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Knicks Notes: Playoff Berth, Anunoby, Hartenstein, Randle

April 11th, 2024 at 7:45am CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks weren’t in action on Wednesday, but it was still a big night for the franchise, which clinched a playoff spot for the second consecutive year as a result of Miami’s loss to Dallas, as Peter Botte of The New York Post writes.

Although the Knicks are assured of avoiding the play-in tournament now that they’ve locked up their playoff berth, much is still to be determined in the final four days of the regular season — New York could finish anywhere from second to sixth in the Eastern Conference, depending on how the team’s final three games play out. Jalen Brunson indicated on Tuesday that the Knicks don’t plan to take their foot off the gas.

“I just think as we get close to the end of the season, we’ve been talking about not jogging to the finish line, just sprinting to it,” Brunson said. “So making sure we’re playing as hard as we can, getting better every single day. And we got to make sure our minds are ready to go.”

The Knicks are in Boston on Thursday before wrapping up the regular season with home games against Brooklyn on Friday and Chicago on Sunday. Even if they don’t lose any of those three contests, they’d need some help from Milwaukee to move up to No. 2 in the East, but they’d finish no lower than No. 3 by winning out.

“We want to win every game, so we play every game to win,” OG Anunoby said after Tuesday’s victory. “We don’t really worry about anything else. Just try to win every game.”

Here’s more on the Knicks:

After missing an extended stretch of games due to an elbow injury, Anunoby looked like his old self on Tuesday vs. Chicago. He scored 24 points and made four three-pointers while registering a +12 plus/minus mark in an 11-point victory. As Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post writes, the three-and-D standout is rounding back into form at the perfect time for the Knicks, who are 17-3 when Anunoby has played.
After receiving all three of his contract bonuses a year ago, Isaiah Hartenstein has achieved the feat again in 2023/24, earning a total of $1.05MM in incentives, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. Hartenstein’s bonuses are for playing at least 1,350 minutes, his team winning at least 40 games, and his team making the playoffs. Since all three were considered likely to be earned entering the season, his cap hit of $9,245,121 remains unchanged.
Knicks forward Julius Randle underwent successful surgery on his injured right shoulder on Tuesday, a source tells Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (Twitter link). He’ll be reevaluated in September, as the team announced last week.

Knicks Notes: Anunoby, Bogdanovic, Burks, Hart, Thibodeau

April 7th, 2024 at 9:01am CST by Arthur Hill

After returning to the Knicks‘ lineup Friday night, OG Anunoby said it was “just inflammation” in his right elbow that forced him to miss the previous nine games, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. Anunoby, who is operating under a minutes restriction, believed it was important to get back on the court before the postseason begins.

He was able to play three games after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on the elbow in February, but suffered a setback that kept him out of action again. He told reporters that he took a different approach to rehab this time than he did immediately after the operation.

“Maybe less shooting. Building up the shooting, not just going back to shooting like I normally shoot,” Anunoby said. “So just taking my time and it’s going to get better and better.”

Anunoby played 29 minutes on Friday, scoring 12 points and shooting 5-of-8 from the field. He replaced Miles McBride in the starting lineup and guarded DeMar DeRozan for most of the night. Anunoby made an immediate impact after being acquired from Toronto in late December, and Friday’s loss dropped the Knicks to 15-3 with him on the court.

“I’m happy he’s back, happy he’s healthy,” Jalen Brunson said. “Obviously, we didn’t win so it clouds my judgment right now (on how Anunoby played), but just happy he’s healthy and out there.”

