Category: Basketball

@Amrmets15 -- Do you think the Knicks look to address the need for another rim protector at the deadline? Nick Richards maybe back in the fold? Kolek and Dadiet works theoretically 

If I’m making a guess today, I’m guessing that the Knicks look for veteran point guards on the trade market before they look for front-line help. Remember, the Knicks signed Malcolm Brogdon in September with the hope that he’d be their backup point guard. They’ve had to go to Plan B once Brogdon retired. 

So far, Plan B has been point guard by committee. Second-year point guard Tyler Kolek was in the mix early in the regular season, but he’s been out of Mike Brown’s rotation for the past three weeks. Kolek was a DNP-CD in the two games Jalen Brunson missed due to injury. The DNP-CDs during Brunson’s absence suggest Brown doesn’t see Kolek as a rotation player at this point. 

The Knicks are getting by with a point-guard-by-committee approach. But I think there is still a desire internally to add a backup point guard behind Brunson. 

Who is that player? I’m not sure. Sacramento seems like a team that will be open for business ahead of the trade deadline. Jevon Carter is in the final year of his contract in Chicago, but the Bulls clearly value the veteran point guard. I’m sure there will be other options on the trade market in the coming weeks. 

So if the Knicks are healthy, @amrmets15, I’d guess today that they prioritize point guard over front court in the trade market. This is stating the obvious, but I’m sure the Knicks would at least check in with Dallas if/when Anthony Davis becomes available. You may scoff at the idea, but the Knicks want to win a title this season. If Dallas is offering Davis at a below-market cost, I’m sure the Knicks will at least give the move some thought. But this, again, is stating the obvious. The Mavs will get calls from nearly all NBA teams if/when they make Davis available. 

Anyway, the trade market will materialize in earnest over the next 3-4 weeks. It will be interesting to see which teams sell and which players become available between now and early February. 

QUICK HITTERS 

@RobertWCross -- First time long time @IanBegley. Can the Knicks get enough out of the JB+KAT pairing offensively to cover up the defensive flaws? I’ve been skeptical since the jump. Your take? #53Wins

This is one of several macro questions that will determine this team’s ceiling. Great topic, @RobertWCross. 

Maybe I’m being naïve here, but I think the Knicks have enough defensive talent  - and offensive firepower - to neutralize Brunson/Karl-Anthony Towns' defensive flaws. 

If Mitchell Robinson is on the floor with Brunson, Towns, OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges, the Knick defense should improve. The numbers haven’t reflected that, yet. The Knicks are actually allowing 7.5 more points per 100 possessions with Robinson on the floor than when he’s off, per Cleaning The Glass.  But that number should change over the course of the regular season and postseason. 

Between Robinson, Hart, Bridges, Anunoby and Miles McBride, I think the Knicks have enough talent on both sides of the ball to neutralize any shortcomings from Brunson or Towns. If I’m wrong and the Knicks don’t have the personnel to do this, it will reflect poorly on the front office.

@yaalreadyknow --  What’s the prognosis on OG’s injury and whether it would hamper his production for the season onward?

It seems like Anunoby will be out for at least the rest of the month. The Knicks said he will be re-evaluated on Nov. 27. Even if he’s healthy at that point, Anunoby would still need time to practice/scrimmage before he returns to the court. 

That said, I don’t think there is any reason to believe this injury will hamper his production once he returns.  

@doinkstarr -- Ian, can you talk about the relationship between (Knicks Vice President of Sports Medicine) Casey Smith and Mike Brown in regards to rotational decisions, player workload and recovery strategies?

I don’t have a ton of insight on this yet, but it seems like Smith and Brown are on the same page regarding player workload and recovery strategies. I say this because of the Knicks’ approach with Robinson. Brown has said consistently that Robinson’s workload/availability will be determined by Smith and his staff. The head coach has been complimentary of the medical/training staff for its work with Robinson. 

So, on the surface, it seems like Brown is very much in synch with Smith and his group. 

That said, I would be very surprised if Smith had any influence over rotational decisions. That usually is determined by the head coach and his staff (and maybe some influence from the front office with certain teams). 

Thanks for the questions, everyone. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families. 

Draymond Green defends Nick Young after Kenyon Martin's 2018 NBA title critiques originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Former NBA guard Nick Young was only on the Warriors for one season, but he helped Golden State win its third title in four years in 2018.

And though Young often gets some flak on the “Gil’s Arena” podcast for his role on that team, Draymond Green wants to make it clear that Young was a key contributor during the Warriors’ title run that year.

In Friday’s episode of “The Draymond Green Show,” the Golden State forward issued a rebuttal to clips he’s seen featuring former NBA players Kenyon Martin and Rashad McCants, during which they antagonize Young. Green already had responded to Martin’s shots directed at Green himself earlier in the same podcast.

