Knicks Bulletin: ‘Two of his strides equal six of my strides’

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Get excited, the Knicks play meaningless basketball today!

Not only that, but there will be hoops happening inside Madison Square Garden for the first time since May!!

Here’s what Coach Brown, Mikal, KAT, Perk, and potential Greekerbocker have said during the past few hours.

Mike Brown has goosebumps thinking about coaching his first game at MSG as Knicks head coach tomorrow night, even in a preseason game pic.twitter.com/kNGgSInFV6

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) October 8, 2025

Mike Brown​


On Mikal Bridges’ defensive versatility:

“He will [guard the point of attack] some. If Reggie Miller was still playing, I’d throw him on Reggie, because I think he navigates screens well, and with those long strides, he can stay close to a shooter’s body, and then he’s contesting and he’s got long arms. But then if we need to put him on a point guard, because, again, he’s able to navigate through screens and if he does get hit, people still feel him. They feel him coming with his length, and so we’ll mix it up. He won’t always be at the point of the ball. He won’t always chase shooters.”

On not needing to clarify Bridges’ on-ball role:

“I haven’t asked him because I know he’s elite at it. He knows he’s elite at it. And that’s what he’s going to embrace. And so that gives us a luxury to be able to move Jalen [Brunson] and whoever else is on the floor around, because we know we can say, ‘OK, you know what? Tonight, Mikal’s gonna take this guy — he’s a shooter and a two-guard. Or tonight, he’s gonna take the head of the snake — the point guard — because of this and that.’ It allows us to have different options. And when you know you’re great or elite at something, you embrace it — and you go do that every night you’re on the floor.”

On staff members familiar with Bridges:

“So these guys have an idea of how he played and what his strengths were in Phoenix. And then you watch him a little bit in Brooklyn, too, or [watch him] play against you in Brooklyn. And you watch him last year in the playoffs and you just try to put guys at their strengths, and you hope guys will embrace those areas that are their strengths because they’re already the best in the world. And now, if you can put them in positions in terms of making sure the floor is spaced the right way with everybody else, the pace is there, the ball is moving, screens are set, whatever we’re trying to introduce, now it shines.”

On Bridges’ two-way potential:

“When you look at him — and we’re trying to play fast — you know he can be if not the best runner in the NBA, at least in the top three. I mean, he can get out and go. He’s got long strides. Everything’s real fluid. He’s long. And now when he does do that, it puts a lot of pressure on our opponents because he’s getting to the corner, he can shoot the three and so he’s gonna flatten the defense, or he’s [cutting to the basket] and attacking and finishing at the rim before the defense can even think twice about it. We’re excited offensively, and then on the flip side defensively, he’s one of the best chasers that I’ve been around. So if you’ve got a guy that’s flying off of screens, he’s got a knack to navigate through screens and chase guys. And same with guys that play the pick-and-roll game. He’s long, so even if he gets cracked on a pick-and-roll a little bit, his will to want to pursue and especially contest from behind at that length is extremely, extremely impactful. So I think those are the areas that you should see him shine in this year.”

On Josh Hart’s illness status:

“I don’t know [if he’ll play], we’ll see tomorrow. But yes, he did not practice today. He was out today because he was sick.”

On not knowing details of Hart’s status:

“I don’t even know — I just get told he’s out because he’s sick or this or that. I was told he was out because he was sick. He wasn’t here [in practice].”

On losing a bet to Jalen Brunson:

“I don’t know if you’d call it running, but we try.”

On the free throw bet format:

“At the end of practice, they gotta make three free throws — three different guys gotta make one free throw, but it’s all gotta be in a row. If one of the three guys misses, then they hop to the baseline, they gotta go up and back — and they gotta do it until all three guys hit one free throw and it has to be in a row. So one of these times, Jalen hits it, he said, ‘Hey, we’ll do it again, but we want to bet y’all. If on the first go-around we make three in a row, then y’all gotta run.’”

On Brunson’s memory:

“Jalen’s one of them dudes that don’t forget. So he was like, ‘Hey, coach, we made three in a row. That was it. If we make three in a row on the first go-around, y’all gotta run.’ So he put us on the line and Mitch told us when to go.”

On MSG debut as Knicks coach:

“MSG is such an iconic venue, you know, and whether it’s a preseason game or regular-season game to be able to know that that’s your home court every night, and to do it for the first time… it gives you goose bumps.”

On Bridges’ stride:

“Two of his strides equal six of my strides.”

Mikal Bridges talks about why he's able to stay on the court and avoid injuries:

"My parents got some genes that help me absorb and recover quicker" pic.twitter.com/1pkewsLIcZ

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) October 8, 2025

Mikal Bridges​


On the defensive identity under Mike Brown:

“I think our coverages [are] just a little different, when it comes to shifting and stuff like that: concepts, making sure our verbiage is always different with different coaches and different systems. I think more emphasis in being aggressive when you’re off the ball. Obviously the usual X’ing out, the help in rotation. I think every coach in the NBA has that. But just putting an emphasis on shifting and helping the guy on ball a little bit more.”

On the offensive system fitting his game:

“Yeah [the offense is a good fit] personally, yeah and then for our team as well. I think it’s a great fit for all of us. Talent we have and one through 15 — I mean, s–t, we’ve got 20 guys in there today, thought in this camp so 1 through 20, it’s for everybody. Everybody be unselfish and making the right play and being aggressive. Not just personally me, I think it helps the team a lot.”

On work and improvement:

“I think I’ll be better. Yeah, just be better throughout the whole year. [In the] playoffs, defensively I was better. I still think I could have been better and done more on both sides. People think I had a pretty good playoffs, but I still think I could have done a lot more. [So] start the season off strong, be better than I was last year.”

On embracing early coaching attention:

“We drill them every day. We have a lot of drills throughout training camp and now. We had an earlier training camp. Even working out before, the coaches’ attention to detail and pushing us, so it’s become second nature.”

On improving year-to-year:

“Just be better throughout the whole year. Start the season off strong, be better than I was last year.”

KAT: "It's gonna be a little bit––"

Somewhere in room: (ESPN chime)

KAT (looks at phone): "Did I say something and y'all tweet some shi?" pic.twitter.com/lVmjXa7oEy

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) October 9, 2025

Karl-Anthony Towns​


On Mitchell Robinson:

“He’s very gifted with his feet, just the way he can maneuver around the court. I had good expectations of what I thought of Mitch walking in, especially on the offensive end, how I can maximize his offensive game. But even he surprised me with his ability.”

On embracing a demanding new role:

“It’s a job, but I’m blessed that he’s trusted me with it.”

On learning the offense:

“Uhh, we working. We’re trying to figure it out so we can be the best version of ourselves come opening night. But yeah, we’re working. We’re continuing to get more comfortable with it and understand where we can be as impactful as possible with it.”

Giannis: "It's temptation…like you go outside & people look at you: 'oh he's kind of handsome'…starts when season ends til season begins…people approach me & my agent: 'hey this possibility'…My decision today is I'm here…As long as we have opportunity to win…I'm here baby" pic.twitter.com/Eqme5RmCwd

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) October 8, 2025

Giannis Antetokounmpo (Wannabe Knick)​


On staying committed to the Bucks:

“I think I’ve communicated with my teammates, communicated with the people I respect and love the moment I step onto this court or in this facility, I wear this jersey, the rest does not matter. I’m locked into whatever I have in front of me. Now, if in six, seven months, I change my mind, I think that’s human too. You’re allowed to make any decision you want, but I’m locked in. I’m locked into this team. I’m locked into these guys, to this group and to this coaching staff and to myself.”

On leadership and blocking out noise:

“I believe in my teammates. I’m here to lead this team wherever we can go, and it’s definitely going to be hard. We’re going to take it day by day, but I’m here. So all that extra stuff does not matter.”

On his main goal and clarity:

“I’ve said this many times: I want to be in a situation that I can win. I believe in this team. I believe in my teammates. I’m here to lead this team to wherever we can go. It’s definitely going to be hard. We’re going to take it day by day, but I’m here. So all the extra stuff does not matter. I’ve communicated with my teammates, communicated with the people I respect and love, that the moment I step on this court or in this facility, I wear this jersey, the rest does not matter. I’m locked into whatever I have in front of me. Now, if in six, seven months I change my mind, I think that’s human, too.”

On offseason rumors and commitment:

“It’s temptation. That starts when the season ends until the season begins. There’s going to be a lot of people that are going to approach me or approach my agent and they’re going to say this is a possibility, that’s a possibility … but at the end of the day, ultimately, I’m going to make a decision. And my decision today is that I’m here and I’m committed to this team.”

Road Trippin’: Perkins: Giannis gotta grow a set. He gotta grow a set. He has to grow some balls. He don’t want to be there. He’s scared to say it. The Bucks know that he don’t want to be there. The Bucks know this — but they are in denial… it was a desperate move when they… pic.twitter.com/0mw5NQN9PN

— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) October 9, 2025

Kendrick Perkins (Former NBA Player)​


On the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumors:

“Every off-season, every time the season ends for the Bucks, ‘Oh, Giannis is gonna want out,’ and then, out of desperation, to try to please Giannis, and rightfully so, they make moves. Do those moves work all the time? Absolutely not.”

On Giannis’ indecision:

“Giannis has to grow a set. He has to grow some balls. He don’t wanna be there, he’s scared to say it. The Bucks know that he don’t wanna be there… but they are in denial.”

Directed by Jalen Brunson, the Knicks had their coaching staff and trainers run sprints during practice 🤣 pic.twitter.com/lGCQ31icq2

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) October 8, 2025

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...in-two-of-his-strides-equal-six-of-my-strides
 
Preseason Game Preview: Knicks vs. Timberwolves, Oct. 9, 2025

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The New York Knicks are back stateside after sweeping the Philadelphia 76ers in their two-game NBA Abu Dhabi 2025 preseason series at Etihad Arena.

New York opened with a 99–84 win on October 2, fueled by Miles McBride’s 12 points off the bench and Mitchell Robinson’s 16 rebounds, while Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns added 11 apiece. Then they completed the sweep with a 113–104 victory behind Brunson’s 14 points, OG Anunoby’s 13, and another burly outing from Mitch.

The Minnesota Timberwolves, meanwhile, are still sorting things out.

They split their first two preseason games, beating the Denver Nuggets 126–116 before falling to the Indiana Pacers 135–134 in overtime. The win over Denver, with stars Anthony Edwards, Julius Randle, and Mike Conley resting, proved that the team has some depth. Bones Hyland led with 18 points, rookie Joan Beringer added 14, and Rob Dillingham handed out nine assists.

The home loss to Indiana was a different story. Despite strong showings from Jaden McDaniels, Rudy Gobert, and Naz Reid, Minnesota’s defense faltered late. Eighteen players touched the hardwood in the loss.

The Wolves’ offense looks promising, but defensive lapses continue to be a soft spot. Tonight, their starting lineup is projected to be Mike Conley, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels (GTD), Julius Randle, and Rudy Gobert.

On the Timberwolves injury report, Jaylen Clark, Joe Ingles, Jaden McDaniels, and Leonard Miller are all listed as game-time-decisions. For the Knicks, Josh Hart is listed as a GTD with back spasms.

When the two last squared off, on January 17 at MSG, the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the New York Knicks 116–99. Anthony Edwards led the way with 36 points, 13 rebounds, and seven assists, hitting eight threes. Naz Reid added 23 points and six threes, while Jalen Brunson paced the Knicks with 26 points and five assists. Tonight at the Garden, look for a scrappy effort from both teams with New York pulling ahead down the stretch.

Go Knicks.

Game Details


Who: New York Knicks (2-0) vs Minnesota Timberwolves (1-1)

When: Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025, 7:30 p.m. ET

Where: Madison Square Garden, NYC

Watch: NBA TV / League Pass / MSG

Follow: @ptknicksblog

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...ame-preview-knicks-vs-timberwolves-oct-9-2025
 
Preseason Game Preview: Knicks vs. Wizards, Oct. 13, 2025

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The Knicks return to Madison Square Garden on Monday night for their fourth and penultimate preseason game, hosting the wayward Washington Wizards.

New York sits at 3–0 this preseason after grinding out a 100–95 win over the Timberwolves on Thursday. Mike Brown’s squad has used the exhibition slate to learn the ropes of the new coach’s pace-and-space system and the results have been tantalizing.

Washington enters 0–1 after a last-second 113–112 loss to Toronto on Sunday night, and they’ll complete a back-to-back in New York. The ’Zards finished last season 18–64, only a slight uptick from their franchise-worst 15-win campaign the year before. Rookie Tre Johnson and second-year center Alex Sarr headline a youthful core, and they’re supported by Bub Carrington and well-seasoned vets, CJ McColllum and Khris Middleton. The team’s strengths lie in depth, athleticism, and rim protection, but inexperience, lack of star power, and seven straight losing seasons point to another lottery-bound year.

For the Knicks, Monday offers another chance to tighten the bench rotation and reinforce Brown’s system before the real schedule begins. Expect Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, and OG Anunoby to log light minutes while the second unit—Miles McBride, Pacôme Dadiet, and new faces Jordan Clarkson and Malcolm Brogdon—gets another long look. On the injury report, Josh Hart remains a game-time decision. He missed the T’wolves game due to illness.

The Knicks are favored in tonight’s tilt for good reason. The ‘Bockers have looked disciplined and connected, with Mitchell Robinson in top form, the starters sharing the ball with panache, and deep bench. Anything can happen, but count on the Knicks to take care of business. Knicks by +10.

Game Details

Who: New York Knicks (3-0) vs Washington Wizards (0-1)

When: Monday, Oct. 13, 2025, 7:30 p.m. ET

Where: Madison Square Garden, NYC

Watch: NBA TV / League Pass / MSG

Follow: @ptknicksblog

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...on-game-preview-knicks-vs-wizards-oct-13-2025
 
Knicks Bulletin: ‘This is probably a worse basketball game overall’

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We were getting so comfortable with the Knicks endless winning that Monday’s loss hurt us bad.

