The Knicks are already in Vegas, ready to put the Magic to the sword to advance and go against one of Shai or Wemby in the Cup Final.
Here’s the latest we’ve seen, read, and heard.
On replacing McBride’s minutes:
“I think it’s a collective deal. Not one person is gonna replace any other one person.”
On Clarkson’s role:
“Jordan’s had a fantastic year for us. He’s given us a huge spark coming off the bench, and what I like about the way he’s scoring the basketball is he’s not getting himself in trouble by playing off of one foot when he gets in the paint. He’s real patient and methodical with what he does until he can get to his spot, and then when he gets to his spot, he’s usually playing off of two feet — which allows him to still spray the basketball if a lot of help comes. So I like that offensively, and then defensively, he’s trying to play with a level of physicality that we like to play with as a group, whether it’s on the ball or off the ball, and when you’re a small guard, you have to be physical in order to survive in our league. And he’s trying to do it.”
On the Magic not being a rivalry yet:
“I don’t feel it’s on the rivalry level yet. It can be in due time, but I don’t think it’s there yet.”
On both teams being shorthanded:
“It’s a little tough just because I don’t think either team has been completely healthy when we’ve played each other. It’s good to get the win, and you want to get the win, but at the end of the day, it could be when completely healthy. So you just try to win the game.”
On hiring a shooting coach:
“Josh was in Miami at the time with the family. One of his first things was are you hiring a shooting coach? I said I was looking into it, but it was tricky because I’m not well-versed on hiring a shooting coach. It can be tricky to fill, and it can be tricky with the staff.”
On Hart working with Peter Patton:
“It’s Peter, and to Josh’s credit, he embraced Peter. Josh works his ass off when it comes to that kind of stuff. It’s no surprise to me that he’s doing it because how hard he works at it.”
On Hart’s shooting efficiency:
“Having the luxury of moving him around helps. He may start in the right corner, but he may end up on the left wing… Josh is relocating, and when the ball gets swung, no one has any clue where Josh is. Or the center doesn’t. He’s getting some great looks because of the spacing and the movement.”
On coaches leaving Hart open:
“I hope they don’t.”
On Jalen Brunson’s franchise impact:
“He’s been here long enough. He’s helped them win a lot of games. Obviously, he did start in Dallas, but he was a little younger. It wasn’t his team. He wasn’t really the guy. He came here, it’s his team, he’s the guy here, he’s an MVP candidate, like I said, and so what he’s doing is definitely franchise-altering, and again, that has to be taken note [of]. Not just in the MVP race but also within the community of New York.”
On Brunson’s MVP candidacy:
“Somebody’s gotta score, somebody’s gotta rebound, and usually if you’re a team that’s a play-in game team or you’re out of the playoffs or the bottom echelon of the playoffs, you’re not impacting it at the level that the guys that I just mentioned are. And so for me, Jalen is just doing what he gets paid to do. He’s an MVP candidate in this business, and he’s just showing it again to everybody.”
On Mikal Bridges’ two-way presence:
“Mikal’s been great. He’s a high, high, high-level two-way guy. And he’s showing it. The versatility that he has in terms of guarding one through three and sometimes four has been big for us, because a guy at his length that has the understanding or feel or what to do when he’s in certain situations guarding the different players is really good for us. And then his ability to get out in transition and to cut in the half court, those have been huge.”
On Miles McBride’s evolution:
“Just a tough guy that is a two-way player that can score in bunches. I didn’t know he could shoot it as well as he does. He’s a high-level shooter, and also his work ethnic is really high. Coaching against him is tough, he can defend, he can shoot, he’s got a (midrange) game. … He’s extremely athletic and is a great, great, great human being, I love being around the dude.”
On Miles McBride’s absence:
“Obviously we miss him, we want him back. Gotta pick up a lot of slack on both sides of the ball without him being out there.”