“But one thing I want to share with Kenyon Martin and Rashad McCants,” Green explained, “you know, a couple of guys who try to attack Nick Young about his NBA championship, is this. I know you guys don’t understand what it means to win an NBA championship. And because of that, you guys attack Nick Young because y’all don’t know what it takes. So, I’m going to share with you all non-champions what it takes to win an NBA championship.”

In his 15-year NBA career, Martin reached the NBA Finals twice with the New Jersey Nets but fell short in both attempts. McCants, meanwhile, failed to reach the playoffs during his four-year career.

“So, in an NBA championship, you have your guys who have to deliver on a roster,” Green continued. “Me, Steph [Curry] and Klay [Thompson], we had to deliver. You had to. And then you have all your guys who play a role. What role players do in the NBA playoffs en route to NBA championships … what I like to call them is swing players, as opposed to role players. I like to call them swing players.

“What do I mean by swing players? Your job as a role player throughout an NBA championship run is — it’s easier said than done, but the concept is simple. Your job is to swing one series. And what I mean by that is, you be the piece in one series that swings the series, because we know what Steph is going to do. We know what Klay is going to do. We know what Draymond is going to do. We know what they’re going to bring to the floor. We need one player that we’re not necessarily expecting to do X to swing the series.”

Green went on to highlight Young as the swing player who helped push Golden State over the top in a hard-fought Western Conference Finals that season; the Warriors needed seven games to defeat the Houston Rockets before sweeping the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals.

“And so when you go look at our championship run that Nick Young was a part of, Nick Young was the swing player in the Houston series,” Green said. “In Games 6 and 7, Nick Young was one of the primary defenders on James Harden. Nick Young hit big threes. He swung the series for us. Guess what? Job done. When you talk about winning a championship, he swung the series. That’s his job as a role player to swing one series. He did that.

“So when you guys try to say, ‘His championship doesn’t matter, he rode, he just got a ring.’ No, he didn’t. What he did was swing a series, but because you guys never won a championship, you don’t quite understand that concept.”

As expected, Green didn’t pull any punches in his comments defending his former teammate. But as a four-time NBA champion himself, it’s hard to argue with anything he said.

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In a year the Knicks desperately needed to see one of their depth pieces emerge as a legitimate contributor, it hasn’t been the returning prospects or all of the headline offseason acquisitions that impressed early on. 

Instead, it’s been Landry Shamet, the definition of an NBA vagabond that was on the cusp of not returning to New York this season.

He’s since gone from the end of the bench to starting five games, shooting 42.4 percent from three and coming up with key performances in meaningful wins. Let’s look back on his impressive journey and what he’s done to lift the Knicks this season.

Shamet originally joined the Knicks during last season’s training camp and got rave reviews, leading to a locked-in preseason rotation role that was unfortunately cut short due to a shoulder injury. New York, believing in the talent and work ethic, waived Shamet but allowed him to rehab with their G-League affiliate in Westchester. 

It took a few months and a couple appearances at the developmental level before the Knicks called Shamet back up around Christmas. His first games back were rough though, as he was still finding his rhythm back.

Shamet played 19 games through early February through sporadic minutes and a sub-30 percent stroke from three, but something changed that month. He rediscovered his stroke and defensive intensity, hitting 42.4 percent of his threes down the final 31 games of the season, earning over 18 minutes a night. 

Oddly, his minutes evaporated in the playoffs after a 10-minute stint in their opening game. He’d see decreasing spot minutes against the Pistons before racking up DNP’s all the way until the Conference Finals. 

With the Knicks down 0-2 going back to Indiana, Shamet found some burn and brought much-needed energy and shooting off the bench for the remainder of the series, including a 12-point outburst in the pivotal Game 6. His series performance earned him a lot of fans, and perhaps ultimately the final roster spot he secured with the team this summer.

That decision, along with new head coach Mike Brown’s strong trust in him, are paying major dividends now. Shamet’s averaging 9.9 points on 42.4 percent shooting from three, playing seven more minutes a night last year but only four more than his post-rust stretch.

Perhaps the biggest surprise statistically has been New York’s resilience defensively with him on the court. Opponents have worse efficiency when Shamet plays, and while he can struggle contesting one-on-one due to his size, his effort, low-risk approach and positioning are there.

Offensively, Shamet is rightfully known for his shooting, but he’s not just hitting a bunch of catch-and-shoots from the corner. 43.8 percent of his pull-up threes are dropping, some even off pick-and-roll, and he’s one of the team’s better shooters from outside the corners.

He’s given Jalen Brunson some reprieve as a ball-handler and has shown recent glimpses of his mid-range and finishing games as well, the highlight being a two-handed flush all over Miami’s Kel’el Ware. He was a monster in that Heat game, putting up a career-high 36 points (30 in the second half!) on 6 of 12 shooting from three.

