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Evan Fournier discusses the Knicks offense

Here’s Knicks forward Evan Fournier discussing the Knicks offense, via the New York Daily News:

“We started really well, shooting the ball well, sharing the ball, et cetera,” Fournier said Friday. “Now it’s not as good. So are we playing not as well because we are missing shots or are we missing shots because we aren’t sharing the ball? It’s always that question that you’ve got to ask yourself. In my opinion, it’s because we aren’t getting good shots and we aren’t working the defense well enough.”

In their last eight games leading up to Friday, the Knicks were tied for last in assists with the miserable Rockets and Thunder. Overall, they were 22nd in assists and 26th in assist percentage, which contrasts their high ranking (6th) in points per game…

“The main difference between the second unit and the first one is ball movement, body movement,” Fournier said. “At times it feels like we’re very stagnant. And we have to find that rhythm that we had early on, those first five games of the season. So just make sure we share the ball. Sometimes you pass the ball just to pass the ball and the rhythm is going to come back. Once we all touch the ball, you get a good rhythm, you get better shots. And then we all feel good. I think that’s the main thing going forward.”

The Knicks are on the road tonight, in Charlotte to face the Hornets (6-7).

Knicks forward Julius Randle speaks on 2OT win over Celtics

The 2021-22 NBA regular season began Tuesday, and Wednesday in Madison Square Garden the New York Knicks came away with a 138-134 double overtime win over the Boston Celtics. Knicks forward Julius Randle did big things, putting up 35 points, eight rebounds, nine assists and three steals, while new Knick Evan Fournier impressed with 32 points and six rebounds. Here’s what Randle had to say in post-game interviews:

Julius Randle on the team’s performance: “We made some mental mistakes, errors, but at the end of the day, we found a way to win the game. A lot of emotion, a lot of adrenaline, two overtimes. Everybody stepped up and made big plays and that’s the most important thing to end games and win games.”

On battling through double overtime: “Just find a way to win. Just find a way to win. Down the stretch, we can still be better, I can be better, but we made plays. Everybody made plays – defensive plays, we got stops. From the beginning I said we have to lock in on the defensive end and as long as we do that, we’re going to be a problem.”

On Obi Toppin’s progression: “He’s [Obi Toppin] confident. He’s just playing. Playing to his strengths, his athleticism, his speed, getting out. He’s just taking the game easy. Close outs, he drives, makes a play at the rim, shoots threes with confidence. All of that is just repetition and work. He comes to work every day and works extremely hard.”

On Evan Fournier’s performance: “Evan’s [Fournier] great. He came up super clutch in the overtime’s and made some big shots. We talked after the game and there’s things that we feel like we can do better and work on. He has an extremely high IQ.”

New key Knicks expected to start right away

The Knicks added a few big names this offseason, and the players will likely start right away, starting in preseason tomorrow. Via the New York Newsday:

Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier, the two free agent pickups, are expected to be in the starting lineup on opening night when the Knicks host Boston on October 20. So you can expect Thibodeau to try somewhere in the four-game exhibition schedule to get a look at how those two work with Julius Randle, RJ Barrett and Nerlens Noel. Noel will be the starting center at least until Robinson is ready.

While some teams hold out their starters, Thibodeau did play Randle and Barrett in all four preseason games last season, playing Barrett for more than 30 minutes per game and Randle just slightly under 30.

Last season, Thibodeau didn’t push Immanuel Quickley into the rotation at all in the first game, then used him sparingly in the second one before accelerating his playing time in the final two games and into the season. That could hint at a similar strategy for rookies Quinton Grimes and Miles McBride, although the absence of two key defensive players in Payton and Bullock could push Thibodeau to look for an answer somewhere quickly.

Comcast drops MSG Network from Xfinity channel lineup

A ton of Knicks fans have lost TV access to the team’s games as the season approaches. Hopefully it’s just temporary. Here’s the latest, via the New York Post:

Another promising Knicks season is around the corner – but hundreds of thousands of New Jersey and Connecticut fans may not be able to watch it due to a dispute between MSG Network and Comcast.

According to a Garden release, Comcast has chosen to drop MSG Network from its Xfinity channel lineup “despite our best efforts to reach a new agreement.’’

If the situation drags on, Comcast subscribers will miss 85 percent of Knicks games. MSG Network will broadcast 70 of the 82 contests – with the rest on national networks.

The disagreement will also affect games for the NHL’s Islanders, Rangers and Devils.

Knicks sign Wayne Selden Jr.

The New York Knicks have signed guard/forward Wayne Selden Jr.

The signing is probably a non-guaranteed deal that merely brings Selden Jr. to Knicks training camp.

Selden, 6-5, 230-pounds, holds career averages of 7.3 points, two rebounds, 1.5 assists over 19.1 minutes in 124 career games (27 starts) with New Orleans, Memphis, and Chicago. He played in six games in August for the Knicks Summer League entry in Las Vegas, NV, averaging 6.7 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists over 16.4 minutes.

The Roxbury, MA-native last played in the NBA in 2018-19 for Memphis and Chicago, averaging 6.9 points and 2.4 rebounds over 19.2 minutes in 75 games. He went unselected in the 2016 NBA Draft after playing three years collegiately at the University of Kansas. As a Jayhawk, he was named to the 2016 All-Big 12 Second Team following his junior season after averaging 13.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists over 29.9 minutes in 38 games.

The Knicks roster currently stands at 20 players.

