two games since an inconclusive COVID-19 test March 2 in San Antonio. He wasn’t with the team for Wednesday’s practice and won’t play tonight as New York starts the second half of its season.

The league announced Wednesday that two players returned positive results in the latest round of testing, although no one has said if Rose is one of them. Coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters Wednesday that Rose’s status is uncertain.

“To be honest I can’t answer that because I don’t know,’’ Thibodeau responded when asked about the veteran guard rejoining the team for the road trip. “I’m following what Dr. (Lisa) Callahan and what the league says. Once there’s clearance he’ll be available. When we get updated, we’ll update you guys. You’ve seen it throughout the league how it’s been handled. We know it’s serious it is with COVID and we want to take every safety precaution we can.’’

There’s more on the Knicks:

There’s no timetable for a return by center Mitchell Robinson, who has been sidelined since February 12 with a broken hand, Berman adds in the same story. Robinson was re-evaluated this week, but he’s not expected back soon. “He’s starting to do more,” Thibodeau said. “We’re probably a little ways away. But the conditioning, he’s been very diligent in putting extra work in. so his conditioning is pretty good. The basketball part, he hasn’t been able to scrimmage or anything like that. But he’s handling the ball with his left hand and doing a lot of running. We just have to be patient and let it run its course.’’
The Knicks need another guard to help with scoring and playmaking, and the Magic’s Evan Fournier and the Rockets’ Victor Oladipo might be the best available options, writes Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. New York figures to be active on the trade market and has numerous assets to offer, with 10 picks in the next three drafts and only four players with guaranteed contracts beyond this season. Vorkunov offers a few other ideas for potential targets, such as Bulls forward Otto Porter Jr., Kings forward Nemanja Bjelica, Thunder guard Kenrich Williams and Pelicans guard J.J. Redick.
The Knicks have played four home games in front of fans and are hoping to increase the crowd size at Madison Square Garden before the season ends, Berman reports in a separate story. The building is currently permitted to operate at 10% capacity, which is about 2,000 fans, and Knicks officials have contacted state political leaders about relaxing that restriction as more people get vaccinated.

Knicks Notes: Front Office, Thibodeau, Quickley, More

March 10th, 2021 at 9:38am CST by Luke Adams

In an entertaining, in-depth story for The New York Post, Yaron Weitzman takes a deep dive into the inner workings of the Knicks‘ front office, exploring how president of basketball operations Leon Rose has skillfully managed a handful of competing viewpoints and voices in the basketball operations department.

As Weitzman details, Rose has had to consider input from head coach Tom Thibodeau, who has little patience for a rebuild and wondered if RJ Barrett and Mitchell Robinson could be traded for “seasoned veterans”; from executive VP William Wesley – aka “World Wide Wes’ – who frequently zeroed in on players who attended the University of Kentucky or signed with CAA; and from cap expert Brock Aller, who advocated for a patient, flexible approach to using the team’s cap room.

Rose has managed to make everybody happy so far — he acquired Derrick Rose, like Thibodeau wanted, drafted Immanuel Quickley, which Wesley “pushed for like crazy,” and used the Knicks’ cap room primarily on affordable one-year signings, which was Aller’s preference.

“His job is to sort through different opinions from different people and make the best decision,” a rival executive said of Rose. “It certainly seems like he’s doing that well.”

Here are a few more highlights from Weitzman’s story, which is worth checking out in full:

Wesley, who had been hyping up Quickley for months, badly wanted the Knicks to select him at No. 23 and was “furious” when the team made a last-second decision to trade back to No. 25, loudly declaring, “Coach says we need shooting, Quickley’s the best shooter.” The Knicks ultimately landed the Kentucky point guard with the 25th pick.
According to Weitzman, when conversations in the front office focused on players who had no connections to Kentucky or to CAA, Wesley would often close his eyes. “When Wes said ‘we,’ people weren’t sure if he was referring to the Knicks or Kentucky,” one source said of World Wide Wes, who has a long-standing friendship with Wildcats coach John Calipari.
Meetings between Thibodeau and Aller sometimes became heated, given their diametric points of view on winning now vs. rebuilding. Weitzman says Thibodeau would sometime mockingly refer to Aller as “Hinkie,” a reference to Sam Hinkie, who infamously took an extreme long-term view when he rebuilt the Sixers.
Thibodeau pushed for the Knicks to use their cap room to pursue veteran free agents such as Gordon Hayward, Marcus Morris, and Bogdan Bogdanovic, per Weitzman. While the Knicks were said to be in the mix for Hayward, they ultimately used their space to sign veterans like Nerlens Noel, Alec Burks, and Elfrid Payton to one-year deals.

