Can Wednesday come soon enough?
No, it seems it cannot.
Here’s the latest from Sunday’s practice at Tarrytown and elsewhere.
On Mitchell Robinson’s status during Sunday’s practice:
“I know there’s something there (on his hand), but I can’t… I can’t tell you what. I don’t know (if he’d be cleared for Game 1). I do know that the medical group has to tell me he can go out there for sure, okay.”
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On having Knicks legends around the current team:
“It’s fantastic. It’s great to see. It’s great that Leon [Rose] and Mr. Dolan have these guys around. Obviously Pat [Ewing], he’s iconic, and then you have John Starks and Marbury and there’s just a plethora of other guys that you see come to our games, and we encourage that. I love it. And they always have a nugget or two that they can pass on to the guys that are actually playing now, and when you can hear it from different voices or different people, especially guys that played — cause I didn’t play, I was terrible — but from guys that played, it means a ton. So to see them be able to celebrate with us and the joy on their face, it’s priceless for sure.”
On wanting to beat the Spurs despite his San Antonio ties:
“They definitely want to beat me and I want to kick their ass. You love ’em and you can always love ’em before and after … I got ties to San Antonio and you appreciate the people, you appreciate the journey and all that other stuff. But at the end of the day, just like they want to beat you, you definitely want to beat them.”
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On Gregg Popovich’s lasting impact:
“The job that he’s done, not only on the court with that team and the organization, but off the court too, is gonna be imprinted as long as the game of basketball exists. He still has a huge presence. He’ll always have a presence. His presence is very much felt all the time. I’ve got a lot of respect for the organization for a lot of different reasons. I worked there, having an opportunity to work there and being part of a championship there and my family being down there too reminds me of good times.”
On expecting Josh Hart to be guarded by bigger defenders and how he deals with it:
“Any time a team does that, like Cleveland — Cleveland put their big on Josh and Josh won us a game doing it. I’ll tell you Josh works very, very hard on his shooting and playmaking because he knows that he gets guarded by centers, and my message to Josh is, ‘Let it fly, let it fly, let it fly,’ because we believe in it. So we know that they’re probably going to come in and put their center on Josh, and if Wemby’s down the floor and that ball gets swung to Josh, first of all, he’s a great decision-maker. But secondly, if he’s open, his feet are set, we want him to let that thing fly.”
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On the Spurs’ overall makeup entering the Finals:
“It’s going to be tough. They’re well-coached. They have an, obviously, tremendous player in Wemby. They’re quote-unquote young, to a certain degree, but they have some really good veterans on the team that kind of uplift the young guys and give the young guys a lot of guidance. So, they’ve got a nice mix of players on their team and they’re a team that comes out really aggressive and hits first, their crowd is into it and we’ve just have to go make sure we try to match or exceed their physicality to start the ballgame while leaning on our standards. The group has been resilient the whole year and we’ve got to keep sacrificing, we’ve got to keep playing with a competitive edge, we’ve got to stay connected, got to keep believing in each other and what we’re trying to do out on the floor and if somebody’s slipping in this area, that area, we’ve got to make sure that we help get them back on track by holding them accountable. So, all those things are going to come into play, playing a talented, well-coached team like the Spurs.”
On San Antonio’s blend of veterans and youth around Wembanyama:
“Having the mix that they have with Wemby is a nice recipe. If Fox is in, their backcourt — Fox is a veteran, seasoned player that has been in the playoffs before, been in a Game 7 now a couple of times, and been an All-Star, Clutch Player of the Year, a talented guy. … [Barnes] has been around a long time too, and he’s been on the big stage a few times. So they have a nice mix of veteran players and guys that are starting to get in their prime around Wemby. And I think when you have that, you have different messages that you can get from different guys all the time.”
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On OG Anunoby’s defensive versatility helping with guarding Wembanyama:
“OG is extremely versatile, and the luxury of having a guy like that is, he’s long enough, athletic enough, strong enough to guard quick smaller guys. He’s obviously got the size and athleticism to guard big wings and then he’s got the strength and the length and the intelligence to guard bigger guys. So having a guy like that gives us a ton of versatility to be able to move him around, knowing that he can adapt-slash-adjust on the fly.”
On OG Anunoby still deserving First Team All-Defense:
“[The voters] were wrong. He should have been First Team All-Defense because of his versatility. And it’s shown throughout the course of the most important time during the year, which is the playoffs, and it will continue to show going into the Finals.”
On the presence of Knicks legends during the current playoff run:
“It truly means a lot, when they’re on the sidelines or baselines, they made their presence known. They’re full of energy. That’s just who they are. They want the best for us, it’s a really cool sight to see. It’s an honor to play for this organization, the history that it has, to see the former players around all the time that makes it even more special.”
On the Spurs’ supporting cast beyond Victor Wembanyama:
“They’re young, athletic, physical – they can do a little bit of everything, can shoot the ball, finish at the rim, defend at a high level. So, obviously, Wemby’s going to get a lot of attention in terms of game plan and media and that, but you can’t sleep on guys like De’Aaron (Fox) or (Stephon) Castle, (Dylan) Harper, (Julian) Champagnie because if you do that, it’s going to be a long series. So, we’ve got to give those guys the respect that they deserve and come out focused.”