Knicks sign guard M.J. Walker

The New York Knicks have signed guard M.J. Walker to a contract.

It’s likely a non-guaranteed deal that brings Walker to training camp.

Walker, 6-5, 213-pounds, played four seasons at Florida State University (2017-21), averaging nine points, two rebounds and 1.6 assists over 24.3 minutes in 120 games (82 starts). As a senior, he was named to the 2020-21 All-ACC Second Team after producing a career best 12.2 points to go along with 2.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists over 29.0 minutes in 24 games (23 starts).

The Jonesboro, GA-native, recently appeared in three games for the Knicks Summer League entry in Las Vegas, NV. He averaged 4.7 points and 2.7 rebounds over 16.1 minutes.

Knicks sign forward Aamir Simms

The New York Knicks have signed forward Aamir Simms.

Per the New York Post, “Simms will be joining them for training camp. The team has signed the former Clemson star to an Exhibit 10 contract, a source confirmed.”

Simms, 6-8, 245-pounds, played four seasons at Clemson University (2017-21) and averaged 9.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists over 25.3 minutes in 122 games (100 starts). As a senior, Simms was named to the 2020-21 All-ACC Second Team after producing a career best 13.4 points on 53.2-percent shooting from the field (40-percent from downtown) with 6.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists over 29.7 minutes in 24 games (all starts).

The Palmyra, VA-native, recently appeared in four games for the Knicks Summer League entry in Las Vegas, NV. He averaged 3.8 points and 2.8 rebounds over 11.1 minutes.

Knicks re-sign Taj Gibson

The New York Knicks have re-signed center/forward Taj Gibson.

Gibson, 6-10, 232-pounds, originally signed with New York on July 8, 2019, and has appeared in 107 games (59 starts) for the Knicks, recording 5.8 points and 4.8 rebounds over 18.3 minutes. Last season, he averaged 5.4 points and 5.6 rebounds over 20.8 minutes in 45 regular season games (three starts) and 5.0 points and 7.0 rebounds in five postseason games (three starts).

Prior to New York, Gibson spent 10 seasons with Chicago, Oklahoma City and Minnesota. The 12-year veteran holds career averages of 9.3 points on 51.8-percent shooting, 6.2 rebounds and one assist over 24.9 minutes in 844 regular season games (443 starts). Additionally, Gibson has appeared in 71 postseason contests, averaging 7.8 points and 4.9 rebounds over 22.3 minutes.

He was originally selected by Chicago with the 26th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft after three seasons at the University of Southern California.

Knicks re-sign Alec Burks

The New York Knicks have re-signed guard/forward Alec Burks.

Burks, 6-6, 214-pounds, averaged 12.7 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists over 49 games (five starts) for New York last season after signing as a free agent on November 22, 2020. He connected on a career best 41.5-percent from downtown and hit at least 100 three-pointers (102) for the second consecutive season. He recorded 11 20-point performances, one 30-point performance and a career best five straight 20-point performances from March 18-27.

Originally selected by Utah with the 12th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, Burks holds career averages of 10.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists over 22.2 minutes in 544 games (91 starts) with New York, Philadelphia, Golden State, Cleveland, Sacramento and Utah.

The Grandview, MO-native spent two seasons at the University of Colorado, where he earned 2009-10 Big 12 Rookie of the Year honors during his freshman season. Burks was also one of two unanimous selections for first-team All-Big 12 in 2010-11, during which he led his team in scoring at 20.5 points.

Knicks re-sign Derrick Rose

The New York Knicks have re-signed guard Derrick Rose.

“Derrick’s arrival last season played a major role in our team’s success and the culture we instilled,” New York Knicks President Leon Rose said, “He continues to be a great player and teammate and is an extension of Coach Thibodeau on the court. We look forward to him being a key piece of our team moving forward.”

Rose, 6-3, 200-pounds, finished third in the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year voting after averaging 14.7 points, 4.2 assists and 2.6 rebounds over 25.6 minutes in 50 games with Detroit and New York last season. The 14.7 points ranked fourth in the NBA in scoring among players coming off the bench (min 30 games). After being traded to New York on Feb. 8, 2021, Rose produced 14.9 points, 4.2 assists and 2.9 rebounds over 26.8 minutes in 35 games helping guide the Knicks to a 24-11 record in games he played. Over the final 20 games of the season, Rose averaged 17.4 points, 4.3 assists and 3.4 rebounds off the bench, while shooting 54-percent from the floor, 41.7-percent from downtown, and 93.2-percent from the line. He was one of two players in the NBA to average at least 15 points and shoot 50/40/90 over the final six weeks of the season. The other was Chris Paul.

The Chicago-native returned to New York this past season for a second stint with the Knicks, after being acquired from Chicago via trade on Jun. 22, 2016. He’s averaged 16.9 points, 4.3 assists and 3.5 rebounds over 30.5 minutes in 99 games (67 starts) in his two seasons as a Knick.

The 12-year veteran has appeared in 646 NBA games (507 starts) and holds career averages of 18.5 points, 5.5 assists and 3.3 rebounds over 12 seasons with Chicago, New York, Cleveland, Minnesota, and Detroit.

Career highlights for the first-overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft include: 2011 NBA MVP; 2009 NBA Rookie of the Year; three consecutive NBA All-Star selections (2010, 2011, 2012); 2009 NBA All-Rookie Team; two-time Eastern Conference Player of the Month; five-time Eastern Conference Player of the Week and three-time Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month.