RJ Barrett

Atlantic Notes: Porzingis, Mazzulla, Thomas, Barrett

December 4th, 2023 at 1:29pm CST by Rory Maher

Kristaps Porzingis has already been ruled out of Monday’s in-season tournament quarterfinal at Indiana, but the Celtics are optimistic he’ll return to action this week, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (via Twitter).

According to Woj, there’s “increasing confidence” that Porzingis will be available for the semifinal against either Milwaukee or New York if Boston advances past the Pacers. That would take place on Thursday if the Celtics win tonight, but if they lose and are eliminated, their next game would be a normal regular season contest on Friday.

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Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla has ruffled some feathers amongst rival teams this season with some of his decisions, including intentionally fouling Bulls center Andre Drummond in the fourth quarter of a blowout victory last week when Boston was trying to secure a berth in the quarterfinal via point differential. Mazzulla says he’s not worried about being friendly with opposing coaches, per Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe (subscriber link). “How do I say this nicely? I don’t care,” he said. “But I also have respect for people. Like I learn from every coach, I think they’re a lot of great coaches in the league. I’ve studied what other teams do. But as far as having an off-court relationship with a coach? I don’t. That’s like last on the list.”
Nets guard Cam Thomas shot just 7-of-23 from the floor in Saturday’s victory over Orlando, which snapped the Magic’s nine-game winning streak. However, as Brian Lewis of The New York Post writes, Thomas contributed in other ways in his second game back from an ankle injury, drawing double-teams while recording seven rebounds and a season-high five assists. “Look at the passes that he threw. He can play-make. He’s more than a scorer,” said head coach Jacque Vaughn. “He’s really taken a step on the defensive end of the floor, which makes me extremely happy as a coach that he wants to defend. He’s gotten better at defending.” Vaughn also praised Thomas’ preparation and ability to draw fouls.
Knicks forward RJ Barrett had a strong start to the 2023/24 season interrupted by migraines, which caused him to miss three games, and he’s still trying to regain his prior form, writes Zach Braziller of The New York Post. The 23-year-old is shooting just 34.4% from the field and 25.0% from long distance over the past seven games. “Having a week where you don’t play, it’s not ideal,” Barrett said. “But at the end of the day, I’ve also had a [few] weeks where I’ve been playing. No excuses; I’m kind of getting back to it.”

Atlantic Notes: Hart, Reed, Dick, Barrett, Thomas, Smith

November 29th, 2023 at 9:57am CST by Dana Gauruder

Knicks wing Josh Hart doesn’t agree with coach Tom Thibodeau‘s assessment of his role, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Post.

Hart, who signed a four-year, $81MM extension during the summer, believes he has a reduced role in the offense and doesn’t have the ball in his hands as often as he did last season. “I’m a rhythm player. So sometimes if I don’t touch the ball for four or five minutes running up and down the floor, just catch-and-shoot, I might as well be playing with a football,” Hart said.

However, his coach has an opposite view. “There really hasn’t been a change,” Thibodeau said. “To be honest, his usage is up. He’s handling the ball more. The way he’s being used is not any different than last year.”

Following the Knicks’ game against Charlotte on Tuesday, Hart made a point of telling the media he’s not unhappy, Fred Katz of The Athletic tweets. “Just so you know, I’m not a disgruntled player. Make sure y’all tweet that (stuff). Josh Hart said he’s not disgruntled.”

Katz detailed Hart’s usage in an in-depth piece on Tuesday.