There’s more on the Knicks:

Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks were expected to provide much-needed shooting help when they were acquired in a deadline deal with Detroit, but both players are in danger of being left out of the playoff rotation, Bondy states in a separate story. Bondy notes that Anunoby’s return pushes Burks to the 10th spot in the rotation, which is more players than coach Tom Thibodeau typically uses in the postseason. Bogdanovic and Burks have struggled with efficiency since coming to New York, and they’ve seen their playing time reduced recently.
Josh Hart was ejected in the first quarter Friday for kicking Javonte Green in the side of the head on a play that appeared to be accidental (video link), Bondy adds in another piece. Referee Scott Foster said “intent was not a criteria” in handing out the Flagrant 2.
Talking with the media in Chicago, where he coached for five years, Thibodeau pushed back against the long-standing criticism that he gives too many minutes to his starters, per Steve Popper of Newsday. “People tend not to look at — what are the star players playing? Because usually you’re matching their players with a primary defender,” Thibodeau said. “So when LeBron [James] is on the floor, that’s when that player is on the floor. So LeBron is playing 39, he’s 39. If DeMar is playing 40, then whoever is guarding him has to play 40. Otherwise, you’re reducing your chances of winning. And the bottom line is to win games.”

Knicks Notes: Anunoby, Hartenstein, Randle, Brunson

April 5th, 2024 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

After Stefan Bondy of The New York Post wondered if the Knicks‘ obfuscation regarding Julius Randle‘s rehab process might be a bad omen for OG Anunoby‘s recovery timeline, the team has listed Anunoby as questionable to play on Friday in Chicago, per Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link).

As Begley writes, the upgrade to Anunoby’s status looks like a big step forward for the 26-year-old, especially since it comes a day after head coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters that he was “cautiously optimistic” about the forward’s ability to get back on the court. The Knicks didn’t hold a shootaround this morning on the second day of a back-to-back set, so there were no clues about whether or not Anunoby will suit up tonight.

The Knicks are 15-2 in games that Anunoby has played since they acquired him from Toronto at the end of December, but he has missed 27 of the club’s past 30 contests. After sitting out for 18 games due to elbow surgery, the three-and-D specialist was able to suit up just three times before aggravating the elbow issue and returning to the sidelines. He has been unavailable for New York’s past nine games.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

Several executives who spoke to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype believe that Isaiah Hartenstein will command around $13MM per year as an unrestricted free agent this offseason, which is right around what the mid-level exception is projected to be worth. For his part, Hartenstein said that if the money is equal, he’d prefer to remain in New York. “I love it here, and hopefully, we’ll figure something out, but at the end of the day, business is business,” he told Scotto.
Randle’s teammates expressed sympathy after word broke on Thursday that he’ll have to undergo season-ending surgery after attempting for over two months to work his way back from a shoulder injury, as Bridget Reilly of The New York Post relays. “It’s kind of sad from a personal standpoint. He was putting a lot of work in to try to come back,” Hartenstein said. “I think a lot of players in the league would probably just give up right away and say, ‘I’m getting the surgery.'”
With Randle out for the rest of the season and postseason, the pressure will be on Jalen Brunson to continue bearing the brunt of the offensive load and to figure out how to navigate increased defensive attention, according to Fred Katz of The Athletic, who takes a look at how Brunson has been dealing with double-teams and traps.

Knicks Notes: Randle, Ailing Roster, Transactions, Anunoby

April 4th, 2024 at 8:56pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Knicks All-Star power forward Julius Randle has been ruled out for the year and will require surgery to treat his injured shoulder. No one seems more broken up about the news than Randle himself. Had the 6’8″ Kentucky product been available, New York seemed like it had a viable path to a deep playoff run. Without him, the team could be in for some tough sledding in the postseason.

During a conversation with Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report, Randle revealed that he suffered a setback to his shoulder during a practice.

“I want everyone to know that I did everything in my power to get back this season,” Randle told Haynes. “That was my intention, to be playing right now. That’s why I didn’t opt for surgery when it happened. But what caused me to finally go through with getting surgery was about five weeks ago, I went through a full-contact session in pads and re-injured my shoulder. My s–t wasn’t stable. I felt like I was in the same state when I first dislocated it, and It’s been an uphill battle ever since.”

