The New York Knicks aren’t quite back.
Posting & Toasting surely is, in case you hadn’t noticed.
Fresh coat of paint, same old top-notch content.
On building team chemistry to chase a championship:
“We have a chance to win a championship and that’s only going to happen if everyone’s connected.”
On tuning out distractions and staying united:
“[When] you have locker rooms that are that connected, you can’t be bothered by any of the outside noise and stuff, that’s when you have a championship team. Because at the end of the day, people will talk. [But] as long as everyone in that locker room believes in each other and this goal we have, ain’t none of that sh*t matters on the outside.”
On concerns over Joel Embiid’s long-term health:
“It’s scary to me because when I’m looking at this situation with Joel Embiid, I’m saying, his prime is not like everyone else’s. His prime is not going to be like a Giannis or a Jokic, meaning the window. I’m looking at this, and the first thing that pops into my mind is Amar’e Stoudemire. Do you remember how Amar’e was up here like, ‘Oh s—, we’re looking at a guy who’s going to be that m————. Then all of a sudden, injuries took place. So, with these concerns coming out, I’m like, do we have a two-to-three-year window of Embiid at a high level?”
On his happiness for the current Knicks team:
“I’m very happy for the Knicks because I played there and because Leon [Rose] is the guy there now. The team is very good. I think it’s about time that they unleash the potential of the team. Because for many years, if you take every player, seeing every player, the team has been very good for many years, but it was never able to perform at a high level and be a winning team. So now it is, and I am very happy for them.”
On OG Anunoby confronting him over his 2K rating:
“Last night, after dinner at the Wynn, OG comes up to me and talks my ear off for a half an hour… he was going in on ‘I’m an 87. I should be at least a 92.’ I’m like wow, OK. But he had real thoughts, real feelings, real things to back up. His argument was that we skew offensively more than defensively. I actually don’t agree with that. I think we balance it really well.”
On the idea of the Knicks signing Ben Simmons:
“If you’re asking me what I think of the fit, I wouldn’t be a fan of the signing. Yes, he’d add some much-needed size to the backcourt. Yes, a defensive lineup of Simmons, Bridges and Anunoby would be intriguing for small portions of a game. However, I’m not a fan of having to have a tailor-made offense for a backup point guard. Simmons’ inability to shoot — or even look at the basket — makes it so that Brown couldn’t successfully play him with non-shooters like Josh Hart and Mitchell Robinson. Giving significant minutes to a guard or wing who isn’t willingly looking to score isn’t something I’d sign up for. New York needs to embrace its five-out spacing this season more than it did last year, and adding someone like Simmons to the rotation makes it trickier to do that.”
On the current state of point guards in the NBA:
“There are no point guards anymore…Who’s the PG of the Knicks, Lakers, Celtics, Thunder?…PG’s totally done…”
On Jalen Brunson’s position if he’s not a point guard:
“A guy who can shoot. Combo scoring guard. I don’t think he’s looking for the assist. I think he’s looking to score. And thank God he is…”