Nah, not really, but it still stank.

Here’s a bunch of quotes from Coach Brown and a few other folks as the NYK approach deadline date for rostered players to make the cut or pack their bags.

"Our starters did not bring the energy. This is probably a worse basketball game overall and we did it in spurts"

Mike Brown gives an opening statement after the Knicks' preseason loss to Washington and called it a "great learning experience" pic.twitter.com/2Rr9jLFm4S

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) October 14, 2025

Mike Brown​


On the awuful preseason loss to Washington:

“Our starters did not bring the energy. This is probably a worse basketball game overall and we did it in spurts.”

On the Wizards’ approach and Knicks’ execution:

“They didn’t do anything tricky. They were just in the right spot defensively. They tried to play the way that we’ve been playing throughout the preseason, every day in practice and it showed at times to be very good basketball.”

“We needed to do better collectively as a unit when it came to doing the little things, starting with boxing out we weren’t great at it. Defensively, we weren’t great in our shifts, and we’d been pretty darn good in those two areas so far.”

On defensive struggles and learning from Monday’s loss:

“Great film to learn from, because we made a lot of mistakes that were uncharacteristic of how we’ve played so far.”

On silver linings despite the poor game against the lowly Wizards:

“Offensively, we didn’t do anything different when that second group came in. Guys just spaced the floor, they tried to play with pace. It wasn’t there all the time, but they tried to do it. Great learning experience. We’ll all grow from it and hopefully take a step forward instead of thinking we took a step backwards because we didn’t play well tonight.”

On Guerschon Yabusele’s adaptation to playing center:

“It’s gonna be a bit of a learning curve for him.”

On Dadiet’s size and development:

“He’s just gotta continue to understand how big he is. He’s long. He’s a big wing. And at times, he doesn’t utilize it. We always talk about playing big, playing big, playing big. And he doesn’t utilize it all the time. And that’s just being young. At times, he’s a little quiet and he’s a little unsure of what he should be saying or doing.

“So we keep trying to throw him into the fire as much as possible. It’s something that I’d like to do come regular season. I don’t know how many minutes he’s gonna get per game. But he definitely has a chance to be a player in this league for a long time, and you wanna help try to speed that development up because you see a lot of good things.

“You see he can run, you see he can cut, he’s big… you see he does a pretty good job of finishing and shoot the basketball. And you couple that with his ability to play defense, and you have a pretty good young prospect, especially for his age.”

On Tyler Kolek’s contribution:

“I thought the guys coming off the bench, they did a great job, Tyler gave us great minutes.”

“Tyler gave us some great minutes. His pace was great for us offensively — he touched the paint and sprayed it, we’re a big spray team, and he tried to reach space after he got off it. Then defensively he tried to talk and bring energy. I thought he was really good.”

“Being the smaller guy, you have to sacrifice your body. For me, it’s a great step from seeing the opportunity in Abu Dhabi and then tonight he actually tried to take the hit, so now hopefully we’ll go from there and he’ll take a couple of hits.”

On leaving the starters and a few other important players out Monday:

“It’s important. We want to try to give some guys some extended minutes to take a look at them tonight. It’s important because they’ve all been busting their behinds, and making that decision is extremely tough.”

“Landry and Ariel, those two more so than the other guys, I was probably going to start Ariel, but he’s sick, and then Landry obviously is competing for a roster spot as well, and he’s sick as well.”

Pacôme Dadiet on the pressure with roster cuts:

"There's always pressure. I don't really look at stuff like this. I try to stay focused on basketball and what I can control" pic.twitter.com/XxKZhl6b8W

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) October 14, 2025

Pacome Dadiet​


On dealing with the pressure of the impending roster cuts:

“There’s always pressure. I don’t really look at stuff like this. I try to stay focused on basketball and what I can control.”

Tyler Kolek was asked if the roster situation gave him more urgency in tonight's preseason game:

"There's urgency every single day. They say the hardest thing is not to get in this league, but to stay in this league" pic.twitter.com/1BSUvMc0vp

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) October 14, 2025

Tyler Kolek​


On whether the roster situation gave him more urgency in the preseason:

“There’s urgency every single day. They say the hardest thing is not to get in this league, but to stay in this league.”

On his mindset going into any and every game:

“My approach is to come out and try to win the game. To just come out and play hard for my team — I’m not coming out here to show other people what I can do, I’m here for my guys, my team, my coaching staff.”

Pablo Torre “Do you think the Knicks may have circumvented the cap taking Jalen Brunson from your Mavs?“

Mark Cuban “IDK…Think there was a lot at play”

“That’s behind me. More power to JB

“Was I happy they only got dinged for a 2nd round pick? No…Should’ve been far worse” https://t.co/DWYRzuhEsG pic.twitter.com/pl1G0CzuSf

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) October 14, 2025

Mark Cuban​


On the tampering case involving Jalen Brunson and the Knicks, and whether or not New York circumvented the cap:

“I don’t know, I just think there was a lot at play there.”

On whether the punishment was sufficient:

“That’s behind me, we’re proud of JB, we’re proud of everything. Was I happy that they only got dinged for a second-round pick? No. No, it should’ve been far worse. But, it is what it is.”

.@wemby doing Wemby things pic.twitter.com/zAEE7z0L5A

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) October 14, 2025

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...s-is-probably-a-worse-basketball-game-overall
 
Knicks Bulletin: ‘That’s what they said. It’s a tough roster. Let’s see what happens.’

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No Knicks preseason basketball today, thank God if it meant watching that attrocious thing from Monday once again.

New York have one exhibition left on Friday, but more importantly, they will have to make a very serious decision by Saturday’s deadline.

For now, here’s what we’ve heard from Coach Brown and a few other folks in the past few hours.

(📸 Nino Man) pic.twitter.com/0FtstlA7sh

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) October 15, 2025

Mike Brown​


On Pacome Dadiet needing playing time:

“Just getting minutes, getting minutes. I think the G League is fantastic for anybody so whether he’s getting minutes there or he’s getting minutes with us, just getting minutes in general is going to be great for him because he’s a really young guy. He’s got a chance to be really, really good — especially at his size, you can do a lot of things with it and so just getting playing time.”

On letting assistants lead huddles in preseason games:

“I’ve done it quite a bit. Did it with Sacramento. Actually, I got it from Steve (Kerr). When I was with Steve in Golden State, I led the huddle multiple times in multiple games. Throughout the course of a game probably almost 90 percent of the time — I didn’t even tell him what I was about to tell the guys defensively. He had that much trust in me. And it helped me grow.

“It helped save (Kerr’s) voice and gave the players another voice to hear. So I did it in Sacramento. I liked it. I’m going to try it here. Our offensive coordinator is Chris Jent. Our defensive coordinator is Brendan O’Connor, BOC. All those guys as well as everybody else, they’ve done a fantastic job coaching, so to give them an opportunity during games is something that I’ll do.”

On Guerschon Yabusele’s adaptation to playing center:

“I thought it was a great opportunity for him to get some time at the center position. It’s tough for him and he was thinking a little too much, which is gonna happen. And it kind of brought his game to a halt in other areas. I thought the second half, his energy, his activity, was a lot better. He started feeling a little bit more comfortable in the second half, but it’s going to be a little bit of a learning curve for him.”

KNICKS TRIO 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷

🔸 Guerschon Yabusele : 11 PTS, 5 REB, 2 AST
🔸 Pacôme Dadiet : 8 PTS, 6 REB
🔸 Mohamed Diawara : 5 PTS, 2 REB pic.twitter.com/lVBigTW5ed

— NBA France (@NBAFRANCE) October 14, 2025

Guerschon Yabusele​


On adapting to Brown’s system and moving between the four and five spots:

“For sure, it’s pretty big [of a learning curve] in the offense, and also like running, so the biggest key for me was to just run all the time, try to run to the basket to try to make the other teams tired.”

On Brown’s timeout to address his mistakes during Monday’s game:

“We had a conversation about what was happening in the game. We talked about a situation that was there, and what he wanted me to do better.”

On trying to fit in:

“I’m really trying to be as much as I can be focused to try to get every detail to make sure I’m at the right spot. For me, it’s a new team with new guys so I really try to fit into the system and be a solution not a problem.”

On his advice to Pacome Dadiet to stay relevant in the NBA:

“Keep shooting. That’s the best part about it. Whether you want to take it or not, the shot’s going to be there and you’re gonna be open. And the teams will make adjustments.

“In this league, if somebody thinks you’re not a shooter, they’re going to leave you wide open. So you got to prove to them that you’re a shooter. You got to prove to them you have confidence. I remember being in this spot when I was in Boston and I wasn’t really playing, so I kind of get it, where he is right now. But you got to push. You got lots of guys here to learn from and talk to guys so we just try to give him confidence and make sure when he goes there he doesn’t think about nothing.”

Garrison Mathews, like others, was told by Knicks he's got a real chance at a roster spot. Despite being on an Exhibit 10 deal, the sharpshooter told me he's not going to the G League if waived — "No shot."

More here as deadline nears for Knicks decision on final spot(s):…

— Stefan Bondy (@SbondyNBA) October 15, 2025

Garrison Mathews​


On having a real chance at competing for a roster spot:

“That’s what (the Knicks) said (to veteran players’ agents). It’s a tough roster; let’s see what happens.”

On whether or not he’ll join a G-League team if the Knicks cut him:

“No chance.”

On his spacing value and making his case to join the Knicks roster:

“I bring a lot of spacing, and hopefully my space can help. Some of these guys get downhill. We’ve got great ball handlers on the team. So just the gravity I pull from defenders, hopefully it can help those guys out a little bit.”

On wanting to be part of a contender:

“[The Knicks] got a lot of stuff going for them. And I think they’re going to be a contender. I’m just hoping I can be a part of it.”

"And if there are NBA franchises interested in hiring a female, I'm here too, because you've got to be ready to take on that and all the things that it comes with."

Dawn Staley's response to a question about being the first woman NBA head coach 👏 pic.twitter.com/M3dhPitU3w

— espnW (@espnW) October 14, 2025

Dawn Staley​


On the chances of seeing a woman hired as an NBA head coach:

“No, I don’t [believe it will happen in my lifetime]. And I hope I’m wrong.”

On the challenges of being a female head coach:

“It’s not just hiring the first female coach. Because one, if I’m the Knicks coach and you have a five-game losing streak, it’s not going to be about the losing streak. It’s going to be about being a female coach. So you as an organization and a franchise, you have to be prepared about that and strong enough to endure those types of instances when you’re a female coach.”

On her motivation for interviewing with the Knicks and his hopes for landing the gig:

“Not really a whole lot. I did the Knicks interview because I’ve known Leon Rose for 30 years. I have a connection to him and Worldwide Wes. I’ve known them all my life. It was a real interview, and I like to see what they’re talking about.”

On offering help to other women pursuing NBA jobs:

“If there’s somebody that’s interested in knowing and being the first female NBA coach, I got all the information. Come see me because I’ll get you prepared for the interview. If there are NBA franchises that are interested in hiring a female, I’m here too because you have to be ready to take on that and all the things that come with it.”

it ain’t hard to tell… The Garden was the inspo 🧵👀 @DoorDash

🛒 -> https://t.co/xlnoi66CVI pic.twitter.com/1CCvzpgzyW

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) October 15, 2025

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...said-its-a-tough-roster-lets-see-what-happens
 
Malcolm Brogdon announces retirement from the NBA

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There were a lot of rumblings about how the Knicks would handle the last few spots on their roster. It seems inevitable that Mohamed Diawara, the No. 51 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, is due to sign a standard deal to fill one spot, but the team still had just enough room to sign one player to a veteran minimum, or even sign two players and make a trade.

The competition seemed to include incumbent Landry Shamet, sharpshooting wing Garrison Matthews, Alex Len, and former Sixth Man Of The Year Malcolm Brogdon. The Knicks were keen on keeping two of these vets, so trade rumors circulated over the likes of Tyler Kolek, Pačome Dadiet, and even Deuce McBride.

Ultimately, the big decision was made several days before the Knicks had to decide on Saturday, but it was made by one of the players themselves. On Wednesday, Malcolm Brogdon announced his retirement from the game of basketball.

Just in: After nine NBA seasons, New York Knicks guard Malcolm Brogdon has decided to retire from basketball, he tells ESPN. Brogdon became the 2017 Rookie of the Year and 2023 Sixth Man of the Year after being drafted No. 36 in 2016. pic.twitter.com/nablWsQ9mu

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 15, 2025

It’s admirable to step away from the game at this point for Brogdon, whose story is a great one from when he was drafted in the second round by the Milwaukee Bucks in 2016. Too many players go out when their bodies fail them, or the league no longer sees a use for them. However, Brogdon decided to end it on his own terms despite a very good chance to crack the Knicks’ rotation.

Brogdon was selected No. 36 overall out of Virginia, where he was a two-time All-American in five seasons, but was entering the NBA as one of the oldest rookies in basketball, turning 24 in December of his rookie year. In a weak rookie class that saw Ben Simmons miss the entire season due to injury and saw many young players undergo growing pains, Brogdon became the first second-round pick ever to win Rookie of the Year, beating out Dario Saric and Joel Embiid, who played 31 games in his “rookie” year after missing two seasons with a foot injury.

(2016) Rookie Malcolm Brogdon dunks on Kyrie and LeBron in the same game —

Crazy. 🔥🔥

(via @HilltopNBA)

pic.twitter.com/acFIeZ9Oxn

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) April 30, 2025

He continued to get better throughout his three seasons as a Buck, becoming a full-time starter alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo by the 2018-19 season and averaging 15.6 points and 3.2 assists on an elite 61.4 TS% despite some occasional injuries. His second-round contract expired after that season and he inked a four-year, $85 million deal with the Indiana Pacers as part of a sign-and-trade.

