Knicks basketball is back as New York takes on Detroit for a third and final time this season.
The Pistons won the first two meetings easily, but they have their two brutes—Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart—suspended for Thursday.
Knicks, please.
Mike Brown
On the losses to the Pistons ahead of Thursday’s matchup:
“Yeah it should. They didn’t just win the game. They beat us pretty bad. So for us, I don’t want to say this game is more important than the next game. Every game is extremely important, but there comes a certain point when you’re in competition. If wins and losses are as lopsided as those two losses, that should shake you up a little bit. At the end of the day, we win tomorrow or win the next two games or however many games we play them, that doesn’t necessarily guarantee come playoff time or vice-versa. I’m a firm believer that I’ve been around this thing too long enough to see some teams go 0-4 and still win the series and some teams go 3-4 and still win the series. So that part doesn’t matter, it’s just about how the first two games turned out for us.”
On the need for evaluating Sochan before the playoffs:
“[Sochan] knows the league. The league knows him. He knows the officials and vice-versa, so they’re gonna get an opportunity, but at the end of the day, I’m gonna play who I think is best for us and right now, Jeremy, he hadn’t played for us, so I’ve gotta see — rather quickly — what we have in him before getting to the playoffs.”
On new lineup combinations and Sochan’s fit:
“When we put our rotation together, I try to think of how the group on the floor fits for a lot of different reasons, not just because this guy is a high-level shooter and this guy is not a high level shooter, but can this center play with this power forward? Can this guard play with this guard in terms of being able to bring the ball and handle against pressure? So there are a lot of different–does this group have enough guys that can go defensive rebound? So I try to look at a lot of different combinations when it comes to putting them together or the pros and cons of the individuals when it comes to putting the individuals together, and it’ll be no different with Jeremy or Jose at the end of the day.”
On Sochan’s size and versatility:
“When you look at Jeremy, you like his size right off the bat, especially for a four. OG is of that size but nobody else really is of that size. And you look at the versatility, over the years, he’s been able to guard one through five, and so to have that versatility on that end of the floor is huge, especially if OG’s out. We’re a lot smaller if OG or Josh or they both are out. And then [Jeremy’s] energy, his physicality, all those things that don’t necessarily show up in a stat sheet in my opinion are welcomed by any team.”
On missing OG Anunoby’s presence:
“At that size and skill set, you always miss that when he’s out. But at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter who’s in uniform. You’ve gotta go try and play the right way to win but it’s good to see him back on the floor for sure.”
On Sochan’s expected role:
“I’m not sure how many minutes I’m going to play him, but I plan on trying to use him. And hopefully we get to a point where he’s versatile enough to play one through five for us.”
On Mo Diawara’s future with Sochan in tow:
“Mo’s had a good season so far. As a young guy… and, as you guys know, I’ll play young guys. I have played young guys in front of vets before. But I’m going to give Jeremy an opportunity.”
On Landry Shamet as a true professional:
“When you think of a (true professional), you think on time. When you tell him something, he always looks you in the eye, always trying to correct things. Always playing hard. Never making excuses. Sacrificing for his teammates. Always thinking team first. He can play two minutes, come out and be OK. Or he can play 30 minutes in a row, come out and be OK. The maintenance aspect isn’t there. He’s always connected to the group, trying to help others be connected and his competitive spirit is off the charts. He believes in his teammates and the process. He wants to be held accountable. All those things bode well for having someone like (Shamet) on your team.”
Jeremy Sochan
On struggling with his diminishing role in San Antonio:
“Yeah, it’s tough. In my whole career, I’ve never been sitting on the bench and getting DNPs [did not play, coach’s decision]. You go through a process of questioning why or what’s happening. It can get stressful. But at the end of the day, I came from England, where basketball’s not big. I know my worth. I know what I can bring to the team, and I’m blessed that the organization here has seen that.”
On a fresh start in New York:
“I’m super excited to get a fresh slate and show what I can do.”