On McBride’s importance:
“He’s able to do so much for us, and so definitely we need to fill that gap. We’re just gonna have to do what we’ve gotta do until he’s back.”
On Jordan Clarkson stepping up:
“He’s definitely one of the best sixth men ever in our game. He’s won the award, and the things he’s been able to do in that role have been great. So I expect him just to come and be aggressive and be who he is. We have that confidence in him, and he has that confidence, so I don’t see a drop-off. I just see the next-man up mentality.”
On Josh Hart’s shooting improvement:
“Not really. In college I think Josh was ultra, ultra aggressive… I’ve seen him be able to knock shots down on a consistent basis. So it’s nothing new. Nothing new for him, nothing new for us. When a player’s hot, no matter who it is, you’ve gotta take advantage of it… get people in rotation and have him knock them down.”
On Mikal Bridges’ consistency:
“It’s who he’s been since college. He’s made plays down the stretch on every team he’s been on … So this is nothing different. He’s just wearing New York across his chest. That’s the only thing that’s different. He’s been the same person, he’s been the same player. He’s more comfortable with a year under his belt, so it may look different. But it’s just who he is. He thrives making big plays.”
On Bridges’ preparation:
“He takes care of his body. He works tremendously hard. He’s a psychopath when it comes to his craft. He’s locked in with everything he needs to do to make sure he’s ready. And that’s just who he’s been since I met him.”
On elaborating about Bridges’ habits:
“That’s not my story to tell. But he’s a lunatic for sure.”
On the stakes of the NBA Cup:
“I think there is competitive basketball night in and night out. There’s a little added juice to it knowing what’s at stake. If you win, you move on and try to win something. We have a lot of guys and coaches who don’t make as much as some guys on this team, so it’s an added bonus for them, as well. You’re not just playing for yourself, you’re playing for the entire team.”
On his work with Peter Patton:
“I’m working with Pete every day on my shot. Like I said before, it was something vital, for me, to have a shooting coach here on staff that I could work with every single day. Obviously, I had one before but he lived in Los Angeles. I was playing 38 minutes a game. It was tough to focus on the mechanics. With Pete, I’m able to work on the mechanics every day, even if it’s just a little bit. It’s a feeling, repetition.”
On playing in high-stakes games:
“I love when guys get to the highest level of competing. I feel like it can get a little mundane at the start of the season. Everyone is trying to find a rhythm. Cup games are more high-stakes.”
On hearing chants from Knicks fans:
“Man, it’s an amazing feeling. I don’t know who started it, but I appreciate it. It’s a great feeling to have that love here.”
On fighting for his role:
“Honestly, it was tough not playing. You know, I’ve leaned on God, I leaned on my friends, my family of course and … just worked. There’s really no secret recipe, it’s just working hard and keep covering everything you can do in the finite minutes, keep carving out a role, and now we’re here today.”
On proving his value:
“Absolutely, I think about it all the time — all the teams (that) passed up (on drafting him). But like I said, it’s worked out.”
On his style of defense:
“I want that to be one of the things I’m known for.”
On staying on the floor:
“Making shots, that’s gonna keep you on the floor. But playing defense is something I’ve always put first, making sure I get guys going with my defensive energy, and then coming in and making shots.”
On his preparation habits:
“Maybe a little psychopath. But nothing crazy. Try to take care of every single day, to stay up on it. Know to take advantage of cold tubs and always get a massage before the game. A structured routine and everything. It’s just being consistent with it. It’s a long season with a lot of emotions going on. You can tend to stop doing a lot of things. I just try to be consistent at all times and try to do all the things that’s preparing me for the game.”
On working with Peter Patton:
“He brings an intensity about him, a focus. Every shot matters, and it should matter. That’s what he preaches and emphasizes. Like I’ve said before, you can go out there and get mindless reps up, but if you’re intentional, even for a shorter period of time, you can get more out of it. That’s what he’s brought to the forefront of my mind — being intentional about everything.”