He further advanced his game in Indiana, averaging 18.9 points a night over 146 games across three seasons. He was limited to just 36 games in 2021-22, and with his injuries beginning to become a trend, the Pacers sold low by shipping him to the Boston Celtics for five players and a first-round pick. The five players were mostly cap filler, but the Pacers did acquire future Knicks’ tormentor Aaron Nesmith in this deal.

His lone year in Boston was great. In 67 games as the team’s sixth man, he averaged 14.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.6 assists, shooting a career-high 44.4% from deep and capturing Sixth Man of the Year in controversial fashion over our very own Immanuel Quickley. Brogdon was shipped out to the Portland Trail Blazers in the offseason in the deal that sent Jrue Holiday to Boston.

The last two years have been rough for Brogdon, playing a combined 64 games with the Blazers and Washington Wizards on non-competitive teams. His efficiency regressed and he turned in the worst year of his career (adjusting for usage) in 2024-25, but it was fair to assume that he just needed a rejuvenation from the gutters in Washington.

On September 15, the Knicks inked Brogdon to a non-guaranteed deal to compete for that last roster spot in a surprising move that thrilled the fanbase. Without a true bench ballhandler, Brogdon seemed like an obvious fit. Unfortunately, he looked a tad off at times and was generally unimpressive in the preseason, scoring 17 points with 8 assists and 9 rebounds in four games. He was a positive in the first three, posting a plus-19, but struggled with efficiency (5-17 FG, 2-8 3pt), and was a dreadful minus-30 in 18 minutes against the Wizards on Monday.

Newest Knicks Malcolm Brogdon get his first 3 as a Knick! pic.twitter.com/kr5hb5AyPj

— Knicks Fan TV 🏀🎥📺🏁 (@KnicksFanTv) October 2, 2025

For the Knicks, this likely brings the roster battle down to Shamet and Matthews, but it’s fair to wonder if the team feels the need to keep both. Both players are sharpshooting wings that do a lot of the same things, and keeping both would be redundant, especially at the expense of a young, promising wing in Dadiet and a floor general in Kolek (who might be the second-best ballhandler on the roster!). Not to mention that McBride should not be dangled in any trade talks.

Ultimately, how many second-rounders can ask for a better career than this? He played 463 games across nine seasons, started 296 of them, played on five different playoff teams and 43 total games, and averaged 15.3 points a night for his career. Not to mention, he’ll always have the 2016-17 Rookie of the Year and 2022-23 Sixth Man of the Year awards on his mantle.

Congratulations on your retirement, Malcolm!

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...on-retirement-nba-kolek-dadiet-mcbride-shamet
 
REPORT: Knicks only have trade suitors for Deuce McBride amid roster crunch

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The New York Knicks’ roster crunch is about to come.

With the deadline to finalize their 2025–26 roster fast approaching and just a few days to make a final call, the Knicks face hard choices after loading up on veteran free agents late in the summer without room to carry them all into the regular-season squad.

The Knicks decided to chase and ink a few veteran, experienced players this offseason to complement an already-strong starting five and provide depth to it, strengthening a supporting cast that has been the weak link of the roster in the past couple of seasons.

A look at parameters for ‘extremely tough’ roster decision Knicks need to make by 5p on Saturday; Mike Brown says Steve Kerr helped him grow as a coach in GSW; Brown is looking to do the same for his coaching staff in NY: https://t.co/Q8jWVukyGl

— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) October 14, 2025

The three veterans competing for two roster spots are Malcolm Brogdon, Landry Shamet, and Garrison Matthews. Of those, at least one will necesarily have to go. Possibly, even if unlikely, the Knicks could also choose to add just one veteran to their final roster, letting the other two go.

“If the Knicks want to keep two of those three, trades involving Miles McBride, Pacome Dadiet, or Tyler Kolek are the most direct paths to do so.

“The Knicks also want to compete for an NBA championship this season. So every roster spot – and the decisions made around those spots – is crucial.” — SNY’s Ian Begley

Shamet and Brogdon have reportedly “held the edge” through training camp, and Mathews has also made his case because of his spacing and three-point-shooting prowess. However, keeping multiple veterans will force New York to sacrifice one or more younger players due to financial reasons.

“They will probably trade one of them to make room for two of Shamet, Brogdon, or Mathews,” Begley wrote.

NEW POD

Joined by @krispursiainen for an insider breakdown on the battle for the @nyknicks final roster spots.

-Do Mike Brown's comments on Pacome Dadiet offer any hints?
-Do Dadiet and Kolek actually have any trade value around the league?

LINKS BELOW! pic.twitter.com/KGjhI1b2Gk

— Locked On Knicks (@LockedOnKnicks) October 14, 2025

Kris Pursiainen of ClutchPoints dropped an even tougher report for Knicks fans to swallow, revealing on Wednesday AM that the Knicks are finding little traction in the market for their fringe players.

“Aside from McBride, the market for their other young talent has been dry,” sources familiar with the situation told Pursiainen.

“New York is still weighing its options ahead of Saturday’s deadline. Cap flexibility in the near future is also playing a role in their decision-making.” — ClutchPoints’ Kris Pursiainen

McBride remains the lone player generating meaningful outside interest, but with the Knicks getting into the 2025-26 season with one and only one goal in mind—title or bust—it wouldn’t make much sense to get rid of Deuce to just add two of Shamet/Brogdon/Matthews.

“League sources tell ClutchPoints that rival teams have made ‘worthwhile’ offers for the 25-year-old guard, which is unsurprising.” — ClutchPoints’ Kris Pursiainen

McBride averaged 9.5 points and 2.9 assists per game last season while shooting 38.6 percent from deep, establishing himself as a reliable rotation piece. He seems more confident about his game and role with the team this season, judging by his preseason outings, so it’s reasonable to expect those numbers to go up a notch this year.

Trading McBride, however, would require serious hesitation about his long-term future in New York, something the Knicks don’t believe is the case, or at least has not been reported anywhere.

“One source familiar with New York’s situation said that for the team to want to deal McBride, they’d need to have serious doubt that they could agree to a second extension with their 2021 draft pick.” — ClutchPoints’ Kris Pursiainen

The Knicks have until Saturday to cut any player to waive a player on a non-guaranteed contract and not incur a salary-cap charge. Then, the franchise will need to submit the final cap-compliant roster by Monday at 5 p.m. ET.

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...-suitors-for-deuce-mcbride-amid-roster-crunch
 
Knicks Bulletin: ‘I’m just gonna go all out and lay it all out there’

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One day, just one day is all you have to wait to watch the Knicks play again.

I’d rather not, however, because it’s the preseason and you very well know how that might go.

Here’s some stuff heard around the Knickerbocker fam of late.

Reporter: "This might be a dumb question…"

Mike Brown: "It's not dumb."

Reporter: "We'll see"

Other reporter: "Wait" 😂 pic.twitter.com/Ky8adt6OK5

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) October 15, 2025

Mike Brown​


On Josh Hart’s ramp-up process:

“They’re ramping it up a little bit.”

On Hart’s preseason finale status and camp depth:

“Well, I don’t know yet [if he’ll be available for Friday], but first thing is, that’s why you got — we got 21 guys [in training camp]. We always talk about next man up, next man up and keep yourself ready because you never know when your number’s called. So it’s two-fold: It gets those guys mentally ready for that. It gives other guys opportunities. It gives me an opportunity to see others.”

On Hart’s importance and long-term outlook:

“At the end of the day, Josh is an extremely important part of our process. We know this is gonna be a process.”

On building a competitive culture:

“Hundred percent, yeah, and sometimes, we play a ton of games. Everybody in this business is a pro, and anybody that’s a pro can have an exceptional night. So sometimes, it just wasn’t meant for you to win, but if you’re trying to adhere to what your standard is, it’s all you can ask for, like you said, at certain times. You move on. But those things have to be here day-in, day-out, night-in, night-out, 24/7, 365 days a year.”

On realistic expectations for the start of the season:

“It’s not gonna happen Game 1, Game 2 — we’re not gonna come out, could we come out blazing? Yeah, who knows. We’re gonna have our highs. We’re gonna have our lows. Can’t get too high if it’s going good. Can’t get too low if it’s not. We gotta stay even-keeled and know that this is a marathon and not a sprint, at the end of the day.”

On testing team standards through adversity:

“That’s when you really know if people can adhere to stuff is when you hit adversity. Do you go right, do you go left or do you fight through it as a connected group?”

On building team culture and sacrifice:

“Our standard… is first thing, everybody’s got to sacrifice. You’ve got to sacrifice for one another at all times.”

On pushing OG Anunoby to run more:

“I know I’m pushing him to do that because I think he can be really, really good, him and Mikal in the open floor.”

"I guess when the game is sped up and there's more drive-and-kicks and taking shots that are open. I think it's an emphasis for everyone to shoot when open."

OG Anunoby was asked about the Knicks taking nearly 300 three-pointers so far in the preseason: pic.twitter.com/OVITXDKjWr

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) October 15, 2025

OG Anunoby​


On the team’s approach during preseason:

“I think we’re excited for the season to start. But we’re also still fortunate for these days to learn, grow, figure ourselves out and prepare for the long season.”

On adapting to Brown’s defensive system:

“Just the ball handler, the person guarding the ball knowing there’s help behind you and knowing where it’s coming from and the just everyone being on a string. We’re figuring it out as well. We’re not used to it fully, but it’s getting better and better, and I think the coaches are doing a good job of emphasizing to us, showing us on film where we need to be, and then we go out there and try to execute.”

On the team’s long-term trajectory:

“We just want to peak toward the end [of the regular season] and into the playoffs.”

On prioritizing development early in the season:

“Of course, you always want to win 50 games straight, but also you realize it’s a long season, so you’d rather learn and grow — especially early in the year — and figure stuff out.”

On developing his offensive decision-making:

“Knowing what to do when.”

On younger teammates fighting for roster spots:

“They all work really hard, they ask questions, they’re eager to learn and they play hard.”

On the team’s uptick in three-point shooting:

“I guess when the game is sped up and there’s more drive-and-kicks and taking shots that are open. I think it’s an emphasis for everyone to shoot when open.”

On learning Brown’s systems:

“I think we’re picking up on what he wants us to do.”

"We know what the situation is. There's no questions around what the reality of that is."

Landry Shamet talks about his conversations with the Knicks before he decided to return: pic.twitter.com/E7Ij6LvikU

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) October 15, 2025

Landry Shamet​


On his understanding with the Knicks entering camp:

“We know what the situation is. There’s no questions around what the reality of that is.”

On new offensive and defensive structure:

“Having a structure where everybody’s clear and understands our triggers and what we’re trying to do.”

On competing for a spot while being a good teammate:

“In this league, you’re measured on your pro, your readiness, and if you’re a good teammate. Those are things you can control.”

On lessons from the Eastern Conference Finals:

“There’s only a few things you can control — your energy, how you show up, what kind of teammate you’re going to be, your approach.”

Malcolm Brogdon posted this 24 hours ago pic.twitter.com/6W3fy0f8sD

— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 (@big_business_) October 15, 2025

Malcolm Brogdon​


On his retirement:

“Today, I officially begin my transition out of my basketball career. I have proudly given my mind, body and spirit to the game over the last few decades. With the many sacrifices it took to get here, I have received many rewards.

I am deeply grateful to have arrived to this point on my own terms and now to be able to reap the benefits of my career with my family and friends. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, to all who have had a place in my journey.”

Sometimes you have to slide for the win!

AN EPIC TIC-TAC-TOE GAME AT MSG 😱 pic.twitter.com/VqJsFd1kVW

— NBA (@NBA) October 14, 2025

Ghedalia Gold-Pastor​


On going all out to win in the tic-tac-toe war at MSG:

“I was like ‘I’m just gonna go all out and lay it all out there.’ And I did it. It was awesome. It was incredible.”

On his mindset before the contest:

“(The plan was) just lay it all out on the line. I don’t know if I’ll ever get another opportunity like this, ever, in an incredible arena with so many people there. I was like, ‘All right, I’m not going out of here with a loss.’”

On what he’ll do with the $500 prize:

“I might frame the check. Never even deposit it, we’ll see. Never forget the moment. I’ll see if I can get it autographed from the team.”

On setting the tone for the Knicks:

“We want to see the Knicks bring the same work ethic, the same will to win, the same competitive drive to what they do day in, day out. Just like I left it all up there on the floor for this tic-tac-toe game.”

This is an absolutely insane story behind Tupac's “Brenda’s Got a Baby” 🤯

Jeff Pearlman tracked down Davonn Hodge — the real baby the song was written about. What happened after that is truly unbelievable. pic.twitter.com/qttRiPsKyu

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) October 15, 2025

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...ust-gonna-go-all-out-and-lay-it-all-out-there
 
Why do the Knicks sign and immediately release players every preseason?

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If you’re on social media, you probably noticed that the Knicks’ PR page was going into overdrive on Thursday, announcing various signings to Exhibit 10 contracts before being cut hours (or even minutes) later. While it might seem odd, you can find examples of this in prior years as well:

Knicks Waive Moses Brown

— NY Knicks PR (@NY_KnicksPR) October 10, 2024
Knicks waive Mamadi Diakite, Brandon Goodwin, Isaiah Roby and Duane Washington Jr.

— NY Knicks PR (@NY_KnicksPR) October 21, 2023
.@nyknicks Sign Brandon Goodwin, Waived Dwayne Bacon pic.twitter.com/jf3Sh7uxrS

— NY Knicks PR (@NY_KnicksPR) October 14, 2021

So what’s the big deal? Why do NBA teams do this every preseason?

