Monica McNutt on the Knicks’ NEW Identity & Ja Morant’s FUTURE

Monica McNutt on the Knicks’ NEW Identity & Ja Morant’s FUTURE

Everybody’s been very clear about what the goal is this year. I mean, you don’t make a move like move on from a head coach that took you back to the conference semi-finals after years, right? Um, so everybody is clear at what’s on the table, what the opportunity is for this season. Now, have there been a little bit of growing pains so far, including an 0 and3 road trip? For sure, but you still have that guy Jaylen Brunson who’s terrific. You still have Carl Anthony Towns and quite frankly, you maintain a core that has only gotten better year in and year out over the last three and a half years or so. So, yeah, I think this is a special season. It is obviously a high pressure season. The city is alive with enthusiasm and the players know what they’re trying to get done. And we knew when the Knicks moved on from Tibs and brought in Mike Brown that the identity of this team was going to look different. Even Carl Anthony Town said at the beginning of the season, “I don’t know what my role is going to be, but we’ll figure it out.” So, now that we’re eight games in, have they figured it out? Uh, no. They are still figuring it out. Um, and everybody’s like, “So, how many games? How many games?” I think they are currently in a seven game road or home stand, excuse me. They’ve got four games to go. The end of this trip will make 12 games for me. December 2nd will make I believe the number is 20 games, but they will have this home stand and have had a five-game road trip under their belt to see what that looks like. So December 2nd, I think I want to say that’s Boston. I’m not sure, but that’s the date I’m sort of looking for to begin my first thesis, if you will, on what the identity of this squad is. Because I think, frankly, Caroline, it’s not just about this team learning Mike Brown. It’s about Mike Brown also learning this team. I don’t think any coach can put themselves in the most successful position if the system cannot be tailored to its personnel. And so I think there’s still a lot of learning on both sides happening here in New York. What’s the biggest difference in Mike Brown’s coaching versus Tibs? Um press conferences. Mike is just so forthright and jovial and playful and I wish I had my notes and I wish I could show you. I’d let you see it. Um, uh, kidding aside though, this system is a lot faster. It is freer. I don’t know. We’ll see though because you guys know, you’ve watched enough basketball. Yeah. Fast and free and particularly in this era of the NBA is great, but when it gets down to clutch time, when we get into the playoffs, when things slow down, you do and are fortunate to have a guy like Jaylen Brunson who’s the reigning clutch player of the year. Um, but I think so far it took a minute for there to be some buy in on the player side and I think Mike is also willing to make some adjustments. And so in the last three games here in New York, I think you’re beginning to see this offense take a grasp. But it’s not just about the changes offensively. Philosophically, he’s coming in with a different mindset defensively as well. Um, but the word that these folks have been turnurning out all season long is accountability, and that applies on both sides. So, we know the Knicks were right on the doorstep of the finals last year. Let’s go to another team that was right on the doorstep of the finals, and that’s the Minnesota Timberwolves. The rumor mill has been rumor milling, and it has been churning out some rumblings of John Morant potentially to Minnesota. Do you see that being a fit? I I don’t I don’t I don’t see that. Now listen, the basketball, yes, Mike Connley, respected nearly 20-year vet veteran, doesn’t have the same bounce. Rob Dillingham maybe has not emerged in the way that was envisioned when he was drafted. Insert stellar point guardian John Morant. Okay, that makes sense. However, and I love John Mar. John Morant was attached to some of my best moments as I sort of was ascending into this space, but I just don’t know that Minnesota organizationally is in a pos is is in a position to absorb all that comes with J right now. Do I believe that an opportunity away from Memphis might give him a fresh start and help change his perspective? Sure. But I just don’t know at this point if it’s worth it if you’re the Minnesota Timberwolves. You’ve got Anthony Edwards. He is your centerpiece. Um I I just I don’t know. Is that a risk you’re willing to take? I love Chris French. I don’t know Chris French to be established as sort of the Pat Riley uh Eric Spolstra sort of energy of an organization that doesn’t take no stuff. Like I just don’t know if you’re prepared to absorb all that comes with him right now. But from a point guard standpoint, sure that’d be fantastic. Yeah. But when you say that, Monica, I almost feel like, and this feels like a weird way to say this, it makes you feel like Memphis and Jaw are sort of stuck together because I’m not sure how many places can absorb the person out of the stuff that comes with Jaw that has nothing to do with him on the court. Like, how do