Paying homage to my biggest brain fart…
Would you believe the Knicks play basketball tomorrow!?
Here’s the latest from around Tarrytown and those places.
Mike Brown
On Mohamed Diawara’s increased comfort and development entering Year 2:
“Last year, you could see he was a little jittery when he was out there, because he didn’t quite know what to do, and he knew when he did it, he just had to go hard. So a lot of times, he would just play at one speed. There’s a comfort level now, so his cadence is better, especially offensively. His ability to communicate on the floor is at a little bit of a higher level, because he has a better feel not just offensively, but defensively — not just what he should do, but what he should be telling his teammates to do, especially if he’s on the backside or bottom side of the defense, because he sees everything in front of him. He’s one of those players that needs to take a step forward.”
On his plans for the preseason opener:
“(Starters will play,) but not much. We’ll try to ease them in. The last game is always a dress rehearsal, but we’ll try to build them up leading to that game.”
On accepting preseason mistakes and emphasizing next-play speed:
“Any time you have new guys, because we have new guys on this team that we’re trying to mix in with guys that have been here, you’re gonna make some mistakes. I’m 100 percent OK with that. Once somebody makes a mistake, I’m looking for how quickly do they try to make up for the same mistake? I’m huge on the next-play speed.
“So there’s gonna be a a lot of mistakes, but are guys gonna drop their head a little or hesitate? It happened anyway. Move on, try to correct it. and then address it during the day also.”
On what he’ll prioritize seeing in preseason:
“Overall effort, the little things like boxing out every single time, competing, offensively, to offensive rebound, and then sprinting corner-to-corner in transition.”
On ending practices with a must-make free throw:
“It puts pressure on guys, you know, and then everybody’s standing there watching. So if you miss it, everybody’s got to run. I got it from Pop. It also, at the end of the day, brings the group together.”
On Tony Bradley making the final free throw on Saturday:
“You see everybody came and gave him love. So you feel good when you do it.”
On being followed home by a family of Knicks fans after the championship:
“I stopped at the red light. The first vehicle was kind of honking at me and I could see the kids waving out. So I go through and they turn into a driveway three or four houses past the red light and the father and kids jump out of the car and start waving and they had their Knicks gear on and I gave them a wave.
“But I had my helmet and my sunglasses, so I didn’t think anybody noticed me. So I ride home and I’ve got my country music blasting, and I pull into my driveway in my garage, and the next thing you know, that car was pulling into my driveway. They followed me home.
“I don’t know how they got back in their car that quickly and followed me home. But they followed me home. And the guy owns a company and he had some food products, so he brings out a box of cereal and all that. And he’s got his three kids and they just start telling me what the championship meant . . .
“This is like August, two months after the championship, but you could still feel that passion. So was it scary? Yes. It was scary. Any time you get followed home, it is very, very scary, but just to see the joy and excitement, especially on kids’ faces.
“The dad was more excited than the kids, by the way, but to see that, you realize this is not just a championship. This is special.”
Mohamed Diawara
On falling out of the Knicks’ rotation during his rookie season:
“Honestly, It didn’t really need explanation. I think I was a rookie. That was my first year. So you just got to be ready, whatever the team wants you to do. We have a great team with big players, so if I was in the rotation and I’m not in the rotation anymore, I think it’s just part of the game for the whole team. I wasn’t really thinking about that, I was just ready to take any opportunity. I wasn’t thinking about not playing and stuff.”
On better understanding how to prepare his body for the NBA:
“Now that I know a little bit more the physicality that I need in the league, how I need to prepare my body. … I think now that I have a year in the league, it’s a little bit easier to see how I can prepare for the new season.”
On the Knicks’ championship parade and his offseason:
“I always knew Knicks fans were another kind of fans…I was prepared for it to be a big thing. But I was surprised, it was great to see.
“Best summer of my life… went back to Paris, it was nice. Everybody was happy about it.”
OG Anunoby
On Mohamed Diawara’s potential:
“I think he has endless upside. He’s very talented, can do a lot: shoot, defend, pass. He can do everything; a really versatile player. I’m excited to see him grow. I think he’s going to keep getting better and better, so I’m really excited for him.”
On receiving the key to his hometown of Jefferson City:
“Yeah, they just told me they were going to do it. I grew up in Jeff City, went to high school out there, have lifelong friends, and I just — I grew up there.
“So Jeff City, Missouri is special to me. So it’s an honor.”
On believing more recognition will come after the Knicks’ championship run:
“Throughout the season, that’s where more recognition will come. This next season, I think I put it on display every night, the versatility, being able to guard anyone and affect the game offensively and defensively. I’m a two-way player, that’s what I take pride in, helping the team win games. I think I’ve always done it.
“Maybe there’s more of an eye on it right now because we just won the championship. That’s what I pride myself in.”
On Mike Brown’s coaching chops:
“He deserves all the praise… he’s always been a great coach. When you win, you get more recognition. Everything is coming together for him.”
On his work with Pacome Dadiet and Mo:
“I encourage them when they’re doing well… be there for them any way I can.”
On appearing on SNL:
“It was fun, we were there for Jalen. Was really cool that he got to host it. We were there for the intro. It was cool to see him do that, some funny skits. It was a good time.”
Jalen Brunson
On not falling for his flowers:
“I really do appreciate it and I respect the hell out of them. It’s honestly really cool and it’s a sign of respect. To hear that from those guys, I really do appreciate it.
“It’s just like a lot of things. When you hear praise, when you hear negativity, it has to go through one ear and out the other. You got to continue to be the best version of yourself or people are going to pass you. I really do appreciate it. It shows where I’ve grown, but still got a lot of work to do.”