Well, it’s as simple as acquiring their G-League rights. The NBA allows teams to designate four waived players as “affiliate players”. Now, players have a say in said decision, but if they sign a G-League contract, they’ll be assigned to the Westchester Knicks. But if you’re willingly signing an Exhibit 10 on the final day of the preseason, this reality has likely been communicated to you, so all of this is planned out. More information regarding eligibility and salary can be found here.

The Knicks signed and waived five players on Thursday, which is one above that limit. That said, I’d assume you find all five of them make their way to Westchester in the coming days.

Donovan Williams is no stranger to Westchester, as the 6’6” guard spent the 2024-25 season with the Knicks’ G-League affiliate. Williams was an undrafted free agent out of UNLV in 2022 and spent time with the G-League affiliates of the Nets, Hawks, and Warriors. He made his NBA debut on April 4, 2023, and scored four points in four minutes across two games with the Hawks that year. In Westchester last season, he averaged 19 points and 4.7 rebounds on 45.5% from the field and 39.8% from three in 19 games.

Isaiah Roby is a familiar name, as he spent time with the Knicks during training camp in 2023. After losing a competition for the last roster spot, he played nine games in Westchester, averaging 13.8 points and 9.4 rebounds on 42.9% from the field and 41.5% from three. The former No. 45 pick in 2019 has 151 games of NBA experience with the Thunder and Spurs from 2020 to 2023.

ROBY DOWN THE LANE💥 pic.twitter.com/WcoaSl6aSM

— Westchester Knicks (@wcknicks) March 27, 2024

Adama Bal briefly made it four Frenchmen on the Knicks’ roster, joining Pačome Dadiet, Mo Diawara, and Guerschon Yabusele. Bal was born in France, but played four years of college with Arizona and Santa Clara before going undrafted and signing to play in France in July. The 6’7” guard made two All-WCC First Teams.

Adama Bal with 23-4-3 on 9/11 FG vs Pepperdine

Continues to take advantage of opportunity, leading the way for Santa Clara as a shotmaker & playmaker. pic.twitter.com/tzZInsGthi

— Keandre Ashley (@HoopIntelllect) January 26, 2024

Romeo Langford might be the most well-known name here. The former No. 14 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft out of Indiana was a big disappointment for the Celtics across three seasons, only playing 94 games and only making 11 starts before he was traded to the Spurs in the infamous Derrick White trade. From there, he played just 47 more games in the NBA before going overseas in 2024, spending time in France for BCM Gravelines-Dunkerque last year.

Ibrahima Diallo is a Senegal native who played five collegiate seasons across three programs. After being a benchwarmer with Ohio State for two years, he transferred to San Jose State, where he led the Mountain West in blocks in 2022-23 before playing his fifth year at UCF, leading the Big 12 in blocks. The 6’10” big was a regular for the Spurs’ G-League affiliate last year, averaging 5.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks in 32 games.

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...aiah-roby-romeo-langford-donovan-williams-nba
 
Preseason Game Thread: Knicks vs. Hornets, Oct. 17, 2025

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The Knicks wrap up their preseason at Madison Square Garden, hosting the Charlotte Hornets in their final tune-up before the regular season. The Knicks are dealing with some injuries and roster flux, while the Hornets looked pretty good in their recent beatdown of Memphis. It’s a meaningless game on paper—but a strong finish would make for good vibes on opening night next week.

Tip-off is 7:30 pm EST on MSG Network. This is your game thread. This is At the Hive. Please don’t post large photos, GIFs, or links to illegal streams in the thread. Be cool and considerate. And go Knicks!

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...son-game-thread-knicks-vs-hornets-oct-17-2025
 
Knicks Bulletin: ‘Every time I watch it, I get goosebumps’

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No more preseason play for the New York Knicks after they capped their exhibition tour with a 4-1 record.

The next time you watch your Knickerbockers play basketball will be Wednesday, when they take on the Cleveland Wannabe-Knicks.

Here’s the latest we’ve heard from Coach Brown and a couple players.

Mike Brown has shown the Knicks the clip of DK Metcalf chasing down Budda Baker after intercepting Russell Wilson to demonstrate buy-in of the "next play speed"

"I've watched it 100 times, it gives me goosebumps just to see somebody make the play" pic.twitter.com/EmnKTr1R3l

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) October 18, 2025

Mike Brown​


On Mitchell Robinson and preseason injuries:

“Mitch (was) out, load management, and then the other three guys we’re just being a little cautious with.”

On not having the full roster available during preseason:

“I would love to have everyone together, especially trying to play the way we’re playing with it being new to everybody, but it is what it is and we’ve still gotta go and win games.

Whether we had everyone or we didn’t [it’s important] for us to understand, ‘Hey this thing is going to be a marathon. It’s not a sprint.’ It’s not being at our peak on opening night. You’re always hoping and wishing you are, but they’re fighting their tail off. They’re learning quickly. They’re actually a little ahead of where I thought we’d be at this point.”

On final roster decisions:

“The door’s always open for a guy to gain an opportunity.

But the whole time, myself and [team president] Leon [Rose] and his group, we’ve been having discussions. Our minds change, just like everyone else’s minds change from time to time. But we’ll get through tonight and then take a little bit more time and then make the decision.”

On building rhythm entering the regular season:

“I’d love to have everyone together, especially trying to play the way we’re playing — it’s new to everybody.

But it is what it is. Whether we had everyone or not, this is a marathon, not a sprint. You hope to be sharp by opening night, but the goal is to keep moving forward.”

On injuries impact on his plans and the team progression:

“They’re learning quickly — actually a little ahead of where I thought we’d be.

But the guys who’ve been out, they’re the key pieces to what we’re trying to do. They haven’t gotten the reps, and for us to jell from top to bottom is gonna take more time than I thought, probably because of the injuries.

We’ve got capable guys ready to play when their numbers are called, and that’s what I’m looking forward to seeing.”

On players stepping up:

“I’ve said this before: any time you’re missing guys, it’s next man up.

Knock on wood, we could be missing guys during the season. So this is just another opportunity for players to step up and get a chance to play. We’ll go out and play with who’s available.”

On Mitchell Robinson’s availability:

“If it was a regular-season game — or a playoff game — to my understanding, Mitch was going to play.”

On what he saw from the team in the final preseason game:

“I thought we did some pretty good things tonight, especially starting two young guys in [Mohamed Diawara] and [Trey Jemison], but we played in spurts too many times.

We just gotta be a little more consistent with what we’re doing. And if we do, we’re gonna have a chance to be pretty good.”

On Jalen Brunson’s leadership:

“Great, great person. On top of that, his work ethic, I’ve been around some great ones, and his work ethic is right up there with them, if not exceeding some of them. That in itself gives him an opportunity to lead by example.

Now you factor in the fact that he’s not afraid to speak up, because if you’re in a leadership role, not everybody’s gonna like you all the time, and you have to be conscious of it.

But at times you gotta be direct because you don’t have time to beat around the bush and people have to feel that when you say something, not only do you believe in it, but you want them to believe in it as well. Definitely not afraid to use his voice. And I love him.”

On system execution and Jalen Brunson’s role:

“It’s gonna take some time for us to really, really click.

But you could see there are signs of it when we play with pace, not just in the full court, but naturally in the half court when the floor is spaced in the right way and we can get some easy shots, based on the talent that we have on this team if we keep the game simple and it starts with Jalen having a good feel, which he does, and just playing basketball from there.”

On Mikal Bridges’ impact:

“Mikal, he was really good.

He had six deflections in his minutes and a couple steals; both those guys got 50/50 balls, we won the battle in that area.”

On Mikal Bridges’ defensive intangibles:

“Mikal’s next play speed is unbelievable.

If a turnover happens or an offensive rebound happens, he does not hesitate, take an extra step in the opposite direction of the ball, right away, his change of direction and the flip of a switch from offense to defense is amazing. Probably one of the best I’ve been around.

And for him to get a couple of blocks the way he did, that’s just a testament to what he can do defensively, and I hope everybody is watching those small things that don’t always show up in the stat sheet because he’s a first-team all-defender. It’s evident.

There’s no question in my mind what he does out on the floor. And it’s a lot of the little things that he does that I hope don’t go unnoticed.”

On hoping for a close game to assess rotations:

“Don’t tell the players you said this, there was a part of me that hoped the game was a little close.

If it was a blowout, if we were getting our behind kicked or we were kicking their behind, then I would’ve been in a dilemma. I wanted Jalen and Mikal to play 34 minutes regardless. So it was a good enough game on our part and Charlotte’s part for it to happen.”

On how many players he planned to play:

“I went in wanting to play 10 guys, to take a look at 10 guys.

I have a minutes sheet I did, and I wanted to try to play the guys that I wanted to just take a look at.”

"A success" – Jalen Brunson on how he feels about the first @nyknicks preseason with Mike Brown as head coach.@jalenbrunson1 | @BillPidto | #NewYorkForever pic.twitter.com/Zu2geOP2bX

— KNICKS ON MSG (@KnicksMSGN) October 18, 2025

Jalen Brunson​


On team progress:

“I think for us, as long as we’re moving forward every step of the way and getting better every single day, that’s where we want to be.

We don’t want to be plateaued, we don’t want to be one spot. We want to continue to get better every day. And there are going to be days where we don’t get better and we play bad and we take steps back, but it’s all about how we progress and move forward. So I mean, we’re not where we want to be, but we’re going to work to get there and continue to get better.”

On playing regular-season minutes in the preseason finale:

“It felt good. Got my rest last game, and I was scheduled to play tonight and played.”

On why preseason reps matter:

“This is the best type of experience you can get.

You could do all the stuff in practice you want, or whatever, as much as you try to simulate it, it’s not game reps.”

On where the team stands:

“We have a lot to do to be where we want to be.

It’s all gonna come down to how hard we work, how much we’re willing to sacrifice, and just staying together through the ups and downs.”

On his love for DK Metcalf:

“Russell Wilson threw an interception at the goal line. If you watch DK Metcalf, it was bam, right now. He went from possibly catching the ball or scoring a touchdown, then an interception happened. He didn’t hesitate, didn’t step toward the sideline — it was right now.

Every time I watch it, I get goosebumps. I’ve watched it probably 100 times.”

"He's a first team all-defender. It's evident. There's no question in my mind of what he does out on the floor. It's a lot of the little things he does that I hope don't go unnoticed"

Mike Brown lauded the defensive effort of Mikal Bridges tonight: pic.twitter.com/pgPx4U6QA0

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) October 18, 2025

Mikal Bridges​


On the state of the team heading into the regular season:

“We’re still learning each other.

Still learning the system. Obviously, we still got a lot of guys out. So, I think it’ll be better once we get our full team back, and get our full rhythm.”

On the identity the team is trying to build:

“We’re still trying to figure out who we are.

Obviously we’re missing some key guys, but I think we’re starting to get a little bit of a rhythm. But it’s going to take time, and we just gotta keep working at it.”

On playing through defensive lapses:

“We can’t let our offense affect our defense.

We gotta find ways to be solid on defense even if shots aren’t falling.”

Alan Hahn: “Leon Rose…You talk about somebody who’s obsessed with winning a championship—I got to spend a little time with him in the summer and it’s impossible not to notice it. It’s all he wants to do right now. He knows they’re close” pic.twitter.com/KY7h5Kwb67

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) October 18, 2025

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...lletin-every-time-i-watch-it-i-get-goosebumps
 
Knicks Bulletin: ‘Leon held my son before me’

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Go outside. Enjoy the fresh air. Take a minute for yourself.

That’s only because starting next Wednesday, we’ll lock into the Knicks and the season that will bring the chip back to NYC.

Here’s the latest from MB, Mikal, and the Brunsons.

expect ACTION under a Mike Brown coached team❗💥

Coach Mike Brown sits down with Basketball Hall of Famer Ahmad Rashad to discuss the Knicks playing style.

Watch the full feature now: https://t.co/4evz50QVxQ pic.twitter.com/Smcd8UKqeG

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) October 18, 2025

Mike Brown


On using an anti-Thibs mentality and not chasing every damn game:

“The biggest thing is, you know, trying to make sure you watch everybody’s minutes instead of trying to chase games. There might be some games that, maybe throw the towel in early.”

On making a final roster decision:

“It’s been a competitive camp and I’ll tell you what, everybody that we’ve had in here deserves to be on the team, so it’s gonna be tough for us. But we’ll make the decision because we have to.”

On Mikal Bridges’ defensive effort:

“If a turnover happens or an offensive rebound happens, he does not hesitate or take an extra step in the opposite direction of the ball. Right away, his change of direction and the flip of the switch from offense to defense is amazing. Probably one of the best I’ve been around. For him to get a couple of blocks the way he did, that’s just a testament to what he can do defensively. I hope everybody is watching those small things that don’t always show up in the stat sheet. He’s a first-team all-defender. It’s evident. There’s no question in my mind what he does out on the floor. It’s a lot of the little things that he does that I hope don’t go unnoticed.”

On team health and development:

“I would love to have everyone together, especially trying to play the way we’re playing with it being new to everybody. But it is what it is and we’ve still got to go and win the game. But the result, whether we had everyone or we didn’t, is for us to understand, hey, this thing is going to be a marathon. It’s not a sprint. It’s not being at our peak on opening night. You’re always hoping and wishing you are, but they’re fighting their tails off. They’re learning quickly. They’re actually a little ahead of where I thought we’d be at this point. But again, the guys that have been out, they’re the key pieces to what we’re trying to do, so they haven’t gotten the reps, and for us to jell together from top to bottom is going to take a little more time than I thought probably because of the injuries, so we have more than capable guys that are ready to play whenever their numbers are called.”

Mikal Bridges is model for Mike Brown’s Knicks transformation https://t.co/ErRmK9c5Wp pic.twitter.com/Nbxd4khoUD

— New York Post (@nypost) October 19, 2025

Mikal Bridges


On defensive habits and accountability:

“We emphasize it more. He got me really forgetting the last play and getting back, getting the whole team on that. That’s how it’s supposed to be. He’s encouraging it every single day, putting pressure on us to do it every single time. He’s charting it, getting on us when we’re not doing it. Listening to him, he’s pushing us to the next level.”