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Paul Reed was surprised that his comments about the Lakers‘ Anthony Davis during the morning shootaround on Monday went viral, as Gina Mizell of the Philadelphia Inquirer details. The Sixers big man called Davis “a big flopper” and added, “he’s going to be flailing.” Reed soon found out his comments caused controversy. “I started checking Twitter and Instagram,” he said, “and I’m like, ‘Damn, people are really mad at me in the Lakers community.’” Reed and Davis wound up sharing the court for only three minutes in Philly’s blowout win.
Raptors first-round pick Gradey Dick shot 6-for-33 over his first two games with the Raptors 905, Toronto’s G League team. Dick, who has appeared in 15 NBA games, told Blake Murphy of Sportsnet he’s not worried about his shot. “My confidence hasn’t dwindled at all,” Dick said. “I mean, I’ll go take the next 10 shots, I don’t really care. Because I know me as a shooter, and it’s not any cockiness, but at the same time I think it’s positive cockiness. I’ve put in enough work off the court and I’m still doing it now where I have that confidence and trust.”
Knicks wing RJ Barrett says he’s still trying to get back in form after a bout with migraines, Bondy writes. Barrett has shot 33% of the field in the last five games after dealing with the severe headaches. “I didn’t pick up where I left off,” Barrett said. “That’s OK. Honestly, this was going to happen at some point during the season whether I got sick or not. So, I’m just doing what I do all the time, working my way out of it. Not worried.”
Cam Thomas and Dennis Smith Jr. are getting close to returning, Nets coach Jacque Vaughn told Dan Martin of the New York Post. A sprained left ankle has sidelined Thomas since Nov. 8, while Smith has missed the last five games with a lower back sprain. They both participated in simulated-game activity after the team’s shootaround on Tuesday. “They’re both trending in the direction of hopefully playing with us soon,’’ Vaughn said. “The fact that they both participated is a good sign.”

Knicks Notes: Barrett, Fournier, Grimes, Draft, Randle

November 19th, 2023 at 12:01pm CST by Luke Adams

After scoring at least 24 points in three consecutive Knicks wins between November 6-12, forward RJ Barrett was forced to the sidelines for three games due to an ailment that doesn’t often show up on NBA injury reports. As Stefan Bondy of The New York Post writes, Barrett was dealing with a debilitating migraine, describing the experience as “not anything I’d wish on anybody.”

“A lot of stuff going on. It was my first [migraine] as well,” Barrett said. “So definitely wasn’t the best feeling at all. It was terrible, actually. I’m feeling better now, thank God.”

Barrett didn’t exactly pick up right where he left off on Saturday, according to Bondy, who notes that the 23-year-old looked “gassed” in the first half. However, he picked up his play in the second half — he finished with 15 points and was a plus-16 despite making just 5-of-15 shots from the floor.

“You can’t take that amount of time off and not feel it,” head coach Tom Thibodeau said. “He was in a great rhythm, now we’ve got to get him back in that rhythm.”

After sitting out the Knicks’ first 11 games this season, Evan Fournier got an opportunity to play on Friday in Washington and logged nearly 16 minutes. However, after that game he was diagnosed with ankle inflammation, an ailment that sidelined him on Saturday and mystified him because he had “no clue” how it happened, per Bondy. “It was frustrating because it hurts,” Fournier said. “There’s not much to say, to be honest. It sucks. That’s it.”
Quentin Grimes has missed the Knicks’ past two games with a sprained wrist, but he’s already out of his brace and likely won’t miss more than one more game, a source tells Bondy. “It’s just a pain tolerance thing, so as soon as he’s comfortable enough, he’ll be out there,” Thibodeau said.
In a separate story for The Post, Bondy takes a look at the four 2024 first-round picks the Knicks control, observing that picks from the Wizards (top-12 protected) and Pistons (top-18 protected) look increasingly unlikely to convey, given that the two clubs sit at the very bottom of the NBA’s standings. New York will likely only end up having its own first-rounder and Dallas’ pick (top-10 protected) in next year’s draft, Bondy adds.
Julius Randle wasn’t able to do much of his usual work in the offseason while he recovered from ankle surgery, so it took him a little longer than usual to get going this fall. However, he has hit his stride lately, as Bondy writes for The Post. The veteran forward has averaged 24.3 points per game with a .455/.341/.708 shooting line in his last seven games after putting up 13.7 PPG on .271/.225/.618 shooting in his first six. “I feel better, more like myself,” Randle said. “I told you guys it would be a day-to-day process, me not being able to do much in the summer.”