A few nights later, Shamet would play heroic again, hitting two threes in the final minute of the game to give his team the lead before sealing the game in the final seconds with a drawn offensive foul. It’s tough not to credit Shamet heavily for two of New York’s nine wins this early season, a major payoff for Brown’s trust in him. 

Fans are hoping this continues. Most contenders get thin deeper into their bench, and New York is no exception. 

Having Shamet step up on his second veteran’s minimum deal for this team is not only crucial for their championship hunt, but a gritty and awesome New York story to get behind.

Jersey Bulls were beaten 1-0 at Hastings United in Isthmian League South East.

Hastings dominated much of the first half as Euan van der Vliet was forced to save well from Jordan Mase's 13th minute lob.

But the Bulls keeper flapped at a corner four minutes later and Eugene Asike was on hand to blast in on the line to put Hastings 1-0 up.

Bulls lost centre-back Luke Campbell to injury five minutes before half time as he tried to stop a James Stone attempt as the islanders struggled to deal with the resulting corner.

Bulls boss Elliot Powell made three changes at half time with one of those - James Sunley - having their first serious effort as his shot was cleared off the line 12 minutes after the restart.

Miguel Carvalho curled an effort over the home bar with 15 minutes left while James Carr forced a good save soon after, but the island side could not find a breakthrough.

The defeat keeps the islanders in mid-table while Hastings move away from the relegation places.

Related internet links

• Jersey Bulls

Chris Paul to retire at the end of season, ending 21-year career as an LA Clipper originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Legendary NBA player Chris Paul is planning to retire at the end of the season, making an announcement on social media ahead of Saturday’s Clippers game in his native state of North Carolina. 

The video message showed nostalgic images of Paul’s past jerseys, clips from his childhood and the moment he was drafted to play for the then-New Orleans Hornets in 2005.

“Back in NC!!! What a ride…Still so much left…GRATEFUL for this last one!!,” the 12-time All-Star wrote on Instagram.

The social media announcement ended with the phrase “never delay gratitude.” 

His wife, Jada Paul, also confirmed the iconic point guard’s retirement plan in an Instagram Story, congratulating him for a “helluva career.”

The 2025-2026 NBA season had been expected to be the last one for Paul after the star agreed to a one-year deal with the Clippers in July.

The 12-time All-Star had some of his best years with the Clippers from 2011-17 — five All-Star selections, five All-NBA nods and six First-Team All-Defense honors. The “Lob City” Clippers turned the once-lowly franchise around as Paul and Blake Griffin led the team to the second round three times.

Paul, who turned 40 in May, is coming off a productive 2024-25 season with the San Antonio Spurs. Paul started all 82 games for the Spurs, averaging 8.8 points and 7.4 assists for the young squad.

Over his first 20 seasons, Paul has piled up the accolades to become a guaranteed first-ballot Hall of Famer. He’s played for the New Orleans Hornets (2005-11), Clippers (2011-17), Houston Rockets (2017-19), Oklahoma City Thunder (2019-20), Phoenix Suns (2020-23), Golden State Warriors (2023-24) and Spurs (2024-25), with career averages of 17.0 points, 9.2 assists and 4.4 rebounds.

Paul, a member of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team, has led the league in assists five times and steals six times. The only thing eluding him is a title, with his closest call coming in 2021 when the Suns lost in the NBA Finals to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Chris Paul to retire at the end of season, ending 21-year career as an LA Clipper originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Legendary NBA player Chris Paul is planning to retire at the end of the season, making an announcement on social media ahead of Saturday’s Clippers game in his native state of North Carolina. 

The video message showed nostalgic images of Paul’s past jerseys, clips from his childhood and the moment he was drafted to play for the then-New Orleans Hornets in 2005.

“Back in NC!!! What a ride…Still so much left…GRATEFUL for this last one!!,” the 12-time All-Star wrote on Instagram.

The social media announcement ended with the phrase “never delay gratitude.” 

His wife, Jada Paul, also confirmed the iconic point guard’s retirement plan in an Instagram Story, congratulating him for a “helluva career.”

The 2025-2026 NBA season had been expected to be the last one for Paul after the star agreed to a one-year deal with the Clippers in July.

The 12-time All-Star had some of his best years with the Clippers from 2011-17 — five All-Star selections, five All-NBA nods and six First-Team All-Defense honors. The “Lob City” Clippers turned the once-lowly franchise around as Paul and Blake Griffin led the team to the second round three times.

Paul, who turned 40 in May, is coming off a productive 2024-25 season with the San Antonio Spurs. Paul started all 82 games for the Spurs, averaging 8.8 points and 7.4 assists for the young squad.