On what he brings to the Knicks:
“[I bring] energy, the kind of mold that coach has been doing and what the Knicks have been doing and what he wants from me, I feel I can really excel in. I bring versatility, defense, energy, a little bit of that nasty, so I can’t wait.”
On the lack of opportunity in San Antonio:
“Just no real opportunity, in my opinion. And it is what it is. It’s a very deep team. And maybe I didn’t see eye to eye with Coach, and Coach didn’t see anything I could do for the team. And it is what it is. And I’m just blessed to be in an opportunity where I can grow and blossom.”
On choosing New York as a free agent:
“We’ve talked a lot and it’s just seizing whatever opportunity I can get. And I think one of the reasons I picked New York is it’s a really deep roster, a lot of really talented players. I think it’s a pretty cool opportunity to watch and grow from that too. I think I’m still young, too. So just being around players who have established themselves and have done a lot of stuff in this league is a crazy opportunity for me. … I do believe in myself and I do believe I can do well on the court, too. But I do look at it in the bigger picture. And what’s happening here, I think I can be a part of it.”
On the NYC culture:
“Very excited. The culture here, at the Knicks and New York in general, is crazy and very global. And I feel like I’m global, too. So I’m just super excited to be here and just grow with this city and the club.”
On his versatility and level of effort:
“I’m versatile. I can do a little bit of everything, so whatever coach wants me to do, you know, whatever gets me on the court, I’m gonna do it and I’m gonna do it 100 percent.”
On always being himself on court amid comparisons to Draymond Green:
“At the end of the day, I wanna be Jeremy. I wanna be myself. … I bring versatility, defense, energy, a little bit of tenacity, so I can’t wait.”
On fitting Mike Brown’s plans:
“I think I embody what Mike Brown is asking from his players. I’m a quick learner, so I think I’ve been doing pretty well… The way I view everything is team-first. I’m always gonna be there for my teammates on and off the court. I’m bringing energy, positive vibes and I think that’s the most important thing – consistency. Whether that’s on the court, off the court, I’m gonna be myself every time.”
Jalen Brunson
On Knicks lacking intangibles compared to last season:
“We’re very gifted. We’re very talented. But we need the little things that help us be better, the intangibles. We got to that point last year where we had it. We don’t have it right now.”
On his contract sacrifice and future expectations:
“If I’m thinking about playing well to make sure I get paid, that could mess with me. I play best when I have a free mind, and that did that for me. A lot of people say I sacrificed for the team. One hundred percent, I sacrificed for the team. But most importantly, I made sure my family and I are taken care of. … Obviously, we’d love for them to do right by me. I think anyone would. I feel like I sacrificed.”
On regular season vs. playoffs:
“I don’t look at regular-season games as a barometer because, come playoffs, it’s a different basketball game. Especially when you talk about a seven-game series. I’ve been with different teams that went to the Finals or played deep in the playoffs that lost the season series to teams and still won in the playoffs.”
On the meaning of true professionalism:
“It should be. It’s not as common (as you would think). It’s more than showing up every day. If you’re doing the bare minimum, you’re not a true professional.”
On Shamet’s value around the league:
“He’s also a big asset. He does a lot for the teams he’s on, and other teams see that. It’s who he has been. I’ve seen that from afar playing against him, and it’s even better when you’re playing with him.”
OG Anunoby
On his toenail injury and recovering from it:
“I’m not for sure exactly how or what led up to it, but I had it removed. It’s getting better each day. It’s not even 2 weeks yet. But it’s healing and each day, it’s getting better and better. I have no toenail. I don’t know when it’ll grow back.”
Josh Hart
On Shamet as an example in today’s NBA:
“People come in and they have to learn to be professionals. Depending on where you get drafted to, it can take two, three or four years, especially if you don’t have a good vet. With how things are shaking out now, there’s a lot less vets on teams to hold guys accountable. It’s (rarer) now, and (Shamet) is a great example of that.”