On being more comfortable in New York entering this season:

“I feel more at home. Everybody being here, being in this arena, being around all you guys, it feels like home. It’s good.”

NY Post backpage today. Here’s the storyhttps://t.co/twAEC9gfqU pic.twitter.com/NtfDjkuEwI

— Stefan Bondy (@SbondyNBA) October 19, 2025

Rick Brunson


On Jalen’s lack of effort in a particular high school game:

“He was playing against five guys that look like you. Jalen came out bulls–ting, f–king around. He didn’t play hard. He didn’t compete. Don’t take that uniform off. Meet me at Lifetime Fitness. Right around the corner from the school. Worked him out for an hour and a half. Killed him.”

On critics of his parenting:

“Some parent was like, ‘He’s going to kill that kid.’ Now he wants an autograph.”

On Jalen’s birth and Leon Rose:

“Leon held my son before me.”

On life overseas and finances:

“There was no FaceTime, no Skype, no pictures, none of that sh–. And I remember, I would call my wife, talk about the baby, but you couldn’t call a lot because it was expensive. Back then, I made $45,000. I think I came home with $45. I spent everything. I wasn’t making no money.”

On his first NBA call-up:

“I was in my hotel room in La Crosse, waiting to play a game. I get a phone call, he says, ‘Yo we’re going to call you up.’ I say, ‘Man get the f–-k out of here,’ and hung up the phone. Because we did that to each other all the time, prank you at the hotel like, ‘This is such and such from the Boston Celtics.’ So he calls back. ‘Rick, Rick, Rick, don’t hang up the phone, this is really Jim Paxson.’ He’s like, ‘Kenny Anderson and John Crotty got hurt, we’re going to call you up.’ I say, ‘Go to Connecticut tonight, pack up that apartment, and go take my stuff to Long Island.’ She was like, ‘What if they release you or cut you?’ I said, ‘If I get into this league, I’m never coming out.’”

On surviving the NBA:

“How many people can do that? Come to work every day like it could be your last day?”

On molding Jalen’s mentality:

“Do everything hard. Do everything like it’s your last one. Do everything like you’re playing against the great ones. That’s how I coach. And it’s a mentality. I was always coaching his mentality. ’Cause you don’t know what your skill level is going to be. If I got his mentality, then his skill level can get to where it got to now — and the rest is easy. How many people do you see have a great skill level but a bad mentality?”

On instilling mental toughness:

“I used to tell his mother, there’s something about him. Because I would f–-k with him mentally, and he just would never quit. Because he always wanted to prove me wrong. He always wanted to be better than me. That ate him up that he couldn’t beat and he couldn’t outtalk me.”

On losing to his son one-on-one and calling it a competitive life:

“I’ll never forget. I fouled him, I f—-d him up, and I remember going to his mother, I said, ‘I can’t play him no more. Because I’m going to hurt him.’ Because I don’t think I can beat him no more. And I’m going to get mad. He beat me the last time. And that was it. I would never play him ever again. He kept saying, ‘C’mon man.’ Nope.”

On Jalen’s mentality:

“I can’t say I taught him how to shoot. I taught him how to think. I taught him to be confident. I told him how to be a killer.”

“Seeing him work tirelessly…had the biggest impact on me”

Jalen Brunson’s dad played for 8 teams in 9 seasons

Never went to camp with a guaranteed contract

Always had to earn his spot

Right now guys are finding out if they made final cut

A moment Rick Brunson knows too well pic.twitter.com/m3tYLnkjd4

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) October 18, 2025

Jalen Brunson


On learning from his father’s work ethic:

“I remember the days in the summertime, him working tirelessly. And it didn’t kick in until later, until I was about 12 or 13, how much it helped me.”

On adapting to change:

“Obviously, it translated to basketball. You’re adapting to situations that you obviously don’t have control of. And so, are you going to sit there and point fingers and say, ‘This is what’s wrong with what’s going on?’ Or, are you going to adapt and get the best thing possible? And that’s what I learned. That’s what I took from growing up and moving all around.”

On outworking others:

“It made me want to outwork them. They had all the God-given talent with how athletic they were and the stuff they can do that were eye-openers. And me, my God-given talent was to just outwork people. And it showed.”

On using intelligence over athleticism:

“Everyone in the NBA jumps out of the gym. Everyone is 6-10 with a 7-foot wingspan. And they use their athleticism. I just try to use my brain and how smart I can be on the floor. And being lefty helps me every step of the way. Obviously, you got to change things here and there, but it’s worked this long.”

👤 BIG L & NAS

💿 U AINT GOTTA CHANCE

🚨 OUT NOW 🚨 pic.twitter.com/n6aPZsr71o

— OnThinIce (@OnThinlce) October 16, 2025

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/knicks-news/74350/knicks-bulletin-leon-held-my-son-before-me
 
This day in Knicks-tory: October 19th

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As part of a brand-new segment for this new season, we’re firing up the time machine and heading way back, day by day, to revisit some of the best moments that went down on this date in basketball history.

1967: Future Hall of Famer, and New York Knick, Walt Bellamy made his NBA debut as a Chicago Packer vs the New York Knicks. Bellamy had the quintessential NBA debut with 29 points and 17 rebounds.

The Knicks who were led by Johnny Green, Willie Naulls, and Richie Guerin, New York spoiled Bellamy’s NBA debut with a 120–103 victory. Green put together a dominant performance of his own, recording 25 points and 17 rebounds, while Naulls and Guerin added 25 and 21 points respectively.

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1973: Fifty-two years ago today, the defending champion New York Knicks were sitting at 3-1 and rolling into Cleveland to take on Austin Carr, and Lenny Wilkens’ Cleveland Cavaliers.

In 1973, the Knicks’ roster was loaded with talent and remarkable depth. Seven of the eight players who saw action that night would ultimately earn induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Led by Dave DeBusschere’s 24 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 assists, New York edged out Cleveland with a hard-fought 92–90 victory on the road.

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Did we miss any particular event from Knicks history which happened on this very date? If you think so, let us know in the comments section below!

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/knicks-history/74368/this-day-in-knicks-tory-october-19th
 
Knicks Bulletin: ‘They’re going to be tired of me talking about basketball’

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It’s Opening Week!

The Knicks will get into the Tarrytown lab today and tomorrow as they gear up for the season-opening matchup against Cleveland inside MSG on Wednesday evening.

Here’s what we’ve heard from Coach Brown and a few dudes in the last few hours.

On this day in 2021 pic.twitter.com/Bdat4SVROv

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) October 20, 2025

Mike Brown


On preseason injuries and building team chemistry:

“The guys that have been out, they’re the key pieces to what we’re trying to do. They haven’t gotten the reps and for us to jell together from top to bottom is gonna take a little more time than I thought.”

On building relationships over basketball:

“We’re going to have plenty of time to talk about basketball to a point where they’re going to be tired of me talking about basketball. I want to get to know them for who they are because this relationship is about trust. It doesn’t start talking about basketball. It starts with him getting to know me and me getting to know him. What better way to do that than talk about your family, what you like to do, where you live and where you like to spend your offseason? Now, I can really get to know him for who he is.”

On believeing in the Towns-Robinson pairing:

“First thing is skillsets are a lot better or people are at least recognizing it with bigger guys. And because of the attention to detail that everybody gives to spacing, you want more length. You want more length to make the court look smaller defensively. Long shots lead to long rebounds, so you want more length out there to get rebounds and stuff like that. And then everybody switches a lot. If a guy messes up on a switch or they switch a small guy on a big, that’s something that, again, with people paying attention to spacing with player movement, you can take advantage of not only in post-up situations, where a guy can turn and just shoot over a guy, but offensive rebounds are a big emphasis now.”

On learning from Steve Kerr:

“It doesn’t matter who you are. If he thinks you can help, he’s going to throw you out there.”

On player readiness and accountability:

“If a guy hadn’t played in a few games, [Steve Kerr] may not tell you — he’ll just call your number. It sends a message: stay ready. Not just physically, but mentally. Because you might go in that game, and whether it’s 30 seconds or 10 minutes, you’ve got to bring something — not points, but effort and energy.”

On his rotation philosophy:

“If you look at what I’ve done, it’s usually nine-and-a-half to 10 guys. I try to play as many as I can. Even in Sac, when we had an injury, I started a two-way guy in Keon Ellis. So I’m going to play whoever helps us win and try to get guys an opportunity. With how deep our roster is, everybody should get one at some point.”

On player development and Pacome Dadiet’s outlook:

“I think the G League is fantastic for anybody. So whether [Pacome’s] getting minutes there or with us, just getting minutes is great for him. He’s got a chance to be really, really good — especially at his size. You can do a lot with it.”

On expecting competition for minutes:

“Whoever goes and grabs it. We feel like we have a deep roster. A lot of guys will have an opportunity to grab whatever minutes might’ve been there or might not have been there. We’ll figure it out at the end who’s gonna get them.”

August 5, 1962: Patrick Ewing is born in Jamaica

August 6, 1962: Jamaica declares independence

Happy Jamaican Heroes Day 🇯🇲 pic.twitter.com/RtvinpB2eO

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) October 20, 2025

Jalen Brunson


On building trust with Mike Brown:

“It was a point of his to make sure that I was comfortable with him and getting to know him. The relationship piece is very important to him as it is to me.”

Mikal Bridges


On Mike Brown’s system:

“I like it a lot. The biggest thing that helps is that a lot of us were here last year, and I feel like you can learn plays a little bit faster than concepts. With concepts, you have to start from the beginning and really grow them out and work on them every single day. With plays, you draw up some plays and learn them, but I think we’ll learn them pretty fast.”

Mitchell Robinson


On Brown’s defensive system:

“It’s a different style. It’s sort of like a zone but not quite. We’ve never really did that. We’ve always played man-to-man defense. The adjustments we have to make, the communication, different calls that we didn’t have last year. It’s a totally different ball game.”

Pacome Dadiet


On his preparation and mindset:

“Honestly, I just go back in the gym. That’s the only thing I can do. I put a lot of work in this summer. I just trust it.”

On Mike Brown’s track record with youth:

“Obviously the past few years, we’ve seen Mike put young players on the floor — players who didn’t really get opportunities. He’s well known for this. So it’s good for me.”

Matt Barnes: “Mike Brown to the Knicks will it work?…F*ck no… Mike’s a great person, to me he’s not a leader of men…He was my coach w the Lakers..Kobe & Ron Artest used to walk all over that motherf*cker…Sacramento…lost respect of the team quickly…Too nice for his own good” pic.twitter.com/5GN7SJFDtx

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) October 19, 2025

Matt Barnes


On Mike Brown’s lack of leadership chops:

“The one thing about Mike Brown is that the first year is always good. Mike is a great person. He’s just, to me, not a leader of men. I couldn’t imagine it now because these kids are making so much money. You have to have their respect.”

On Brown’s dealing with player defiance in Los Angeles:

“I tell you, and rest in peace to my dog Kobe, he and Ron Artest, they walked all over that motherf—ker. They used to sub themselves in and out of games. I’m just like, ‘Oh, s—t.’”

On Brown’s strengths and weaknesses:

“I think Mike is a great assistant coach. I wish him the best, but I’ve seen it firsthand. In Sacramento, his first year, he came in, brought the Golden State system, they made the playoffs for the first time, and then he lost the respect of the team quickly. So now you’re going to a New York media market that’s gonna try to eat you up for every mistake. Mike is a good guy; I just don’t think the situation is going to work, because he’s too nice for his own good.”

Mark Daigneault on Tom Thibodeau being around the Thunder recently: “He asked to come in. He’s sitting the year and traveling around… It takes a lot of humility for someone who’s had the success he’s had to put himself in that position. He’s always been very good to me.” pic.twitter.com/N4xJecyQGY

— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) October 19, 2025

Mark Daigneault


On Tom Thibodeau’s humility:

“He was mainly with our coaching staff and front office. He asked to come in. He’s obviously sitting the year out and is traveling around. I give him a lot of credit. He was going to colleges in September. It takes a lot of humility for someone who’s had the success that he’s had and has done it as long as he has to put himself in that position. He’s always been very good to me. We’ve always had a nice cordial relationship, but that’s the most time I’ve ever spent with him, which was cool.”

"We come to New York, I sign 3-year deal…We're watching TV…GM calls…'Hey Mozzy, it wasn't my call…but the owner take over & make the trade. So tomorrow you go to Denver. 4 o'clock flight.' I was like 'What?'"

– Timofey Mozgov on Knicks trading him for Melo his rookie year pic.twitter.com/MBJT8ESTcU

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) October 20, 2025

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...ng-to-be-tired-of-me-talking-about-basketball
 
This day in Knicks-tory: October 20th

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Historically, October 20th has been a very busy day for the New York Knicks. From their first ever NBA game to the Karl Anthony-Towns trade, the 20th holds several significant moments in Knicks-tory.

1960 – Although the Knicks played their first franchise game in 1946, that was still during the BAA era. On this date in 1960, New York played its first official NBA game against the Cincinnati Royals. Playing in the third version of Madison Square Garden, a young Oscar Robertson led the Royals into town to face Willie Naulls and Richie Guerin. The game also marked Naulls’ NBA debut, and he made the most of it, scoring 37 points and pulling down 20 rebounds. His impressive performance wasn’t enough, though, as the Knicks came up short to the Big O and his Royals 105-113.