Over his first 20 seasons, Paul has piled up the accolades to become a guaranteed first-ballot Hall of Famer. He’s played for the New Orleans Hornets (2005-11), Clippers (2011-17), Houston Rockets (2017-19), Oklahoma City Thunder (2019-20), Phoenix Suns (2020-23), Golden State Warriors (2023-24) and Spurs (2024-25), with career averages of 17.0 points, 9.2 assists and 4.4 rebounds.

Paul, a member of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team, has led the league in assists five times and steals six times. The only thing eluding him is a title, with his closest call coming in 2021 when the Suns lost in the NBA Finals to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Kevin Durant drops blunt Nike opinion about Steph Curry's sneaker free agency originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

After a stunning, mutual split from his 12-year shoe partnership with Under Armour, Warriors star Steph Curry officially is a sneaker free agent.

Even in Year 17 of Curry’s illustrious NBA career, companies still are clamoring to join forces with the 3-point King — but Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant would like to see his former Warriors teammate land with the largest.

“That would be incredible. I hope that happens,” Durant told Kay Adams on Friday of Curry potentially joining athletic apparel giant Nike. “Yeah. No disrespect to Under Armour, [but] he should have always been a Nike athlete.

“But he built his brand, and this is an exciting time for him to be able to choose and to have people out there that want to still want your services at 37. You can just tell his legacy and his brand is intact, you know. He’s a free agent, and it feels like it’s still a rookie, you know what I’m saying?”

Durant became the third player in NBA history to sign a lifetime contract with Nike in April 2023, after a years-long relationship dating back to 2007 and featuring 15 different sets up shoes up to that point. Since signing his original $60 million rookie endorsement deal with the company — the second-largest at the time behind LeBron James — Durant has released 18 versions of his Nike KD shoes, with a 19th reportedly scheduled for release next summer.

Curry famously started his NBA career as a Nike athlete, but an uninspiring sales pitch to retain him caused the Warriors star to join forces with Under Armour in 2013, where he launched Curry Brand in 2020. But now what seemed to be a lifetime partnership there has ended, announced by Under Armour on Nov. 13, and Curry made his first post-split appearance wearing Mambacita Kobe 6 Nike shoes during pregame warmups the next day.

“I know it’s just weird seeing me in anything else other than my own shoes,” Curry acknowledged that night after dropping 49 points in the Warriors’ 109-108 victory over the San Antonio Spurs at Frost Bank Center. “But just the idea of what he meant. I’ve talked about Kobe a lot. And that specific pair, I think it speaks for itself and what it means. Other than that, it’s just something that I wanted to take advantage of that moment and pay tribute. 

“I think it gave me some good energy tonight.” 

That wasn’t the only time Curry has been spotted in Nike shoes recently, either.

Could Nike give Curry more good energy moving forward? Durant certainly hopes so — but only time will tell.

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Chris Paul to retire at the end of season, ending 21-year career as an LA Clipper originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Legendary NBA player Chris Paul is planning to retire at the end of the season, making an announcement on social media ahead of Saturday’s Clippers game in his native state of North Carolina. 

The video message showed nostalgic images of Paul’s past jerseys, clips from his childhood and the moment he was drafted to play for the then-New Orleans Hornets in 2005.

“Back in NC!!! What a ride…Still so much left…GRATEFUL for this last one!!,” the 12-time All-Star wrote on Instagram.

The social media announcement ended with the phrase “never delay gratitude.” 

His wife, Jada Paul, also confirmed the iconic point guard’s retirement plan in an Instagram Story, congratulating him for a “helluva career.”

The 2025-2026 NBA season had been expected to be the last one for Paul after the star agreed to a one-year deal with the Clippers in July.

The 12-time All-Star had some of his best years with the Clippers from 2011-17 — five All-Star selections, five All-NBA nods and six First-Team All-Defense honors. The “Lob City” Clippers turned the once-lowly franchise around as Paul and Blake Griffin led the team to the second round three times.

Paul, who turned 40 in May, is coming off a productive 2024-25 season with the San Antonio Spurs. Paul started all 82 games for the Spurs, averaging 8.8 points and 7.4 assists for the young squad.

Over his first 20 seasons, Paul has piled up the accolades to become a guaranteed first-ballot Hall of Famer. He’s played for the New Orleans Hornets (2005-11), Clippers (2011-17), Houston Rockets (2017-19), Oklahoma City Thunder (2019-20), Phoenix Suns (2020-23), Golden State Warriors (2023-24) and Spurs (2024-25), with career averages of 17.0 points, 9.2 assists and 4.4 rebounds.

Paul, a member of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team, has led the league in assists five times and steals six times. The only thing eluding him is a title, with his closest call coming in 2021 when the Suns lost in the NBA Finals to the Milwaukee Bucks.