This news contradicts New York’s official claim that Randle had been slowly progressing but had yet to return to contact workouts, tweets Fred Katz of The Athletic.

Randle expects to return to the floor for New York at the beginning of the 2024/25 season. The Knicks indicated that they will reassess his shoulder five months after the procedure.

“I visited a couple of shoulder specialists,” Randle revealed. “One said I 100 percent needed to get surgery. Another one said I’m at risk, but if I dislocated it again, I could damage it permanently… I believe in this team and wanted to give it a try. It didn’t work out, unfortunately. It’s a tough pill to swallow, but it was my only option at this point. It wasn’t getting right.”

There’s more out of New York:

Although the Knicks are struggling through multiple injuries to close out the season, the team’s front office did make the right moves with regard to fleshing out its roster, opines Stefan Bondy of The New York Post.
The Knicks now know they’ll be missing Randle for good this season. Peter Botte of The New York Post (subscriber link) offers his prescription for how New York can survive the home stretch of its regular season without him.
Katz adds (via Twitter) that the Knicks’ other ailing starting forward, OG Anunoby, still seems to be nearing his own return. Head coach Tom Thibodeau said the team is “cautiously optimistic” about the progress the former Raptors champ has made in his recovery from an elbow ailment.

Atlantic Notes: Lowry, Embiid, Anunoby, Watford

April 2nd, 2024 at 9:02am CST by Luke Adams

Since joining the Sixers as a buyout-market signing, Kyle Lowry has started 15 of the 18 games he has played for his hometown team, averaging 8.7 points and 4.8 assists per night while knocking down 39.0% of his three-point attempts.

As Eric Koreen of The Athletic writes, Lowry’s role in Philadelphia is among the biggest any buyout player in recent history has taken on, but that’s perhaps not surprising given the history between the veteran point guard and the Sixers’ head coach. Lowry and Nick Nurse were together for years in Toronto, including for the team’s 2019 championship, and Nurse still trusts the six-time All-Star at age 38.

“He’s a good organizer,” Nurse said. “I think that he’s really helped our defense get better and better just by (understanding) a lot of the things that we want to do as a coaching staff. He kind of makes sure they get done out there on the floor. He’s been really good in that sense.”

For his part, Lowry has been ready and willing to accept a lesser role than the one he played under Nurse in Toronto.

“I’m not the go-to guy on this team. I’m the guy that is going to help the go-to guys get better, get open looks,” Lowry said. “If I need to be a go-to guy, I can. Whatever I’m needed (for), I will be able to do.”

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

Confirming reporting that Joel Embiid is very close to returning for the Sixers, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said during a SportsCenter appearance on Monday that Embiid’s knee has been “sound” during his ramp-up process and that he’s focused now on improving his conditioning (Twitter video link).
The Knicks have updated the designation for OG Anunoby‘s right elbow injury, referring to it as tendinopathy – also known as tennis elbow – after having previously listed him as out due to “injury management,” per Stefan Bondy and Michael Blinn of The New York Post. Shams Charania of The Athletic said during an appearance on FanDuel’s Run it Back show on Monday (Twitter video link) that Anunoby appears more likely than Julius Randle to return to action in the coming days or weeks.
After being in and out of the Nets‘ rotation for much of the season, forward Trendon Watford has been very productive off the bench for the past five games, averaging 15.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.6 assists with a .667/.500/.647 shooting line in 25.4 minutes per night, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. The late-season surge may help convince Brooklyn to issue him a qualifying offer to make him a restricted free agent this offseason. “I just take advantage of the work I’ve been putting in in the dark,” Watford said. “And I felt like even early in the year when I felt like I should have been playing, even when I wasn’t, I was still just putting in the work, knowing opportunities were going to come.”