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1972 – The Knicks were only five games into what would turn out to be their second championship season when they rolled into Cleveland to take on Austin Carr and the Cavaliers. Carr came out firing, dropping 22 points, while Rick Roberson battled inside for every rebound, finishing with 17 points and 17 boards. Still, the Knicks had too much poise and too much talent. Walt “Clyde” Frazier controlled the game the way only he could, smooth, confident, stylin, and profilin’, mixed in with a little bit of posting and toasting, as he led both teams in scoring with 33 points. All five of the Knicks starters scored in double digits to defeat the Cavs 92-89.

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2021 – The Knicks’ franchise record for points in a single game stands at 152, and they nearly touched that mark on this night in 2021 during a wild season-opening overtime battle against the Boston Celtics at Madison Square Garden.

Boston’s dynamic duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown did everything they could to spoil opening night, combining for 66 of the Celtics’ 134 points. The Celtics’ dynamic duo wasn’t enough to overcome Julius Randle’s all-around brilliance, as he poured in 35 points to go with 8 rebounds and 9 assists. Evan Fournier added one of the best performances of his career, scoring 32 points and knocking down six threes from deep to keep the Garden rocking all night.

Six Knicks scored in double figures, showing off the kind of depth and resilience that fueled their early-season surge. Even though the Celtics had seven players hit double digits, it wasn’t enough to overcome the Knicks’ late-game composure. When the final buzzer sounded in overtime, the Knicks walked off with a thrilling 138 to 134 win.

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Did we miss any particular event from Knicks history which happened on this very date? If you think so, let us know in the comments section below!

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/knicks-history/74420/this-day-in-knicks-tory-october-20th
 
REPORT: Knicks rule out Josh Hart and Mitchell Robinson vs. Cavaliers

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The most anticipated season in the last 25 years of New York Knicks basketball is already getting off the rails—on the eve of their opener.

Multiple outlets and beat/national reporters confirmed on Tuesday, after the Knicks concluded their last practice before opening day, that two key Knickerbockers will miss Wednesday’s opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Madison Square Garden.

That’d be incumbent starting center Mitchell Robinson and super-sub dynamo Josh Hart.

Mitchell Robinson and Josh Hart are both listed as out for tomorrow’s home opener, a league source told The Post.

— Stefan Bondy (@SbondyNBA) October 21, 2025
“Per league sources, New York will be without Mitchell Robinson (left ankle injury management) and Josh Hart (lumbar spasms) for Wednesday’s season-opening game against the Cavaliers and, possibly, beyond,” The Athletic’s James L. Edwards III reported.
“The New York Knicks ruled out Josh Hart (lumbar spasms) and Mitchell Robinson (left ankle injury management) Tuesday ahead of Wednesday night’s season opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers,” ESPN’s Tim Bontemps wrote, echoing the update. “In addition, All-Star big man Karl-Anthony Towns was listed as questionable with a right quad strain.”
Josh Hart has lumbar spasms, per league source, and is doing individual work on the court but team doesn’t want to rush his return.

— Stefan Bondy (@SbondyNBA) October 21, 2025

The New York Post’s Stefan Bondy was first to break the news on X, writing: “Mitchell Robinson and Josh Hart are both listed as out for tomorrow’s home opener, a league source told The Post.”

A few minutes later, Bondy expanded on each situation.

“Josh Hart has lumbar spasms, per league source, and is doing individual work on the court, but the team doesn’t want to rush his return,” Bondy wrote about Hart’s back injury.
“Mitchell Robinson is listed as out with left ankle injury management, per league source, which is the same ankle that was surgically repaired almost two years ago,” Bondy commented on Robinson’s re-injured left ankle.
Mitchell Robinson is listed as out with left ankle injury management, per league source, which is the same ankle that was surgically repaired almost two years ago.

— Stefan Bondy (@SbondyNBA) October 21, 2025

Hart injured his back in the preseason opener against the Philadelphia 76ers and hasn’t practiced with the team in two weeks.

Robinson’s situation, described by head coach Mike Brown as “workload management,” has raised eyebrows given his history of ankle problems.

Jonathan Macri of Knicks Film School didn’t hold back while addressing the reports of Robinson’s ankle issue.

“Mitchell Robinson re-injured his ankle,” Macri posted on X. “There is no other conceivable reason… The Knicks can dance around this all they want. An oft-injured player got hurt. Whether it’s a minor or major injury, SOMETHING happened.”

The Knicks can dance around this all they want. An oft-injured player got hurt. Whether it’s a minor or major injury, SOMETHING happened.

With both players sidelined, second-year center Ariel Hukporti is expected to start at the five alongside Karl-Anthony Towns at the four—that’s assuming KAT is good to go, however, as he’s also dealing with his own stuff and remains a game-time decision.

Mike Brown says that Josh Hart and Mitchell Robinson did not practice today: pic.twitter.com/uQCcrLgafK

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) October 21, 2025

Brown discussed his approach to dealing with Robinson’s and Hart’s injuries to start the season on the season-opener’s eve..

“With Mitch, we have to be smart, and that’s what’s part of load management,” Brown said after Tuesday’s practice. “Just because he may be able to play tonight, that doesn’t necessarily mean I’m gonna play him or I’m gonna practice him.

“[Mitch] missed a lot of games last year, and we just want to be cautious going forward with him, that’s about the extent of it right there.

“Josh is a little different than Mitch. You saw in Abu Dhabi when he went down, he didn’t get touched. So we’re trying to figure out his back, which is a tricky situation.

“So we have to be careful with it. We don’t want to rush him, but we’ll be patient and figure it out as we go along. Casey and those guys do a great job. We believe in them so we’ll be sticking to their plan.”

New York will host Cleveland at MSG on Tuesday, tip-off set for 7:00 p.m. ET.

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...-josh-hart-and-mitchell-robinson-vs-cavaliers
 
Knicks Bulletin: ‘I know you guys want more, but it’s going to be like this all year’

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If you’re like me, you still can’t believe it.

The regular season that will see Larry O’B come back home is finally here.

Here’s what we’ve heard of late around and about the New York Knicks as we anxiously wait for tip-off later today.

"It starts on the daily. We can't skip any steps."

Mike Brown talks about how the Knicks can build during the season as they enter the year with championship aspirations: pic.twitter.com/4M6B2nsMIe

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) October 21, 2025

Mike Brown


On long-term development and staying patient:

“The good thing about it is the finals or the championship round doesn’t happen until June, so we’ve got a long time to get there. So it starts on the daily. We can’t skip any steps. Every time you’re on the floor together, every day off, you just want to keep taking steps because it’s gonna be a process knowing that you may take one or two steps backwards, but hopefully we can regroup and take three, four, five [steps] forward. And it’s not just about me doing that or me being the catalyst because I was hired. It’s about the entire group. We have to be connected as a group and believe in each other. And if we do that, and we truly understand that it’s a marathon and it’s one day, one game, one shootaround, one practice at a time, then the path will lead us where we need to go.”

On the preseason progress and building habits:

“First thing, the good part about it is, the Finals or the championship round doesn’t happen until June, so we’ve got a long time to get there. It starts on the first day. We can’t skip any steps. It starts with the first day in training camp, even before that, in the summertime. Going to training camp. Going to the preseason. Going to Abu Dhabi. Every time we’re on the floor together, every day off, we just want to keep taking steps because it’s going to be a process. Knowing that we may take one or two steps backward, but hopefully we can regroup and take three, four, five more forward. It’s not just about me doing that, or me being the catalyst because I was hired. It’s about the entire group. We have to be connected as a group and believe in each other. If we do that and we truly understand it’s a marathon and it’s one day, one game, one shootaround, one practice at a time, then the path will bring us to where we need to go.”

On managing Mitchell Robinson’s workload:

“With Mitch we have to be smart, and that’s what’s part of load management. Just because he may be able to play tonight, that doesn’t necessarily mean I’m gonna play him or I’m gonna practice him. It’s load management, which means that if we deemed it necessary, could he possibly go? Yeah, he could possibly go. But it’s a decision that myself, led by Casey [Smith], makes on a daily basis, and it’ll be like this the whole year.”

On managing Robinson’s workload:

“I’ve been in different situations where you sit a guy, you manage his workload and he does certain things, whether it’s sometimes shooting free throws, sometimes it’s watching, sometimes it’s walking through this, walking through that. I’ve been with a lot of guys that have done that throughout the course of my career, starting back in the early 2000s with the Spurs. We had a couple of older guys on the team, so to me it’s not odd.”

On media scrutiny and transparency on the Robinson situation:

“I know you guys want more, but it’s going to be like this all year.”

On Josh Hart’s recovery and health:

“[Mitch] missed a lot of games last year, and we just want to be cautious going forward with him, that’s about the extent of it right there. Josh is a little different than Mitch. You saw in Abu Dhabi when he went down, he didn’t get touched. So we’re trying to figure out his back, which is a tricky situation. So we have to be careful with it. We don’t want to rush him, but we’ll be patient and figure it out as we go along. Casey and those guys do a great job. We believe in them so we’ll be sticking to their plan.”

On dealing with adversity and accountability:

“It’s a great question ‘cause that’s the tricky part, and hopefully I can help them as best as possible. This was gonna be a process anyway. Now you factor it in with time being missed, and it’s gonna be a little bit longer because of the time being missed. … You’ve gotta find your way, and it’s gonna take a little bit more time than what it would take if you were there the whole time. Everybody’s human and guys are gonna get frustrated and when guys are frustrated, you usually hit some adversity, because they’re human. So they could go this way or that way, so early on, it’s gonna be — starting with me — all of our jobs to hold each other accountable while embracing the process. The process isn’t gonna happen overnight. It’s gonna take some time. So if a guy does go this way or that way, just trying to pull him back in and keep everybody together while we figure out what needs to happen on the floor on both ends.”

On team adaptability and identity:

“We’d like to establish or have an identity, but it’s not just strictly ‘Hey, we’re a defensive team’, or ‘We’re an offensive team.’ In my opinion, you have to be able to do a lot of things in order to win. You can’t just be a good defensive team, because if you look at the NBA champions of the past, everybody who has won a championship wasn’t [just] a top three defensive team. Everybody who’s won a championship wasn’t just a top three offensive team. So you have to have belief in what you think this team can do and grow from that.”

Brunson’s humility is probably his most endearing trait.

Other endearing traits include leading the league in time of possession, being a cone on defense and getting embarrassed by the Pacers two years in a row. pic.twitter.com/P9ZpWsJTQa

— 2+2=4 (The Knicks Prophet) (@2plus2equals4_) October 21, 2025

Jalen Brunson


On keeping perspective and staying grounded:

“I want us to take one day at a time and not jump forward, not speculate, not wish. Just continue to grind and just get better every single day and just control what we can control. It’s an opportunity to see where we are. Regardless of who it is. … Obviously, everything is new and we’re learning. We’re learning every single day. Like I said, see where we are. It’s the regular season now. It’s for good now. We’re going to go into the game and we’re obviously playing to win. We’re going to learn regardless and continue from there.”

"He gets on you, but in a respectful way. He's going to get on you as you should."

Mikal Bridges talks about what it's like to play for Mike Brown: pic.twitter.com/rCkJm41qYE

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) October 21, 2025

Mikal Bridges


On facing the Cavaliers and debuting Brown’s new system:

“Obviously we have a new coach and new staff and learning everything, so they have that advantage. But that still don’t mean nothing when the game starts and we have that competitive nature out there for all of us just competing trying to win. Yeah, we’re excited.”

On Cleveland’s established core:

“They’ve been together. Obviously we’ve been together for about a year, some guys a year and a half. But [Cleveland’s] coaching staff, I’m pretty sure they came into camp knowing exactly from Day 1 what they’ve been doing.”

On defending Donovan Mitchell:

“Just how skillful he is, everything’s so deliberate. I think even how he works [in practice] is how he plays in a game. I think that’s been a big growth out of his game. He could always score, even when he was in Utah … but as he’s grown into the player he is, he’s been able to score and play-make as well. So just knowing that: three-level scorer, about 5-foot-10 with a size 17 shoe that can jump 50 inches in the air, so he’s just unorthodox a little bit.”

On embracing the early challenge of facing the strongest Eastern Conference opponent on Day 1:

“I honestly think there’s no easy game. It’s the NBA and a lot of teams are really good and there’s teams that might not have enough wins that are really good teams. But a team like Cleveland who’s on top of the East, who wouldn’t want that challenge? That’s what you want. You want to see where you’re at Game 1. Obviously so many months to the end of the season, but it’s a good test to see a couple of the top teams that’ve been in the East what they look like to begin the season.”

On Mike Brown’s leadership:

“I think it’s tough to get 15 to 17 guys to all follow one voice, and especially nowadays where a lot of guys are getting paid a lot of money and they can tend to act like they don’t need a coach or anything like that. We can be prima donnas and divas a little bit, but for him to be able to get a whole group to follow him. He’s done a great job.”

On Brown’s communication and authority:

“He has that voice and it makes you not wanna mess up. It makes you wanna play as hard as you can, and he gets on you, but in a respectful way. He’s gonna get on you as he should, that’s how I look at it. I had some tough coaches growing up… some guys that’ll let you know what you’re doing where you fear of not doing the right thing. So I think he’s doing a great job and every time he talks and every time he’s explaining something, he does it to the highest level and for our understanding and making sure we know what we’re doing.”

On Tom Thibodeau visiting the Celtics practice:

“No issue at all.”

"I'm an energy guy, so that's a perfect match, me and New York."

Ariel Hukporti talks about feeding off the energy of Knicks fans: pic.twitter.com/XDqnExDyh6

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) October 21, 2025

Ariel Hukporti


On following Mike Brown’s direction:

“Whatever coach says stands. I’ll go with his word.”

On improving his finishing and decision-making:

“I feel like my floater, I’ve got great touch around the rim, trying to use it more this season. And just being more patient around the dunker’s spot and when I get the ball atop the key to make plays.”