they fix it then? So, if it’s I’m with you and a lot of it obviously is going to be on J and his camp to look in the mirror and figure out how I can move forward in a way that is mature and doesn’t tank my career. I was literally at dinner the other day with some friends who happen to work for Nike and we were like two years ago job was poised to be the face of the league. Like we all could not get enough of this young man and it is disheartening what has unfolded since then. Now do I think that we all can learn and grow from our mistakes? Sure. But that’s going to be have to have to be a decision that John Morant makes internally. I will say this in today’s NBA I think when a star wants to get somewhere and there is mutual interest things can happen. But for Jaw to voice interest in an organization, I’m sure there would be behind the-scenes conversations that would mean that he’s going to do his part in terms of cleaning up the off-c court stuff. And frankly, guys, as much as the offc court stuff has kind of become part of the peer view right now, he’s also navigated some injuries as of late. And for a guy that’s was predicated on his potential being the face of the league on his high-flying stellar play, you have a couple of knee lower body injuries. Can your game adjust and continue to evolve not being so heavily predicated on your athleticism? And we haven’t just had an opportunity to see that just because he has not been healthy. Now, I’m with you on the Minnesota front, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense in the offthe- court sense. But let’s just say in a fantasy world that a divorce between Ja and Memphis is inevitable. Where does make sense for John? Caroline, girl, girl, girl, how much time do we have? Uh, girl, it’s funny because since this has started percolating, I’ve been thinking about it, right? Um, the basketball of the Minnesota piece would be really cool. From a structure standpoint, you think of a Miami immediately, right? Um, I think I wonder if an organization and again like I would imagine that for Jaw it’s a little bit more than just a fresh start. You don’t necessarily want to make a lateral move in terms of positioning. Um, but I Sacramento has crossed my mind in this conversation a bit. Um, I mean you think of like the Houston and the Dallases, they’ve already sort of made their big moves. Uh, I don’t know if there’s a world in which the Clippers would want to explore it just because they again have had guys that have not been able to stay on the floor and stay healthy. Um, I guess for me the first thought was a let’s tighten it up organization and the first thought was Miami. Now, I don’t know if that’s the city that would necessarily solve these issues for a job, but that was I I’m I’m kind of tapped out because I think too, you can be in a position where the league begins to pass you by, right? A a year ago or two years ago, we might have said Philly, right? They had not necessarily Tyresese Maxis had not necessarily emerged or let alone VJ Edgecom had not been drafted and I’m blanking on the kid’s name out of Duke that got hurt last year who had been terrific at that point guard position, right? In terms of organizations that gave you an opportunity to go and compete, right? You can’t necessarily say Charlotte LaMelo’s there. You can’t look at Atlanta, Trey’s there. Like, I just don’t know. K Cunningham’s in Detroit. Where is this juice going to be worth the squeeze? And I am coming up with a hard time figuring that out. Look, y’all have missed a total boat. Send him Utah. Nobody can get in trouble in Utah. I don’t really care if it works in basketball. You just can’t get in trouble in Utah. It’s impossible to get in tr I’ve tried. You cannot get in trouble in Utah. Uh, all right. Let me ask you this. Okay. Yeah. Go. Yeah, we we’ll move. We’ll move. Nobody wants to go to Utah. I love you, Utah. Sorry. Small shade. Uh, the Mavericks lose to the Pelicans two and six at this point. Uh, at what point do we start to scream about the Mavericks and where they are and what a disaster that’s become? Guys, what? No, we’re not screaming like it’s 10 games in or less than 10 games in. I’m not worried about anybody right now. Uh, I’m not unfortunately I wish I could say I am a little bit surprised by the Pelicans. Uh, but good for them getting a W. I’m not I’m not screaming about anything right now. Uh, I would argue that half the league is still getting in shape and there’s that. Um, I think new systems, new positions, the absence of a traditional point guard in Dallas in particular, like they got a lot to figure out. I’m not I’m not screaming about anybody yet. It’s It’s still very early in the season. Monica, you do such a fantastic job covering the NBA, but you also do a great job covering the W and the women’s basketball side of things. We learned on October 30th there would be a 30-day extension for the WNBA CBA deadline. What’s your level of confidence that a new deal gets done at the extension on November 30th? I think it’s going to get kicked down the can uh or down the road again. The can is going to get kicked down the road again. I’m not feeling great, Carolina. I’m