Knicks Notes: LaVine, Rotation, Grimes, Perry

November 16th, 2023 at 9:00am CST by Arthur Hill

If Zach LaVine gets traded, his representatives would prefer somewhere other than the Knicks, a source tells Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. LaVine’s camp doesn’t see New York as a good fit for the high-scoring guard, Bondy adds, because the team already has RJ Barrett, another ball-dominant wing who is five years younger and has a less expensive contract. Bondy also hears that the Knicks wouldn’t have much interest in sending Barrett to the Bulls in a potential LaVine deal.

LaVine’s contract will be daunting for any team, as he’s still owed about $178MM, including a 2026/27 player option that’s worth nearly $49MM. He’s represented by Klutch Sports, which is a longtime rival of CAA, the former agency of Knicks president Leon Rose.

With reportedly just one more year left on his contract, Rose will have to acquire a big-name talent at some point, Bondy suggests. The Knicks have young players and a wealth of draft picks to offer, including up to four first-rounders next year, although picks from Washington and Detroit appear unlikely to convey right away. Rose has plenty of ammunition to pursue disgruntled stars, but it doesn’t appear he will make a play for LaVine.

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Coach Tom Thibodeau has a reputation for leaning on his starters, but he doesn’t seem to trust anyone on his current squad beyond his nine-man rotation, Bondy adds. In four games in which Barrett wasn’t available, Thibodeau cut that to eight players, with Miles McBride seeing the most playing time beyond that group with 13 total minutes.
The Knicks are saying a “bruised hand” caused Quentin Grimes to leave Wednesday’s game, Bondy states in a separate story. Grimes went straight to the tunnel when he suffered the injury with about 11 minutes left in the fourth quarter, Bondy notes, and he wasn’t in the locker room after the game. Thibodeau wasn’t sure if X-rays had been taken when he talked to reporters.
Chasing unhappy stars is a risky way to run an organization, former Knicks general manager Scott Perry tells Peter Botte of The New York Post. “I don’t have the arrogance necessarily to believe that a guy’s gonna come to our place and he’s gonna be happy just because,” Perry said. “I like when players and people in general try to figure out the situation they’re gonna be in. And when you look at these disgruntled stars, how many of them have left a situation where everything was catered around them and gone to the new situation, and it’s the exact same thing for them?”

Zach LaVine Rumors: Lakers, Heat, Sixers, DeRozan, More

November 15th, 2023 at 9:20am CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers, Heat, and Sixers are among the teams expected to have a “level of interest” in Bulls guard Zach LaVine, Shams Charania of The Athletic said during an appearance on The Rally (Twitter video link). Charania reported on Tuesday that the Bulls and LaVine have become increasingly open to exploring the possibility of a trade after Chicago got off to another slow start this season.

The Lakers’ big three experiment with Russell Westbrook alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis didn’t work well, with the team eventually moving off Westbrook in favor of reliable depth around its two superstars. It’s unclear how eager Los Angeles would be to sacrifice some of that depth to bring in another ball-dominant, offensive-minded guard like LaVine.

The Heat, meanwhile, were linked to Damian Lillard for much of the offseason and would perhaps view LaVine as an intriguing alternative, though he’s not the play-maker that Dame is. As for the Sixers, the belief is that they want to turn some of the assets they received for James Harden into another impact player, but the emergence of Tyrese Maxey has lessened the need for another guard. A report on Tuesday downplayed Philadelphia’s interest in LaVine.

In addition to monitoring LaVine, teams around the NBA are keeping an eye on DeMar DeRozan in case the Bulls decide to make him available as well, according to Charania.

“The sense around the league is whether it’s LaVine or DeRozan or both, there could be movement in Chicago sooner than later,” Charania said.