On fitting in Brown’s up-tempo offense:

“I mean, I play fast, too, so that’s a perfect match right here. Nah, nah it’s a good team. Y’all see it on paper. It’s a great team. Everybody good. Everybody ready. What do I think about the depth of this team? Personally I think it’s one of the best teams in the league roster wise and on paper.”

On the Knicks’ improved team culture:

“Just the ball movement. I feel like we’re more together as a team, we’re doing more activities. I’m not even speaking on the court. I’m speaking off the court, as well. We just do more stuff off the court together just to build more team chemistry.”

"He's about 5'10" with a size 17 shoe – that's my boy, by the way – that can jump 50 inches in the air"

Mikal Bridges talks about what he's learned about defending Donovan Mitchell over the years: pic.twitter.com/xiFm9SLl0Y

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) October 21, 2025

Donovan Mitchell


On facing the Knicks and expectations:

“They’re Eastern Conference and championship contenders. They’re a team that if we get to where we want to get to, we’re going to have to go through them. They got the head of the snake in Jalen. They got great defenders, they got size at the rim. Great shooters. For us, it’s continuing to have respect for who they are and understand this is who we are. Come out there and hit first and be ready for a crazy environment at the Garden.”

Kenny Atkinson


On the excitement of opening night:

“What’s better than this? Game 1 against the Knicks in the Garden. When the schedule came out, we all circled this one.”

"That wasn't specifically why he was here. I think it's more about, he's been a friend for me for a long time."

Joe Mazzulla talks about former Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau's presence at Celtics practice: pic.twitter.com/JQuhneQv5D

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) October 21, 2025

Joe Mazzulla


On inviting Tom Thibodeau to Celtics practice:

“I think it’s more about, he’s been a friend for me for a long time. He coached here, he won a championship here. His presence is more about coming to learn the game and paying respect to a coach that has been here for a long time and has been in this organization and hung a banner here. Anything we can learn from him. It just so happened that he happened to be the coach that knocked us out of the playoffs the year before. There wasn’t that much there, from that standpoint.”

First thing on NBA on NBC: Melo pic.twitter.com/UwKLcGuJNe

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) October 21, 2025

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...t-more-but-its-going-to-be-like-this-all-year
 
Knicks 119, Cavs 111: Scenes from an OG party on opening night

gettyimages-2242693079.jpg


To kick off their 80th season in the Association, the New York Knicks (1-0) hosted the Cleveland Cavaliers (0-1). The game was billed as a battle between the two teams predicted to finish first and second in the Eastern Conference. It was also the first official game of Mike Brown’s career as head coach of the Knickerbockers. Would they disappoint? Not a chance. Final score, 119-111.

The team was without the services of starting center Mitchell Robinson (mystery) and Josh Hart (back spasms), and Karl-Anthony Towns is dealing with a right-quad strain that had him questionable before the game. For those of you who worried that the Knicks were too short-handed to beat the Cavs, your fears were for naught. Brown played 11 men in the game, and only two finished with negative plus/minuses.

Who among you picked OG Anunoby to lead the team in points and rebounds tonight? OG Anunoby’s season-high for rebounds last season was 10. Against the Cavs, he collected a 24-point, 14-rebound double-double, plus three steals, a block, shot 9-of-17 from the field and converted 4-of-9 from deep. Those 14 boards tied a career-high. It’s hard to believe that this might not be his best game of the season, and there are 79 more on the slate. He also played 38 minutes . . . some habits are hard to break.

Overall, five Knicks scored in double-figures: Anunoby, Brunson with 23, Karl-Anthony Towns with 19 (and 11 boards), Bridges with 16 (and three free throws!), and Miles McBride with 15. Landry Shamet came close, adding nine off the bench. The team took 40 three-pointers and made 35%, and they outrebounded Cleveland 48-32.

For the villains, Donovan Mitchell carried the team with 31 points but still finished -14. Evan Mobley posted 22 points and eight boards, and Sam Merrill added 19 points. They fell behind by 17 but clawed their way back, even having a two-point lead at the start of the fourth quarter, but New York proved just too deep. McBride, in particular, contributed massive timely buckets and you could make the case that he should share the game ball with OG.

Cleveland will be a better team with Darius Garland, De’Andre Hunter, and Max Strus back in uniform. But if tonight showed us anything, it’s that New York has the greater roster depth. If that doesn’t get you excited about the season, you’re a grump.

First Half​


Coach Brown wanted more three-pointers, and his team followed orders. Half of their first ten shot attempts came from the outfield. Here Jalen delivers from range to put the home team on the scoreboard.

salute cap 🫡

his first bucket is CASH pic.twitter.com/oDdH0mhOqy

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) October 22, 2025

Early on, Cleveland’s defense put sand in New York’s gears, causing an offensive foul, a steal, and multiple misfires on their way to an 8-0 run.

New York’s wingstop (Anunoby & Bridges) returned the favor with harassing perimeter defense, and Ariel Hukporti (starting for Mitchell Robinson) redeemed a blunder or two with tenacity in the lane and a thrilling block from behind of Jarrett Allen. After falling behind, the ‘Bockers answered with seven straight to go ahead 14-10 midway through the frame.

New man Guerschon Yabusele was first off the bench to relieve Karl-Anthony Towns (nursing a quad strain), and Trey Jemison III and Miles McBride joined him soon after.

Before he sat, KAT jammed this assist from the Incredible Huk.

BIG to BIG connection! pic.twitter.com/M4UQoOR0Zs

— Let’s Talk Knicks (LTK) (@LetsTalkKnicks_) October 22, 2025

With excellent distribution of the ball and points, the Knicks went up by as many as 12, shot 37% from deep, and finished the first 12 minutes up 33-22.

To start the second quarter, Tyler Kolek, Jordan Clarkson, and Yabu joined Anunoby and Towns. Kolek showed solid hands-up defense and swished his first shot of the season, a bomb from the top of the arc. With Allen and Mobley, the Cavs have a formidable frontcourt, yet New York doubled Cleveland’s rebound totals through most of the half. That’ll give a fan the giddy giggles.

Here’s Kolek with a delicious dish to OG for the jam.

Tyler Kolek with the BEAUTIFUL feed to OG Anunoby! pic.twitter.com/rbylNGe1DN

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) October 22, 2025

The home team’s lead touched 15 but faded fast. General sloppiness and a couple of Larry Nance baskets contributed to a 16-2 run that brought Cleveland within one. A triple from Deuce McBride stemmed the tide and kicked off a 21-7 run. By intermission, our heroes sat pretty, on the right side of a 65-50 score.

The Knicks controlled the first half through efficiency and physicality, shooting 47% to Cleveland’s 42% and dominating the boards 27–16. Driving the lane aggressively paid off at the line, with New York going 17-for-19 versus the Cavs’ 3-for-5. New York also led in fast-break points (7-2) and points in the paint (20–16), dictating tempo and rhythm to Coach Brown’s liking, no doubt. For the home team, Brunson, Bridges, and Anunoby had 12 apiece; for the Ohio Players, only Evan Mobley had reached double-digits (16 points, three boards).

Second Half​


The visitors burst from the locker room with energy, scoring 18 points in under five minutes and cutting their deficit to 11. Donovan Mitchell donned his Superman cape, scoring 21 points from all over the floor in the third quarter. He also assisted on two Sam Merrill bombs that were particularly deflating. Coach Kenny Atkinson gave Don a breather around the 5:30 mark, and New York’s Brown called a timeout soon after, with the differential reduced to seven.

Never fear. We have Huk!

the incredible HUK 😤 pic.twitter.com/RDNXlx0xrJ

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) October 23, 2025

With the Cavs behind by three, Mitchell checked in at 4:15. Nance dunked a Lonzo Ball lob and slivered the lead to one. Once again, Deuce stepped up to right the ship, hitting his third trey of the evening. The Knicks’ depth showed tonight, and their reserve shooters chipped in when it counted. They would have padded the lead with ease if not for Mitchell hitting again and again. With 1:30 on the clock, he put Cleveland up by one for the first time since the opening minutes.

Kolek answered with a fearless drive to the cup, looking vastly better than his summer league and preseason performances. Deuce kept a hand in Mitchell’s face, and New York had a chance to grow their lead, but misses by Anunoby and Clarkson, plus a loose-ball infraction by Towns, shot them in the foot. This one was knotted at 87 heading into the final frame.

With Brunson on the bench, Cleveland drew first blood in the fourth. New York answered with rim rattleras from KAT and Anunoby and a big-time bomb from McBride on their way to a 14-0 run. This summer, Deuce made some carefully worded comments about being excited to have a fresh start with a new coach (I’m paraphrasing). He looked reborn tonight!

2️⃣ in the right place at the right time 🫡

15 PTS | 4/6 3PM | 2 REB pic.twitter.com/DQkseSJfX1

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) October 23, 2025

Brunson, last season’s Clutch Player of the Year, subbed in around the seven-minute mark. Brown recognized that it was time for Captain Clutch to guide the troops to victory. Meanwhile, Mitchell left the court to get his hammy worked on by a Cleveland trainer—but returned a few minutes later, looking unaffected and helping his team climb within five.

An Anunoby triple gave the Knicks some relief, and his breakaway jam (thanks to a Brunson deflection) with 35 seconds left put our heroes up by ten. ‘Twas a beautiful bow on a beautiful night.

10/10 play. no notes. pic.twitter.com/epfrg9QtR1

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) October 23, 2025

Up Next​


Celtics come to town on Friday. See you then, Knicks fans.

Box Score

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...-111-scenes-from-an-og-party-on-opening-night
 
Making sense of Mike Brown’s Opening Night rotation

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We’ve known for some time that things were going to look different rotation-wise this season. Going from a coach who’s known for tight rotations and an overreliance on starters more than anyone in Tom Thibodeau to Mike Brown means we should’ve been prepared for games where some unusual names play big minutes.

That was exemplified by the injuries to Josh Hart and Mitchell Robinson and could’ve been completely thrown into chaos if Karl-Anthony Towns decided not to play through an apparent Grade 2 quad strain. Still, even with KAT playing, we were shown a lot of things to consider going forward in the Knicks’ season-opening victory over the Cavaliers on Opening Night.

Starting Lineup​


Everyone and their mothers know that Robinson’s availability will be a question all season. Whether his current ailment is truly just injury management or something more sinister, it’ll be a big story all season to see who starts in his place, as Coach Brown clearly sees him as the fifth starter so far.

At least in the first game, it was Ariel Hukporti who got his second career start. It wasn’t the flashiest game for the second-year German big man, registering just two points, five rebounds, and two assists, but he didn’t look overwhelmed and arguably outplayed Jarrett Allen.

It’s also interesting to see that he only played 18 minutes, nine of them with the starters. The starting lineup had a plus-1.8 net rating on Wednesday, excelling on offense (133.3 ORtg) but suffering on defense.

The team’s four locked-in starters played 19 total minutes together, with Deuce McBride getting a look for seven minutes. More on how that looked in a bit.

An 11-Man Rotation?!​


11 players played for the Knicks in a close, nationally televised game against an NBA Finals contender. With two key injuries. I get the sense that Thibs fainted wherever he is seeing Tyler Kolek and Trey Jemison on the court.

(To be fair to Thibs, I almost did too.)

It was fascinating to see Kolek play extended minutes last night. I assumed the Knicks wanted to avoid having Brunson and Clarkson share the floor at all costs (they played just three minutes together), so I assumed when the first quarter ended that Clarkson would be out there as JB took his first rest. I was right, although I expected McBride to stay out there instead of Kolek.

To his credit, I thought Kolek looked good. He looked poised on offense and did what he usually does, making smart passes and not turning the ball over. He played with confidence and didn’t get too overwhelmed defensively, although his defensive limitations saw him occasionally get picked on. If he plays like that going forward, that’s a player that could conceivably give you some bench run and makes the Knicks a lot deeper than we thought.

My favorite Kolek play was breaking this 3-2 zone

You want to attack corners, and flash middle. Knicks do both. Kolek gets the pass to the corner and it becomes easy pic.twitter.com/CTVBbBvGl6

— Shax (@ShaxNBA) October 23, 2025

Landry Shamet was likely the biggest benefactor of Hart’s injury. We know from last season that he can provide a spark with his perimeter shooting and defense, and he did so in 14 minutes. I’m not sure if there’s a big role for him when the team is whole, but he’s the depth you like to have.

Kolek and Shamet both got 14 minutes, which were interestingly more than what both Clarkson (13) and Guerschon Yabusele (12) received last night.

Clarkson had a typical Clarkson game of bizarre shot selection, but he had some good moments and showed off his underrated playmaking. Yabusele still has not looked fully comfortable in a Knicks uniform, but had some good defensive sequences. I wouldn’t read too much into his lack of minutes yet, as we remember what Donte DiVincenzo’s role was at the beginning of his lone season in the orange and blue.

I was curious what the Knicks thought of Trey Jemison entering the season. If they planned to deploy a double big lineup all season, they would need a fourth player they trusted to handle bench minutes in case of injury. To Brown’s credit, not only did he give Jemison eight minutes of work to manage KAT’s workload amidst early foul trouble, but he also experimented with occasionally playing small.

The only players on guaranteed contracts who were healthy and didn’t play were Pačome Dadiet and Mo Diawara. That’s not terribly surprising, but it’s interesting to see that Brown didn’t turn to them even when going deep into the bench.

Lineup Versatility​


Deuce + starters: Seven minutes isn’t a ton for the Brunson-McBride-Bridges-Anunoby-Towns lineup, but it is significant based on where they were last season. That lineup, most considered the Knicks’ best five-out lineup, played a grand total of 41 minutes last season over 22 games. Under Brown, this could be the Knicks’ closing lineup most nights, and maybe they should, the way they performed last night, posting a superb plus-35.3 net rating.

Double big w/o Mitch: Towns and Hukporti played ten minutes together, and it wasn’t good, posting a miserable minus-22.1 net rating. That was the worst two-man lineup (min. 6 min) the Knicks played last night. Towns never played with Jemison, and Jemison never played with Hukporti.