Knicks Notes: Randle, Anunoby, Robinson, Brunson

April 1st, 2024 at 10:39am CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks played another game without Julius Randle and OG Anunoby on Sunday and they may be facing the prospect of heading into the playoffs short-handed, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Josh Hart sounded pessimistic about the possible return of either of his teammates, who have been sidelined for the better part of the last two months.

“I’m looking at it like this is the team we’re going to have,” Hart said. “I think that’s how we have to approach it, that those guys aren’t coming back and obviously we’ll be pleasantly surprised if they come back. I’m not in those medical conversations or anything like that … but we’ve got to approach every game and the end of this season that those guys aren’t coming back, and if they do, be pleasantly surprised.”

Randle hasn’t played since separating his shoulder while taking a charge in a January 27 game. Anunoby had a procedure performed on his right elbow and has only been available for three games since late January. Coach Tom Thibodeau didn’t provide many specifics about either player when reporters asked about their status on Sunday, Bontemps adds. He said Randle is continuing to work his way back, even though he still hasn’t been cleared for contact and his status seemingly hasn’t changed for several weeks.

“Just keep doing what he’s doing, day-to-day,” Thibodeau said. “You never know when it turns. That’s basically the approach we take. Rehab is really your game, so put everything you have into that. And eventually you’ll get there; you can’t get discouraged; just keep working at it. The other guys, they have a job to do.”

There’s more from New York:

Thibodeau said center Mitchell Robinson “tweaked” his left ankle Friday in San Antonio, which is why he was held out of Sunday’s game, per Peter Botte of The New York Post. Robinson, who has played twice since returning from surgery on the ankle, talked about the difficulty of coming back to the game after such a long layoff. “Timing is off. It’s brutal,” he said. “I think I was playing really well [before the injury]. Then sitting out the four months, it throws your whole timing off. But it is what it is. I’m not going to use that as an excuse. I can be better. I’m a basketball player. I’ve been in this six years.”
Thibodeau didn’t want to risk a fine by openly questioning a non-call Sunday on a late shot by Jalen Brunson, but he told reporters four times, “Write what you see,” according to Steve Popper of Newsday. The Knicks have been frustrated recently by a lack of calls for Brunson, who scored 30 points in the paint Friday but only went to the line six times. “Yeah, we send clips (to the league office), but it doesn’t seem to be doing any good,” Thibodeau said before Sunday’s game.
Without Randle and Anunoby, the Knicks need to find someone who can carry the scoring load when Brunson isn’t on the court, observes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. In Friday’s overtime loss, New York was outscored by 24 points in the 9:41 that Brunson rested.

Knicks Notes: Hartenstein, DiVincenzo, Brunson, McBride, Anunoby

March 30th, 2024 at 6:23pm CST by Arthur Hill

It took some time for Isaiah Hartenstein to adjust to the style that coach Tom Thibodeau wants him to play, but the Knicks center now believes he’s in a “perfect situation,” writes James Herbert of CBS Sports.

Hartenstein thrived as a play-maker with the Clippers before signing with New York in the summer of 2022. But Thibodeau had other players to run the offense, and he wanted the big man to focus on protecting the rim, rebounding and setting screens. Hartenstein wasn’t certain the situation would work out, but he’s been more comfortable in his second season with the team, blending his passing skills with Thibodeau’s demands while replacing Mitchell Robinson as the starting center.

“Coming in, it took us some time to adjust,” Hartenstein said. “But I think, unless you’re really the top guy on any team, you’re going to have to adjust to a certain role. You’re not going to be able to do everything you want. So, I mean, if you want to be a winning player, you have to be able to do it. Now I’m in a perfect situation, where I’m allowed to play my game, and it’s been working really well.”

Hartenstein has helped the Knicks weather numerous injuries to their front line and has emerged as a candidate for the All-Defensive team, according to Herbert. He’ll be in line for a huge raise on his $8.2MM salary when he becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer.