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The Lakers are among five destinations that Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype believes make sense for LaVine, but his other four suggestions are teams not mentioned by Charania: the Magic, Pistons, Hornets, and Mavericks. Dallas may not be an ideal fit for LaVine after adding Kyrie Irving earlier this year, but the Mavs have reportedly had interest in the Bulls guard in the past, Gozlan notes.
In a mailbag for The Athletic, Kelly Iko makes the case that the Grizzlies would be an ideal fit for LaVine, contending that pairing him with Desmond Bane on the wing would help the team in the short term and open up space for Ja Morant to operate when he returns from his suspension.
Steve Popper of Newsday doesn’t view the Knicks as a likely suitor for LaVine, suggesting that it wouldn’t make sense to give up RJ Barrett as part of a larger package for the Bulls guard, since LaVine is five years older, significantly more expensive, and has been more injury-prone.
As good as LaVine has been as a scorer in recent years, his best hasn’t been good enough for the Bulls, according to Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic, who suggests that it might be in both sides’ best interest to go in a new direction.

Knicks Notes: Quickley, Thibodeau, DiVincenzo, Second Unit

November 12th, 2023 at 2:50pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Despite seeing his minutes take a dip thus far in 2023/24, Knicks reserve shooting guard Immanuel Quickley is still hoping for a hyper-efficient shooting season with New York, writes Zach Braziller of The New York Post.

Quickley played 28.9 minutes per contest in 2022/23, en route to finishing second in the league’s Sixth Man of the Year voting. This season, he’s averaging 24.1 MPG.

“I want to try to get over 40 [percent] from 3, for sure,” Quickley said. “Overall [from the field], I want to be over 50 [percent]… If you set a goal for yourself, you’re going to try to get it. So I’m going to try to get it.”

Through his first six contests this year, the 6’3″ wing is averaging a career-high 15.1 PPG on .473/.326/.864 shooting.

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Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau believes that three of his key reserves have starter potential, and has applauded their willingness to play off the bench for New York, Braziller adds. “The one thing we ask everybody is to sacrifice,” Thibodeau said. “You could make a case that Quick is a starter, Donte [DiVincenzo] is a starter, Josh [Hart] is a starter. They’re sacrificing that for the team.” Fewer minutes means fewer touches, and thus lower stats, and a reserve role also can reflect negatively on a player angling for his next deal. It’s a testament to the team’s buy-in that these wings are open to the gig.
New Knicks guard DiVincenzo is adjusting splendidly to his new role on the team’s bench, opines Braziller in a separate piece. “I think that’s pretty special,” teammate Quickley said of DiVincenzo’s fit on the New York bench. “When you can have guys connect and gel right off the bat without much time together is always a sign of something that can be special.” The 6’4″ wing is averaging 7.3 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 1.6 APG, and 1.0 SPG in 19.4 MPG.
The Knicks have benefited from terrific production from their second unit, writes Steve Popper of Newsday. New York has been playing starter RJ Barrett alongside Quickley, DiVincenzo, Josh Hart and Isaiah Hartenstein. That lineup has compiled a +24.0 net rating across 20 minutes together. “I feel like no matter who’s in there… we have a system as far as what we do,” Quickley said. “And whoever’s in there, we all understand how we want to play. And that’s fast, get stops and run. That’s when we are at our best.”

Knicks Notes: Embiid, Barrett, Robinson, Storylines

November 8th, 2023 at 10:49pm CST by Rory Maher

With all of their own first-round picks and swaps, plus some additional draft capital, the Knicks have been linked to multiple stars over the past year-plus, including Joel Embiid. The reigning MVP’s former Sixers teammate, P.J. Tucker, says Embiid is well aware of the rumors, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post.

“Of course, he hears it,” Tucker said Monday. “But you never know with these situations and how it’s going to play out, what guys are thinking, what’s happening behind closed doors. You never know.”