Small ball: The Knicks ran a few interesting lineups, including one that featured Brunson-McBride-Shamet-Bridges (it didn’t do well). Anunoby even got some run as a small-ball five with those four for two minutes, something never experimented with last season.

Miscellaneous notes: The best performing quintet last night was from the early fourth quarter run with Kolek-McBride-Clarkson-Anunoby-Towns. This lineup is very worrisome defensively on paper, but they were exceptional. In 11 minutes last night, a Kolek-Clarkson tandem had a plus-32.1 net rating, turbocharging the bench offense. Those two, especially when paired with Anunoby, were magnificent.

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...lek-shamet-clarkson-yabusele-jemison-hukporti
 
Knicks Bulletin: ‘I don’t wanna disappoint the fans’

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Win to start the season? Check!

Beat the supposed East’s Best? Double check!!

Humongous dose of quotes today? Triple check!!!

.@FredKatz "Why was there a load management plan with Mitch playing 18 minutes 1st half preseason opener…If there's no [new] injury…why was the plan he could play preseason…but not be ready regular season?"

Mike Brown "…No definition of load management…You kinda go along…" pic.twitter.com/T9Pj97M56j

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) October 23, 2025

Mike Brown​


On building a two-way Knicks team:

“Do we think we can be a great defensive team? Yes. Do I think we can be a great offensive team? Yes. And we have staples on each side of the ball. There are things we believe in offensively that will help shape our identity just like there are things we believe in defensively that will help shape our identity on that side as well.”

On establishing an identity:

“We’d like to establish or have an identity, but it’s not just strictly, ‘Hey, we’re a defensive team,’ or, ‘Hey, we’re an offensive team.’ In my opinion, you have to do a lot of things in order to win. You can’t just be a good defensive team because if you look at the NBA champions in the past, everyone that’s won a championship wasn’t a Top-3 defensive team. Everyone that’s won a championship wasn’t just a Top-3 offensive team. So you have to have belief in what you think this team can do and grow from that.”

On trusting players:

“They’ve earned that right for me to have that trust. I don’t have all the answers. I’ll be the first to admit it. Imma be wrong sometimes and just like when I’m wrong, hopefully somebody holds me accountable and I’ll learn and grow from my mistake. But because they are who they are: They’re competitive, they’re a veteran team, they’ve won at a pretty high level before. Sometimes they’ll teach me something, or they’ll teach us something and we’ve gotta believe in them, just like we’re asking them to believe in us. It’s a two-way street.”

On injuries and roster depth:

“As a head coach you want all your guys all the time. You want to be greedy in that regard. Also it’s a part of the game, that’s why you have in our case, I think 17 guys right now, 18 guys. And we, starting with me, I’m a big next man up, next player up. It doesn’t matter how many people are out. You’re hoping it’s not a ton, but that’s what all these guys get paid to do. They get paid to be ready to play whenever their number is called. They got to go out and perform and not do anything outside the box but perform at the highest level, starting with having that competitive spirit. And we still expect to win no matter who’s in uniform. That’s our goal.”

On Mitchell Robinson’s load management:

“There may be a stretch of five games where we may sit him. There may be a stretch of two preseason games where we may sit him. There’s no definition of what load management is. You just go along or myself and the medical team and the front office will go along as we see fit and we’ll decide if we want to sit him during practice or we want to sit him in a game. It’s as simple as that.”

On injuries and medical decisions:

“To be honest I don’t think about that stuff. I allow our medical team to handle it and I’ll take the lead after they give me word because that’s what their job is, and for me to get into that, I’m not an expert at it.”

On standards and accountability:

“I want them to continue to believe no matter what happens, as long as we’re doing those things, because it’s our standard. I want them to continue to believe in the process and each other as we go along, and if somebody goes a little too far left or a little too far right, including me, we expect everybody to hold each other accountable. That’s our standard. That’s what I want to see, and if we do that while we’re learning with the understanding that this is gonna be a process, then I’m OK with it.”

On team expectations:

“Our expectations are extremely high. We’re not going to get ahead of ourselves. Whether we won or lost, it’s one game. We won the game. We had some good moments. But we don’t feel like we’re anywhere near what we’re capable of, and that’s what makes it exciting.”

On NBA Finals-or-bust expectations:

“We’re good with that. We embrace that.”

On depth and combinations:

“I truly believe this is a deep team. Give Leon Rose and his group a lot of credit. It’s my job to keep trying to find combinations out on the floor that work. Just like they’ve got a lot of room to grow, I’ve got a lot of room to grow, too. I’m still learning. The good part about is there are a lot of different ways I can go with it and I can learn on the fly because we have guys that can play.”

On first impressions after the season opener:

“We feel like, as the season goes along, we’re going to get better. We won the game and we had some good moments, but we don’t feel like we’re anywhere near what we’re capable of. And that’s what makes it exciting. Everybody has expectations. I don’t know if their expectations are higher than anybody in our locker room. So we’re good with that. We embrace that.”

On OG Anunoby’s performance:

“OG was a monster. He was our defensive player of the game. I think he had six or seven deflections. He guarded a lot of different people, so he saw a lot of different types of players tonight. He did a heck of a job.”

On home-court energy:

“Knowing this is our home court every night is quite a feeling. They hit us in the mouth. But we did a lot better job as the game went along, especially the fourth quarter.”

On early impressions of the team:

“I said it before, I think the group is deep. And they have all the attributes that I talked about earlier that are standard. Because of that, it doesn’t matter who is in front of us, we’re going to have an opportunity to win the game. If we play within ourselves, and that’s what we did.”

On rebounding performance:

“We needed every single one of those rebounds those guys got.”

Jalen Brunson​

"It's gonna be a long journey. But honestly for the most part we're excited about every day…It's getting better"

–– Jalen Brunson (23 points) after Knicks beat Cavs Opening Night 119-111 pic.twitter.com/eA76GeV36U

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) October 23, 2025

On Deuce McBride’s game:

“I think the best thing about him is, when he wasn’t playing that much, he was still in the gym every day, he was doing everything he had to do.”

On whether or not he got a hug from Spike Lee before his first game, like Mike Brown did:

“I did not get that, but Spike got my mom a nice one of those Brunson puff jackets, so we’re even.”

"It's electric all the time. Fans bring it every day. Regardless if it's Opening Night or game 30 or game 60, 70. Shoutout to the fans showing up, showing out. Glad we gave them something to cheer about"

– Karl-Anthony Towns on Opening Night at MSG pic.twitter.com/NL70rJtw4z

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) October 23, 2025

Karl-Anthony Towns​


On preparing for the season:

“Just getting right for the season. That’s really all I’m thinking.”

On playing through injury:

“Oh yeah. I’ve been banged up and haven’t really got a chance to practice or play those last two preseason games, but I don’t wanna disappoint the fans. Dealing with a Grade 2 quad strain is not something easy to deal with. But we made it happen tonight. I’m glad the fans respected the effort I put in to play tonight and my teammates really did, too. So shoutouts to them supporting me and understanding the situation I was in.”

On the quad injury:

“It was hurting. For sure.”

On a difficult day to start the season:

“Oh I was hurting for sure. It’s been a day for me living in it, and for y’all trying to report it, so it’s been one hell of a day. But I’m glad at the end, God’s good. We got a win, New York’s happy, the fans are happy. Things are good.”

On team rotation and trust:

“Just allowing ourselves to change the energy of the game at any time. We’ve got a lot of guys in here who are pros and giving them a chance to affect the game and impact winning is a great testament to, one, the trust that us teammates have in each other here in this locker room, and two, the coaching staff trusting the players, so shout out to them.”

"I feel like we have a lot of talent. I like our bench that comes in better than a lot of other benches."

Mikal Bridges talks about the value of the Knicks having a deep bench: pic.twitter.com/RB6E9slE5G

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) October 23, 2025

Mikal Bridges​


On team chemistry:

“Playing 100 games with the playoffs and being in some tough battles, you learn a lot about each other, and knowing how each other plays in the toughest moments, so it really helps. I know the things KAT likes to do, I know the things OG likes to do, I know the things Lil Tyler likes to do, Landry, Josh, Mitch — I could go on and on, especially in Year 2. It’s gonna take time with the new guys, but having a year under the belt is really helpful.”

On Jalen Brunson’s versatility:

“(Brunson) can play anywhere on the court. Even with his size, he can post up guys, too. He can do just about anything but probably not roll. Everyone on our team is talented and can do a lot of things. I think all of us can dribble-drive and make the right read.”

On OG Anunoby:

“Playing with OG and knowing [he’s guarding the] ball-side corner, that he might take the ball from somebody, it’s crazy. He has that talent.”

"The game will tell you what to do. Each game will be different, but as we get more and more comfortable, it'll get better and better."

OG Anunoby talks about getting better and more comfortable in Mike Brown's offense: pic.twitter.com/R6YfaIizyj

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) October 23, 2025

OG Anunoby​


On his performance:

“I just try to play hard. Do everything to help the team win.”

On the team’s depth:

“We have a deep team. Everyone who came in is capable of making an impact. That showed tonight.”

On adjusting offensively:

“The game will tell you what to do. Each game will be different, but as we get more and more comfortable, it’ll get better and better.”

On playing together:

“Always play together. That’s the key to what we do. Always play together.”

"Playing in New York, I've been here my whole career. It's special every time I walk on to the floor."

– Deuce McBride pic.twitter.com/qNlaHmDl05

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) October 23, 2025

Miles McBride​


On defensive pressure:

“We really want to get out into the open court and speed teams up. Us starting at 94 feet forces teams to get into their offense a lot slower, speeds guys up. We have a lot of length and guys who can defend, so we want to play to our advantage.”

When Vogue learned that the insanely stylish NBA player Jordan Clarkson was heading to the New York Knicks, we knew there was only one way to welcome him: with a high-fashion photo shoot, of course. https://t.co/Zz5DTTG4D1

— Vogue Runway (@VogueRunway) October 20, 2025

Jordan Clarkson​


On his style:

“I’ve always been into fashion, and my style sense has always been ‘no boundaries.’”

On joining the Knicks:

“I was super-shocked, but also ecstatic and excited. LA gave me the chance to play in one of the league’s biggest markets; in Cleveland I got to be teammates with LeBron James. Then going to Utah, it was a small market, but I was able to make noise and win games and help that organization really stand out.”

On his Knicks teammates:

“I’m cool with Josh, I’m cool with Jalen, KMac is also from San Antonio…. At the same time, I’m the oldest dude on the team.”

On New York:

“Seeing diverse cultures and all the people that are here in the city, it’s kind of amazing. It’s not kind of amazing, it is amazing. It’s electric.”

On food and home:

“Once I find some good chicken adobo and some lumpia, I’ll be straight.”

On tattoos and storytelling:

“I don’t really talk much, so I feel like when people see my tattoos, they’re reading my story on my body.”

On his daughter Cali:

“She’s my twin, but she is way less shy than me. Once I get comfortable with you, you’ll see the real me and I’m an open book. But in the beginning, I’m super-shy; I won’t say anything at all. She’s all, ‘Hi! What’s up? My name is Cali.’ She can start a conversation before I can. She loves to come to the games with me and be right next to me on the way in, and get photographed. You’ll continue to see us more.”

On his photoshoot:

“Today was amazing. Got to see a little bit of Brooklyn; good vibes.”

"They were the more aggressive team…Kind of dominated us in every area…I felt like they thoroughly outplayed us…Credit to them, they were the better team tonight…"

–– Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson on losing to the Knicks Opening Night 119-111 pic.twitter.com/udICvhyw24

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) October 23, 2025

Kenny Atkinson​


On selling a system:

“We’re the ultimate salesmen. That’s what NBA coaches do. If you’re going to get by, you have to sell it. I know the first couple of days I walked in and I was saying ‘do this and this differently on offense,’ there were a lot of raised eyebrows and questions. And it was like we’re going to be cutting all the time now. We’re going to the offensive boards every time? We’re all attacking the boards? That was a great mind shift. This works, when you have great leadership. It makes it so much easier. When your best players buy in, it trickles down and makes it so much easier.”

On the Knicks’ ceiling:

“Conference finalists. I mean, that’s what they were last year. That’s their history. The Cavs? We have a lot to prove. (We’re) 11–15 over the last three years in the playoffs. The Knicks have gotten to the conference finals. They’ve done it. We’ve got to get out of the second round first before we start talking all these expectations. We have a lot to prove.”

Jamal Crawford picks his 2025-26 6MOTY:

“I think now that Payton Pritchard’s starting, I like Jordan Clarkson in New York… I think he’ll be like a sixth starter.” 👀

via @NBATV pic.twitter.com/ijCLYx2Eop

— NBA Retweet (@RTNBA) October 21, 2025

Jamal Crawford​


On his Sixth Man of the Year prediction:

“I like Jordan Clarkson in New York. The formula is that you can be successful off the bench or in any role, but for an award, you need team success. I think the Knicks are primed to make a run in the East, with the injuries in Boston and Indiana. New York have a new coach and I think he’s going to utilize the bench a lot. I think Jordan Clarkson will have the green light to do what he does. I think he’ll be like a sixth starter. He’ll have the numbers and the wins, and he’s won it before. When you do well in that market, everything is amplified, so I’ve got Jordan Clarkson winning this year.”

Tom Thibodeau (via Source)​


On his firing:

“In their world, the players were 51–0 and Tom was 0–31… He also had a sense of betrayal. When you find out that people you helped either weren’t with you in the end or didn’t fight for you like you fought for them, that stings.”

Connecting some dots pic.twitter.com/eKkDFkTNh1

— Céad Míle Fáilte (@ColeyMick) October 23, 2025

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...cks-bulletin-i-dont-wanna-disappoint-the-fans
 
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