Our beloved New York Knickerbockers are getting reps in Charleston, SC.
The New York Knicks are officially back to work.
Tom Thibodeau’s soldiers and the commander-in-chief himself took the road down to Charleston, South Carolina, to hold their training camp there instead of using the Tarrytown facilities for the second consecutive year.
Following a silly Media Day on Monday in which everybody spoke to the extent they could without mentioning KAT, we heard from a few folks once more on Tuesday. Here’s what they said.
Tom Thibodeau
On holding training camp in Charleston:
“We did it every year when I was a Knicks assistant in the ’90s, and we always enjoyed coming down here.
“Beautiful place and a chance to get away. The players enjoy being able to get away. They can walk and go to nice restaurants at night and spend time with each other.
“The teambuilding aspect of it is terrific.”
On the backup point guard options and rotation:
“We have a number of guys that can play both on the ball and off the ball, and I think sometimes that’s the hardest thing to guard.
“You want to create the pace, and then you want to create the movement.
“Sometimes as we did the second half of last year, we had Jalen off the ball and Josh [Hart] initiating a lot of offense for us last year. Mikal’s comfortable with it, Cam [Payne], Deuce [McBride] is good with both. So I like that versatility a lot.”
On missing players in training camp (re: Mitchell Robinson, who stayed rehabbing in NYC) and that allowing him to test different stuff:
“I think that’s all part of an NBA season. You deal with the people that you have.
“There’s going to be foul trouble, there’s going to be injuries, illness, things that come up, and then that next guy has to be ready to get in there and get the job done.
“So whatever our circumstances are, we’re going to make the most of them. So it gives us a chance to get a look at some different combinations in camp earlier than anticipated. I want to look at the positive in it.”
Jalen Brunson
On the new Knicks offense featuring Karl-Anthony Towns:
“It can be very good.”
On Mikal Bridges’s mindset:
“He just wants to win. He just has that mindset since the day I met him. And the only thing that’s changed is how much better he’s gotten as a player.
“He’s still the same person, still works very hard and just a better player than he was when we first got together. So he’s going to continue to grow.”
On whether or not sharing the court with Bridges will feel like the day sat Villanova days playing under Jay Wright:
“No. Usually coach Wright was [expletive] us at some point.”
Mikal Bridges
On his time in Brooklyn playing for the Nets:
“Yeah, it was tough in Brooklyn, we were losing.
“Even personally, I think I didn’t handle it as well as I could. I always preach mental toughness and never losing your spirit. But it was just something I never dealt with like that.
“I think it was just a lot just for that team in general when I was there and the expectation for everybody and I think I didn’t handle it as good as I should have.”
On starting a new chapter in New York with the Knicks:
“Coming here, it’s good. Everybody’s locked in and everybody’s motivated and coach [Tom Thibodeau] got everybody locked in. So it’s great to be here.”
On playing with two All-NBA players in Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns:
“When you got two All-NBA guys like that, that’s what it is. It’s definitely going to open up spacing.”
On joining former Villanova teammate Jalen Brunson:
“I know how he plays, he knows how I play, the chemistry is still there.”
On his first Knicks training camp workout:
“It was good. I loved the intensity of Thibs. Can’t get away with nothing. It was good. He’s holding everyone accountable.”
On Tom Thibodeau’s reputation across the League:
“I feel like, before I got here, there was more. I get the scare factor, but when I’m around Thibs he cracks me up all the time.
“I know how serious he is so I never take that into effect. But off the court I can mess with him. He’s a great dude.
“I love the intensity. It’s not as bad as people think. I love him as a person, too.”
Mitchell Robinson
On rumors about his desire to exit New York:
“But ‘I wasn’t at media day’ dumba** people”
Mitchell Robinson on IG: “But ‘I wasn’t at media day’ dumbass people ♂️” pic.twitter.com/TJMAMwxmpW
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) October 1, 2024