As Bondy notes, Embiid would have to request a trade for there to even be a remote chance of him landing in New York, and with the 76ers off to a 6-1 start, there’s certainly no indication that’s in the cards anytime soon. Tucker says any outside perception of dysfunction in Philadelphia is misguided.

“It wasn’t like that all,” he said. “The media is going to spin it how you want. But Philly has got a good team. We had a good team. … I think all the noise was just that: just noise.”

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RJ Barrett has played well in each of the past two games since returning from a left knee injury, which the team has called patellar tendinopathy. As Ian Begley of SNY.tv writes, Barrett says he’s going to have to play through some soreness “for a little bit,” with the injury a result of wear and tear rather than a specific incident. “I’m going to have to live with the pain,” Barrett said. “Got to be mentally tough, fight through it.”
Center Mitchell Robinson is averaging a career-best 12.4 rebounds through eight games, drawing praise from head coach Tom Thibodeau in the process. “I think the big thing is it’s not just the offense. He’s added the defensive rebounding, he’s been a monster on the boards,” Thibodeau said, per Peter Botte of The New York Post. “I think he’s the best offensive rebounder, we already established that. And then now he’s fourth in the league in rebounding. Every night he’s got bodies on him and he’s done a great job for us.”
Robinson’s incredible offensive rebounding prowess and improved “discipline and physicality” on defense are among the early-season storylines explored by Fred Katz of The Athletic, with Barrett also earning a spot due to his evolution as a decision-maker. Robinson’s defensive effort on Victor Wembanyama during Wednesday’s dismantling of the Spurs was particularly noteworthy, writes Steve Popper of Newsday (subscriber link).

Atlantic Notes: Batum, Claxton, Harden, Barrett

November 5th, 2023 at 8:42pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Nicolas Batum is expected to make his Sixers debut on Monday when they face the Wizards, Chris Hayes of TNT and Bleacher Report tweets.

Batum was included in the James Harden blockbuster. He’s been away from the Sixers for personal reasons but returned to Philadelphia over the weekend. Batum was a rotation player for the Clippers for three-plus seasons and averaged 18 minutes pere game this season before the deal.

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Nets center Nic Claxton suffered a high left ankle sprain in the regular season opener and admits he’s exasperated by the lingering injury, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes. Claxton has shed a walking boot, but has yet to return to action. “It’s been frustrating, especially getting hurt the first game of the season, and even the way to the way I did it. But it’s coming along. I’m day-to-day now, just trying to keep myself in a good space, keep supporting my teammates,” he said. “After a couple days … I saw it was taking a little bit longer than I expected and everybody expected. Like I said, it’s frustrating but it’s an 82-game season, so what can you do? I’m not going to put myself in harm’s way. I’m just taking it day-by-day.”
Harden will make his Clippers debut against the Knicks and Jalen Brunson believes they could be an offensive juggernaut, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post relays. “Another weapon for them,” Brunson said. “They have a lot of great players over there. Really impressive résumés and all that stuff, and their careers have been nothing short of spectacular. So, it’s a lot of firepower. We’ve just gotta be ready to go.”
Knicks wing RJ Barrett has missed the last two games with knee soreness. Coach Tom Thibodeau indicated that Barrett could return on Monday. “He said he’s feeling a lot better,” Thibodeau said. Barrett is averaging 21 points this season.

Knicks Notes: Fournier, Barrett, Randle, Mitchell

November 4th, 2023 at 7:32pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks need more outside shooting, and the franchise record holder for most three-pointers in a season is on the roster, but that doesn’t mean Evan Fournier will get a chance to play, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. The 31-year-old guard is the only Knick who hasn’t appeared in a game this season, leaving him in a familiar position ever since he was pulled from the rotation early last season.

“I think the guys found something in the way they played last year, and they’re going to stick to that,” Fournier said. “So it’s not up to me.”