“I think I’ve proven that, no matter what big comes in, it’s a matchup,” Hartenstein said. “I don’t think, any big that ever comes in, I’m scared of or anything. I think I’ve established that I’m a starter in the NBA. I can play a big role on a winning team.”

There’s more on the Knicks:

Donte DiVincenzo set the franchise record for three-pointers in a season Friday night, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. DiVincenzo hit six shots from long distance in an overtime loss at San Antonio, giving him 245 for the season, which ranks third in the league. “It’s cool, it’s a cool accomplishment. You look at the list of who is on there, it’s special,” DiVincenzo said. “We still have nine games to go. So there’s no real pressure. Just go out there and take the shots I’ve been taking all year.”
In a separate story, Bondy examines New York’s potential first-round playoff matchups and how the team has fared against Indiana, Cleveland, Orlando, Philadelphia and Miami. Bondy also considers a possible extension this summer for Jalen Brunson, but believes it’s unlikely because Brunson will only make $25MM next season, which limits the extension to $156.5MM over four years. The All-Star guard will be in position for a much bigger payday as a free agent in 2025, becoming eligible for a five-year deal worth approximately $258MM.
Steve Popper of Newsday looks at how Miles McBride has been able to improve his three-point shooting as his playing time has increased. McBride sank a career-high nine three-pointers Friday night.
OG Anunoby will miss his seventh straight game Sunday with right elbow “injury management,” tweets Fred Katz of The Athletic. Robinson is listed as questionable after spraining his left ankle in his second game back following ankle surgery.

New York Notes: Robinson, DiVincenzo, Anunoby, Clowney, Wilson

March 28th, 2024 at 10:58am CST by Dana Gauruder

Knicks center Mitchell Robinson returned on Wednesday from an ankle injury that robbed him of nearly four months of action. Robinson contributed eight points, two rebounds and two blocks in 12 minutes during a 44-point romp past Toronto. Even in limited minutes, he looked like a defensive force, Fred Katz and Eric Koreen of The Athletic write.

“I believe my defense is kind of there,” Robinson said. “I think I still got a little bit to work on for that, but the shot blocking is still there, so that’s pretty good.”

Toronto coach Darko Rajakovic noticed how Robinson, now backing up Isaiah Hartenstein, impacted the Knicks’ rotation.

“Mitchell Robinson, when he checked in, looked like a giant out there,” Rajakovic said.

We have more on the New York teams:

The four-year, $46.9MM contract that Donte DiVincenzo signed as a free agent last summer is turning into a huge bargain, Katz writes. DiVincenzo, who set a franchise record with 11 three-pointers against the Pistons on Monday, has emerged as a starter. He’s just another example of mid-sized contracts the Knicks have given out where the player has exceeded their cap hit in terms of production. “Donte has been amazing for us this season,” Josh Hart said.
Knicks forward OG Anunoby, trying to work his way back from elbow soreness, did some conditioning work in Toronto, but head coach Tom Thibodeau said Anunoby’s status hadn’t changed, Steve Popper of Newsday tweets. “No, just allowing it to calm down and each day it’s a little better, but be patient, get through it,” Thibodeau said.
Rookies Noah Clowney and Jalen Wilson made significant contributions during the Nets’ win over Toronto on Monday, combining for 19 points and 11 rebounds, Bridget Reilly of the New York Post writes. “They come in, they do solid things. They do simple better,” interim coach Kevin Ollie said of Clowney and Wilson. While the Nets haven’t been officially eliminated from the play-in tournament, Brian Lewis of the Post argues that Clowney, Wilson and the team’s other young players should get extended minutes the rest of the way.

Knicks’ Mitchell Robinson Expected To Return Wednesday

March 27th, 2024 at 12:11pm CST by Luke Adams

Initially listed as out for Wednesday’s game vs. Toronto, Knicks center Mitchell Robinson has been upgraded to questionable, tweets Steve Popper of Newsday. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link), Robinson is expected to be active and available on Wednesday for the first time since December 8.