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On his approach to playing against Wembanyama:
“I go into the game and I play the game the way the game needs me to play. If that’s shooting and scoring, cool. If that’s rebounding and defending, cool. I don’t value what I do based on other people’s game plan or what the boxscore says. For me, it’s shoot the ball with confidence. Or be quick to make other plays — dribble handoff, stuff like that. If [Wembanyama] is down the floor, that’s my ability to get JB open looks, ‘Kal open looks, KAT open looks. It’s not different in terms of anything I’ve seen before. I’m comfortable making those plays.”
On being guarded by Wemby:
“That’s the only unanimous Defensive Player of the Year, so that’s a pretty good sign for me, right? That means I’m a pretty good basketball player.”
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On the NBA Cup final against the Spurs:
“Technically, that game didn’t happen.”
On honoring Knicks legends who never stopped supporting the team:
“They’ve been with us my whole five years here. It’s not just showing up when we’re winning — they’ve been with us through a lot. So shout out to them and obviously everything they did. So we just want to get the job done for them.”
On Victor Wembanyama posing a matchup challenge:
“He’s a special player. So, we just have to contain him as a team.”
On the Spurs’ identity entering the Finals:
“They’re a special team. Obviously, they have a Defensive Player of the Year – obviously, a great organization – and they’ve got a lot of great young guys. So, we’re just excited for this matchup.”
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On Dylan Harper’s competitive makeup:
“I feel like he’s just a gamer. He’s one of those kids that just probably in the backyard [growing up playing all the time]. I know his family pretty well. So, just in the backyard, playing against his older brother. I have an older brother, so I feel like you just figure out how to score over bigger guys, older guys [that way], and you live for these moments.”
On how the Spurs pressure ballhandlers into Wembanyama:
“What I think they do a great job of is their guards putting a lot of pressure on the ballhandler, which is forcing them into Wemby. If you’re playing off the ball and not setting screens and allowing him to roam freely without being touched, it’s different if somebody’s screening you, and then you’re getting everything.”
On what it would mean to win with the Knicks and their legends watching:
“It’s special, and you see obviously what it means to them. And even only wearing a Knicks jersey for two years, I understand, too. There’s a real pride, you know? So I can’t imagine at that point. But we don’t take it lightly, and it adds to our collective fuel and camaraderie and how we feel. So it’s good to obviously celebrate this with them, but they know as well as we do that there’s more to do.”
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On the plan to neutralize Wembanyama:
“Obviously, you’ve got to figure out how to get him out of the paint, how to run him, those little things I feel like OKC did a decent job at. But he’s a special player, so we just have to contain him as a team.”
On seeing similarities between the 1973 team and this Knicks squad:
“I’m living vicariously, man, from especially the ’73 team. In ’73, we were injured most of the season, but towards the playoffs we started to get healthy. And like the Knicks now, we had that momentum. We actually kept getting better and better going into the playoffs. So they remind me of that right now.”
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On Jalen Brunson’s impact entering the Finals:
“Well, he’s Mr. Clutch, you know? He makes all the big baskets. He’s dishing and swishing. He’s gotta improve his defense. That’s gonna be amplified the next round. They got some very good guards in San Antonio and in OKC. But other than that, man, he’s been magnificent.”
On Mike Brown’s work with the bench and overall roster:
“He’s gotta start getting kudos. He’s developed our bench, which Thibs was crucified for. So Brown has 10 guys that are thriving. No matter who he’s seemed to put in there, they’re producing. And that’s what you want in the playoffs. So we’re not relying on Towns and Brunson to do everything. Look at [Mikal] Bridges, they elevated his game. OG [Anunoby], too. And so it’s been incredible to watch.”
On believing the Knicks should have reached this stage last year:
“It’s not surprising me that they are at this point. I thought they should have been there last year. That was my feeling. They should have been there last year. So this is a new year, and now it’s time for it to happen.”
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On returning to the Finals atmosphere since 1999:
“It feels good. It’s been a long time, man, since 1999, since we played for a championship. And to be able to get here and see this and be down here in a closeout game, it’s just a special moment. And I’m happy for those guys because they did it together.”
On Jalen Brunson’s leadership:
“Jalen’s been Jalen since he’s been here. He’s just been a true leader, a consummate pro. He guides the team in the direction that we needed to be guided in. So he understands he’s a winner. He’s a champion. So Jalen’s gonna do what Jalen does: He goes out there and wins us ball games, and he’s a very special player.”
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On the physical toll of the Western Conference Finals:
“That might go seven, and even when they win — they lose, you know? They’re gonna be beat up, whoever survives that series. But in order to be the champion, you got to overcome adversity, you know? That’s what it’s about. So they can’t be saying they’re tired. That’s not going to be a factor. They’ll be ready if they get there.”
On downplaying the Knicks’ trip to the Finals and siding with Becky Hammon:
“I double down on this, just like Becky Hammon said, prove me wrong, prove me wrong, double down. Absolutely double down, getting out of the East has never been a sure fire to win a championship, what y’all talking about? You get out of the East, you’re supposed to get out of the East, it’s the fcking East. Of course you’re supposed to get out of the East. That don’t just mean you win a championship because you get out of the East, it’s the fcking East. Great, it’s the East, would have beat up Boston. You should get out the East. Happy for Mike Brown, by the way, but you should get out of the East.”
On rooting for the Knicks after their Finals berth:
“I’m happy for them. I’d rather be playing against them, but I’m just rooting for them right now. There are a lot of guys I know (there). There are a lot of guys I’m pretty close with. So, I’m just happy for them.”
