The Knicks are so back that we already have Russell inking game-preview posts. Oh, lord!
New York plays Philly not even remotely close to any of those two’s homes in just a few hours, but hey, you have to take what you get.
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Here’s the latest from Coach Brown, Braggy Brogdon, and a couple other Knickerbockers.
On his skillset and expectations with the Knicks:
“I view myself as having a skillset and being a versatile enough player to crack any rotation in the league. So I expect to do that here as well.”
On his last two seasons and embracing challenges:
“Definitely difficult. For me, I’ve been a really good player in the league. I’ve been a good vet. Going to tanking teams, going to teams that are rebuilding, it’s been tough. But for me, it’s all about being a guy who embraces a challenge — whether it’s being a good vet on a young team, or coming into a really good team like this and, of course being a good vet, but also being able to contribute something on the court.”
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On his role alongside Jalen Brunson:
“I’m another ball-handler. You have Jalen, who is a superstar in the league. But with every superstar in the league, they need other guys on the team who help take pressure off him. And I think I’m a guy who they’ll be able to trust to make good decisions for the team and run the offense at times and get him easier shots.”
On adapting to a different role in New York:
“It’s a different role for me, man. The first time I took a role like this is when I went to Boston. I played the sixth man role. It’s just about embracing it. I’m coming to a team here that is one step away from the Finals. And all they need is a little bit more. They made a coaching change, they’ve made some changes, they brought some guys in. But the core is the same. They just need a little bit more support. So me, I plan on being one of the pieces to support them.”
On respecting Tom Thibodeau’s legacy in New York:
“Well, so, it’s not necessarily my job to respect anybody’s legacy. I’ve just got to — I was hired to coach this team and that’s what I’m going to do and I’m going to coach the team in the best way I know how to do it going forward.”
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On preparing lineups for the opener:
“I just started trying to put something together. I have a minutes sheet that I use. I should be done with that or I should have that solidified by tonight. Just because I start somebody now doesn’t mean it’s gonna be like this game 45.”
On offensive and defensive goals for the preseason:
“Hopefully, we play fast offensively, we have the right spacing offensively, we touch the paint a lot of times and try to get extra possessions on the offensive glass. Defensively, we want to be physical without fouling, we want to pressure the ball. We want to make sure we’re in the right position to help. All the little things that we emphasize with what we call our staples. And then everybody is going to play, everybody that made the trip will be able to get out on the court and play.”
On embracing a bench role:
“Honestly, I mean, when you come off the bench you’re able to get a feel for the game, see what the game needs, read what they’re playing. That’s something I’ve done before, something I’m comfortable with, looking forward to doing and keeping it moving from there.”
On focusing beyond the preseason:
“The preseason is the preseason. Nobody cares about the preseason when the regular season starts and I just wanted to make sure that what we’ve worked on in camp so far transfers over to the games and get us going.”
On the Knicks’ season outlook:
“I’m looking forward to my Knicks capitalizing off of the Achilles tear to Jayson Tatum, the Achilles tear to Damian Lillard that ultimately led to him departing Milwaukee and going back to Portland, the Achilles tear to Tyrese Haliburton. The New York Knicks are going to the NBA Finals. That is what I am looking forward to. I wish them all well.”