Knicks Notes: Thibodeau, Beal, Robinson, COVID-19

February 20th, 2021 at 6:16pm CST by Arthur Hill

Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau has only nice things to say about the Timberwolves as he prepares to face them Sunday night for the first time since being fired two years ago, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Thibodeau helped Minnesota break a 14-season playoff drought in 2018, but was let go the following year. The Wolves are 43-93 since then, including a league-worst 7-23 this season.

“There’s a lot of good people there,’’ Thibodeau said. “I enjoyed my time there. It was a good experience. I was proud of what we were able to accomplish, but it was time to move on. Unfortunately there are a lot of former teams for me.’’

Thibodeau, who also had a front office role, spent just two and a half seasons with Minnesota, being let go midway through the 2018/19 season in favor of Ryan Saunders. He believed the team was heading in the right direction and could have accomplished more if he had stayed.

“There were things obviously we wanted to do better,” Thibodeau said. “That second year, we were very good. The third year I thought we had a really good chance as well even after the trade for Jimmy (Butler). That team was playing well.’’

There’s more from New York:

A report this week suggests that Knicks executive William “World Wide Wes” Wesley is working through backchannels to try to convince Wizards guard Bradley Beal to seek a trade to New York, relays Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. ESPN radio host Michael Kay said the tip comes from a “very good source” who told him that Wesley is “nudging” some of Beal’s representatives toward the arrangement.
Mitchell Robinson had no idea his hand was fractured when he suffered the injury in a February 12 game, according to Anthony Rieber of The New York Daily News. Robinson thought it was temporary numbness that he could shake off, but the diagnosis turned out to be far more serious. He had surgery this week and will be re-evaluated after the All-Star break. “So far, I feel great,” he said. “Basically, what I’ve been doing now is doing the bike, a little running here and there. I’ve been watching the team practice and trying to stay updated just in case they change something or something’s added. Other than just focusing in on that, just staying in shape.”
The Knicks played 30 games this season before having one canceled due to COVID-19 and that was because of issues involving the Spurs, notes Peter Botte of The New York Post. Frank Ntilikina is the only player to miss time because of contact tracing, and no one on the roster has tested positive for the virus.

Mitchell Robinson Undergoes Hand Surgery

February 16th, 2021 at 7:28pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Knicks center Mitchell Robinson underwent surgery on Tuesday to repair a fracture in his right hand, the team’s PR department tweets.

The procedure was performed at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. He’ll be re-evaluated after the All-Star break, the statement adds. Robinson is expected to miss four to six weeks.

Robinson suffered the fracture of the fourth metacarpal against Washington on Friday night. He was injured when his hand banged Julius Randle‘s elbow as he attempted to block Rui Hachimura‘s shot late in the second quarter.

He’s averaging 8.4 PPG, 8.4 RPG and 1.5 BPG in 28.8 MPG. The 2018 second-round pick is one of the lowest-paid starters in the league at $1.66MM. The team holds a $1.82MM option on his contract for next season.

With Robinson sidelined, Nerlens Noel and Taj Gibson will get the bulk of the minutes at the center spot. New York has defeated Houston and Atlanta since Robinson went on the shelf.

Knicks Notes: Randle, Ntilikina, Collins, Drummond, Robinson

February 16th, 2021 at 11:57am CST by Luke Adams

Julius Randle is in the midst of his best season since entering the NBA, punctuating that point on Monday as he led the Knicks to a win over the Hawks by pouring in 44 points to go along with nine rebounds and five assists. After the game, Randle’s teammates made it clear that they believe he deserves All-Star recognition for his performance this season.

“It’s hard not to put him in the game,” RJ Barrett said, according to Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. “What else does he have to do? The man is an All-Star.”

So far this season, Randle is averaging career highs in points per game (23.1), rebounds (11.0), assists (5.6), and three-point percentage (40.6%), among other categories. And while he has posted strong box-score numbers in the past, this version of Randle is making a greater “impact on winning,” according to head coach Tom Thibodeau.

“I think he’s making other people better,” Thibodeau said. “He’s played an all-around game. Strong on both sides of the ball. He’s played an unselfish game. He’s doing it in a number of different ways. Playing multiple positions. He’s a point forward, he’s a forward, he’s a center. He’s doing it all. The most important thing is the impact he’s having on winning. Hopefully it’ll be recognized.”

Here’s more on the Knicks:

After missing the last week due to the NBA’s coronavirus contact tracing protocols, Frank Ntilikina has been cleared and is expected to join the Knicks for Wednesday’s game in Orlando, tweets Vorkunov.
The Knicks have yet to inquire on John Collins, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post, who says NBA executives believe the Hawks are unlikely to trade the big man unless they receive a “whopping” offer.
Cavaliers center Andre Drummond, who is expected to be traded in the coming weeks, would consider the Knicks a “good landing spot,” Berman writes in the same story.
A weekend report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski indicated that Mitchell Robinson would undergo surgery on his fractured right hand, but the injured center is getting one more consultation on Tuesday before making a final decision on that procedure, says Berman.