Fournier expressed a desire to be traded this summer, but New York held onto him because his $19MM expiring contract might be useful to help match salaries in a future deal. He’ll become a buyout candidate if he’s not moved by the February 8 deadline, but he told Bondy that he’s not counting the days until then because “that’s not a way to live.”

Fournier knew his best chance to prove himself was in the preseason, so he came to camp prepared for the opportunity. He saw 76 minutes and made seven three-pointers in preseason action, but he didn’t expect it to change anything once the season began.

“My mentality was definitely to show that I deserve to play. But I kind of knew the deal coming in,” Fournier said. “I kind of knew the deal that the rotation was similar to last season. So when (coach Tom Thibodeau) told me I wasn’t going to be part of the rotation, I wasn’t surprised.”

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RJ Barrett wasn’t with the team Friday in Milwaukee, missing his second straight game with soreness in his left knee, Bondy adds in another story for the Post. Barrett, who’s considered day to day, hurt the knee on opening night and has been managing the pain ever since. Bondy notes that Barrett logged a lot of minutes for Team Canada during the World Cup and then played regularly during the preseason, unlike some of the Knicks’ other stars.
Julius Randle has been criticized for his early-season shooting slump, but he’s not finding other ways to help the team, observes Steve Popper of Newsday. Randle is connecting at 27.1% from the field and 22.5% from three-point range through six games, and Popper points out that he didn’t get to the foul line during Wednesday’s loss to Cleveland and he hasn’t blocked a shot yet this season.
Magic forward Joe Ingles expects former Utah teammate Donovan Mitchell to eventually wind up with the Knicks, per Christian Arnold of The New York Post. “I think he’ll play for New York one day, whether that’s sooner or later,” Ingles said in an interview with 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone. “I think it would be great for New York and I think it would be great for him. Whether or not that actually happens we’ll wait and see.”

Knicks Notes: B. Brown, Tournament, Mitchell, Centers

November 2nd, 2023 at 10:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Bruce Brown was a long shot for the Knicks in free agency, but he still met with them before deciding to sign with the Pacers. The versatile swingman talked to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post about the details of that meeting, which took place on FaceTime.

Head coach Tom Thibodeau was a strong supporter of adding Brown and told him the Knicks needed him to “do the little things to help them win.” Thibodeau made his recruiting pitch along with team president Leon Rose, but they couldn’t compete with Indiana’s offer. Brown signed for $45MM over two years, while New York was limited to $12.4MM per year with its mid-level exception.

“Thibs has always been a fan of mine, even coming out the draft when he was with Minnesota,” Brown said. “And every time I played against him we had a few communications. But this is the first time to actually get a chance to get me.”

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With the Knicks beginning play Friday in the NBA’s new in-season tournament, Bondy reached out to two of the team’s lower-salaried players to see what the $500K grand prize would mean to them. Ryan Arcidiacono and Dylan Windler, who both have non-guaranteed contracts, said they would use the bonus money to help pay off their mortgages.
The Knicks might be a more entertaining team if they had met Utah’s price in trade negotiations for Donovan Mitchell, but there’s no guarantee they would be better, contends Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post. Vaccaro points to the team’s last offer for Mitchell, which would have included RJ Barrett, Obi Toppin, Evan Fournier, two unprotected first-round picks and three more first-rounders. It might have also precluded the trade for Josh Hart and the signing of Donte DiVincenzo. Vaccaro notes that New York still has most of those assets, which can be used for the next big-name player who becomes available.
There has been plenty of speculation that the Knicks might be waiting for Joel Embiid or Karl-Anthony Towns to hit the trade market, but Thibodeau is happy with his current center pairing of Mitchell Robinson and Isaiah Hartenstein, per Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News. “(Isaiah) and Mitch together, it’s a great tandem,” Thibodeau told reporters before Wednesday’s game. “They complement each other extremely well, they support each other, they’re great teammates. You throw Jericho (Sims) in there as well, that position, we feel pretty good about it.”

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