It’s Jules Return Day in New York City!
The Knicks will try to win two games in a row for the first time this calendar year when they host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday evening.
This game will mark Julius Randle’s return to MSG in Wolves gear while Donte DiVincenzo will be watching from the sidelines, as he’s been ruled out with an injury.
Here’s what Coach Thibs and a few other Knickerbockers have said ahead of this game.
Tom Thibodeau
On the Knicks’ first half of the season:
“I think we’re better than we were when we started. The first month of the season, second month, better, and then there’s a long way to go. That’s why I think from a mentality standpoint of focusing on daily improvement with the understanding that you want to be playing the best at the end.
“There’s a lot of challenges throughout the course of the season, so there’s ups and downs, and you have to handle that. You’ve got to get through things together, but you never can lose sight of how important it is to improve every day, and then hopefully at the end you’re playing your best basketball.
“There’s still a lot of things that we can do better that we have to lock into.”
Jalen Brunson
On the Knicks’ steady progress:
“We’ve gotten better from where we’ve come, but it’s still a long way to go.
“Continue to have the mindset of getting better every day. It’s the same, no matter what game it is. It could be Game 82. Our mindset is just to better.”
On the narratives surrounding the MVP and favoring Nikola Jokic:
“Jokic is playing absolutely absurd. The numbers are crazy. They’re not seeded where they were last year, right? They’re not seeded where they were last year and people are still talking about him being an MVP. Individually, he deserves it.
“But when Luka was averaging damn near a triple-double, but their seed wasn’t where people wanted it to be, they were like ‘Oh, he shouldn’t get an MVP because of seeding.’
“Why do certain narratives work for some people?”
On Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo’s anticipated return to MSG:
“I don’t know how the crowd is going to react to them.”
Josh Hart
On his role and impact:
“I just want to find a way to impact the game. That’s the biggest thing for me.
“I don’t get plays called. I’m not needed to go out there and score 20, 25 points per game. I have to find ways to impact the game, and my ways of impacting the game are rebounding.
“I need to be better defensively, and making those energy plays.”
On Randle and DiVincenzo’s return to MSG:
“I don’t think there’s anything but cheers and ovation and anything like that.
“Obviously Ju—he was here like five years, helped turn the franchise around. Tae was only here one year, but he gave everything he could for the team and the city.
“So I don’t think there’s any other option.”
Precious Achiuwa
On his defensive abilities:
“I’m an elite defender. I don’t think I got to say that.”
On his defensive strategy against the Sixers on Wednesday:
“They were only going to two guys. So for me, it was how can we get the ball out of those guys’ hands?
“Make somebody else make a play.”
On reading the game as a defender:
“It was just reading the game. The ball is going to two guys [on the Sixers]. I’m not the tallest, especially if I’m playing the 5.
“I’m not the tallest of centers. But I try to use my quickness, my arms. I got really long arms. Being able to read the game and time the shot.”
On overcoming injuries and adapting to a new role in New York:
“It’s been an up-and-down season for me just in terms of getting hurt, coming back, playing a little, playing a lot. A lot of things in between.
“[But] if you know how to play, you know how to play. Center, power forward — whatever the case is.”
Stephen A. Smith (TV Personality)
On the fans criticing Karl-Anthony Towns for wearing and changing his Eagles sweater:
“Shut the hell up, New York Knick fans. We ain’t got time for this.
“That brother (is) averaging 25 (points) and 13 (rebounds). He can do what he wants to do.
“I don’t give a damn if he wanted to wear a dashiki. Feel free. Do what you got to do. I don’t care.”