The NBA better start fearing New York because it sounds like the vibes are immaculate.
The Knicks enjoyed a well-deserved day off on Tuesday following a back-to-back effort that extended their longest winning streak of the season—three victories in a row—before boarding a plane bound for Phoenix.
With the next five games on the road and no basketball at MSG until December, New York fans will have to wait to see the Blue & Orangemen play in front of them again.
Here’s the latest from Coach Thibs and a few other Knickerbockers leading up to Wednesday’s matchup against the Suns.
Tom Thibodeau
On OG Anunoby’s versatility:
“OG is a really good player. He can shoot the ball, he can move without the ball and he’s good in transition. If you put a small guy on him, he can take him inside. He reads the game well. The awareness of where he is because of the shooting, but when he sees the back of his man’s head, he cuts and relocates extremely well. The constant movement by him is extremely good for us.”
On Jalen Brunson’s playmaking against during the three-game winning streak:
“The playmaking has been phenomenal. The Brooklyn game, he didn’t score a lot of points, but he had (10) assists in that game. But after watching the film, I felt like he was in the paint and he made a number of great plays in which we missed wide-open shots, but they were beautiful plays.
“I think we’re sensing that and we’re feeling it, but he’s creating a lot, we’re getting easy baskets, we’re getting open threes, we’re getting a lot of things that we want to get in high value. And then when one guy starts doing it, everyone starts doing it.”
On the improving team chemistry and rhythm:
“I think guys are starting to play in a good rhythm, the chemistry is good, we’re pushing the ball up the floor and getting into the next action quickly.
“As long as we keep moving and attacking space, I think good things are going to come from that.”
On Jericho Sims’ impact on Monday’s victory:
“He’s done a good job. Defensively, he’s very good. And then, I think, as time goes on, he’s going to find there’s the over-help to get out of the screens quicker and to put the pressure on the rim.
“His athletic ability, I mean, he’s a freak athletically in terms of the things he can do. I think having that threat, the vertical threat at the rim, is huge for your offense.”
OG Anunoby
On being more than just a defender as is the league-wide perception:
“Yeah, definitely. I always prided myself on being a two-way player, not just a defender.”
On his offensive growth:
“Even if the numbers aren’t going up, I feel like I’m getting better and better.”
On working on taking more three-point shots:
“I’ve turned down shots. I’m trying to stop turning down shots and making it more difficult.”
Josh Hart
On OG Anunoby’s evolution:
“We knew he was a versatile defender, but he was a guy who could knock down shots and was a high-IQ player. He made smart cuts and winning plays on the offensive end.
“Obviously, he’s continued to evolve. We love him in semi-transition or when we got a small on him. He’s definitely continued to grow offensively.”
On the Knicks increasing their collective three-point volume:
“Definitely, when people say, ‘They gotta shoot more 3s,’ it’s not like it’s just black and white. It’s not like, ‘Oh, let’s go out there and shoot more 3s.’
“You gotta go out there and shoot good 3s, you gotta generate good 3s. So it’s definitely a change.
“Obviously JB is really good in the post and the midrange. Mikal is really good, same thing. KAT obviously can score [inside or outside]. So we obviously don’t want to take away from their game, but we want to shoot the right shots.”
On Jalen Brunson’s playmaking:
“He is finally passing the ball. So that is a good sign.
“When he is able to get a guy the ball to take pressure off him, the energy is flowing, the ball has energy, and guys are able to shoot confidently or make plays confidently.”
Jalen Brunson
On being able to keep their intensity up in back-to-back games:
“The ball was going in (against Washington). Usually on back-to-backs, we have tired legs. But, I mean, the ball was going in, and I think it was an emphasis for us just to play with a little extra pace tonight because we knew how they were going to play and we just had to match their energy from the start.
“You can’t look at another team’s record. Besides that, anyone can be beaten on any given night. So we just had to match the intensity.”
Karl-Anthony Towns
On Jericho Sims’ professionalism:
“Just to see Jericho aggressive and confident I think speaks volumes to his professionalism, him always staying ready and him believing in his talent.
“He’s an amazing player and an amazing teammate.”
On the team’s momentum entering a five-game road trip:
“I think what gives us momentum is the way we’re playing. We’re playing good basketball right now.
“We have a lot of areas we obviously could be better at, but to come out with wins on four out of five nights, it just speaks to our improvement and that we’re trending in the right direction.”
On the evolution of basketball and big men’s roles:
“The league has changed. Not only the league, but the philosophy has changed. The players have changed, too. The players have evolved.
“The big men are asked to do more than they’ve ever been asked to do. The game has become different and we’re all adjusting as we go.
“There’s a lot of success in the philosophy that’s trying to be implemented into the NBA right now. Everyone is trying to strive for a championship.”
Mikal Bridges
On the Knicks’ ball movement against the Wizards:
“I think we’re just playing the right way, playing off each other. We got a lot of guys that are capable of driving, shooting…
“So we’re just trying to make it tough for teams to guard us, so just keeping everybody involved.”