really not. Um I think when this all hit the fan and Nisa Kali are detonated, so to speak, I was like, “Oo, could you be further apart?” Um, I know that no one wants to go to a lockout and you’ve got you got to miss training camp, start missing training camp time, which would be in May, the end of April. So, you got some time to figure it out. But these sides are really far apart. And one of the things that I’m hearing as I’m talking with players, former players, just kind of being around wanting to see where this is going, housing has come up as a sticking point. uh because under the current system most teams provide housing for their players. Uh and I think the question is fair that if these salaries go up is housing still a part of the deal? So that is emerged as one of the sticking points that I was not at the forefront in my mind. Um I was thinking more about insurance prioritization veteran minimums the things that we’ve heard. But this is intricate stuff and I’ve also been asked guys, you know, should Adam Silver get involved or does it look like the W can’t handle itself? This is a historic collective bargaining agreement. It is a historic negotiation. When you talk to women from other leagues that play in different sports, they will tell you that the WNBA sets the table for women’s sports at large. Um, the NWSL, the PHL, like the whatever, name the league, it’s looking at how the WNBA handles its business. And so I’m like, because of the magnitude and the importance of this negotiation, bring in whoever you got to bring in to make sure that this thing gets done well so that we can continue to move forward at large in women’s sports. I also think it’s important to note, and I don’t know if folks know this, the range, we’ll call it, in ownership groups in the WNBA, I guess it may be similar to the NBA when you think about how much money some of the top owners have, but there’s a large range. And so when you think of a Mark Davis in Vegas, uh Joe and Clara Sai in New York, the ownership group in Ishbian Company in Phoenix, and the group in Seattle with the new climate pl pledge arena, they are not indicative of the sort of pockets around the league in terms of being able to afford the latest and greatest for their players. Now, personally to me, that’s not the players problem because you are moving into an era where these women are expecting to be treated like first class athletes as they deserve. But this is tenuous. This is sticky. And Kathy Ingleberg obviously represents not just the players. In fact, maybe percentage- wise more so leans toward the owners. So, I understand why this is going to take time. Do you believe that this will result in a lockout? My initial reaction uh as we prepared for the finals was, “Oo, we headed straight toward a lockout.” Now, I have sat back a little bit. We’ve got a lot of time to get it done. Um I just I’m not sure where the players are on the revenue share. I think that’s the probably the most popular conversation. and it’s not just landing on a percentage or close to the percentage that they desire. That then obviously trickles into the housing conversation and so much more. And so I’m unclear on how much the players are willing to budget or budge, excuse me, in that regard. And that makes me nervous about a lockout. Um and and frank frankly fits and I was having this conversation with Carolyn Pek who is a Hall of Famer and just a woman of women’s basketball. She’s done it all. I’m like, well, if there’s a potential lockout, we’re in October now, November. Are the players having conversations with the members of the league about all right, save and be and be prepared? And aren’t a lot of them still playing overseas? And so, does like I’m trying to figure out what a lockout actually looks and feels like for women who a large percentage of still get a large piece of their income from overseas play. Um, is it ideal? No. But I wonder if ever there was a time where players could unify and prepare. Is the W in a position to absorb that from a player sustainability and livelihood standpoint? Now, the sad part of all that, guys, as you guys know, is you lose so much momentum now with the new TV rights deals and new partners and the visibility. Um, but I also am like, look, the the NBA has had lockouts. The MLB might have one. Like this is a part of sports at large. And so women at the table acting as athletes and putting their gender aside, all right, let’s get it. Whatever happens happens.

What does success look like for the New York Knicks under new head coach Mike Brown?

Jason Fitz and Caroline Fenton of Yahoo Sports Daily are joined by Monica McNutt to dig into the identity of the Knicks this season with new coach Mike Brown, whether Ja Morant could realistically be traded from the Memphis Grizzlies, and what that would even look like.

Plus, are the Mavericks already in trouble — and what’s next for the WNBA’s CBA deal, or is a lockout looming?

00:00 Who are the Knicks this season?
03:03 Could Ja Morant be traded to Minnesota?
08:20 Should we be worried about the Mavericks?
09:03 When will the WNBA CBA deal get done?

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