Robinson sustained a fracture in his left ankle in December that required surgery. There was some speculation in the days that followed that the injury would cost the big man the rest of the season, since the Knicks applied for a disabled player exception. However, that request was turned down by the NBA in January when a physician ruled that Robinson wasn’t likely to be sidelined through June 15.

At that time the DPE request was denied, there was said to be optimism that the 25-year-old could make it back before the end of the season and it appears that will be the case. Presumably, the Knicks will play it relatively safe with Robinson following a 50-game absence, meaning he’ll likely face a minutes restriction.

As Peter Botte of The New York Post writes, head coach Tom Thibodeau will also have to decide whether to reinsert Robinson into the starting lineup or continue to use Isaiah Hartenstein in that role. I’d be surprised if Robinson reclaims his starting job immediately, though he was playing well prior to his injury, averaging a career-high 10.3 rebounds in 29.2 minutes per game to go along with 6.2 points, 1.5 steals, and 1.3 blocks.

Robinson is one of three key injured frontcourt players the Knicks had been waiting on. OG Anunoby (elbow) and Julius Randle (shoulder) remain out for Wednesday’s game against the Raptors, as Stefan Bondy of The New York Post tweets.

Knicks Notes: Robinson, Anunoby, Randle, Brunson, Hart, More

March 26th, 2024 at 9:49am CST by Luke Adams

Knicks center Mitchell Robinson appears to be nearing a return from the ankle injury that has sidelined him since early December, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Head coach Tom Thibodeau spoke to reporters before Monday’s victory over Denver and provided a positive update on Robinson’s progress.

“Mitchell is moving quite well,” Thibodeau said. “He’s cleared for contact and all that. He’s going through practices and so just needs a little more time. But he’s doing really well overall.”

Forward OG Anunoby participated in parts of Monday’s shootaround, while Julius Randle (shoulder) continues to do controlled contact work but has yet to be cleared for live contact drills. Given that the reports on Anunoby and Randle were more mixed than the one on Robinson, a reporter asked Thibodeau if the center will be the first of the three players to return.

“Assuming your assumption is correct, yes,” Thibodeau cryptically replied.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

Jalen Brunson has now played in 65 games this season, ensuring that he’ll be eligible for end-of-season awards such as All-NBA. As Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets, Brunson can’t qualify for a super-max contract since he signed with the Knicks as a free agent, but he’ll be eligible this July to sign an extension that could be worth up to $156.5MM over four years.
As effective as Josh Hart has been for the Knicks this season, he has become an unreliable three-point shooter, making only 30.4% of his long-distance attempts this season after hitting 35.0% in his first six NBA seasons. According to Peter Botte of The New York Post, Hart and his former Pelicans teammate JJ Redick have already made plans to work this offseason on Hart’s outside shot. “At some point in the summer I’ll pull up to the Hamptons,” the Knicks wing said on Monday. “Shoot, get in the gym with him. Drink wine with him. He can bring all the wine. Because he’s rich. And just enjoy.”
Evan Fournier previously shared the Knicks’ franchise record for three-pointers in a game with 10, but saw that record erased on Monday when Donte DiVincenzo knocked down 11 treys against his Pistons. With 234 three-pointers in 2023/24, DiVincenzo is also poised to break Fournier’s record of 241 made threes in a season. “Not at all surprising, to be honest with you,” Fournier told Botte after the game. “He’s definitely found his role, and congrats to him. He has great chemistry with these guys, especially (Brunson), and he’s very smart as far as finding the pocket for a three and he has such a quick release. … He’s having a hell of a season and he deserves (the record). He’s honestly the perfect fit for how they play, and I am happy for him.”
Struggling guard Alec Burks sat out Monday’s game due to a sprained right shoulder, notes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. It’s unclear how much Burks’ shoulder injury has factored into his shooting struggles since joining the Knicks. He’s shooting just 32.0% from the field since the trade deadline.