And We're Off!! Knicks Open Preseason With a Win

Did you enjoy Season One, Episode One of "The Duece and Shamet Show."

After months of waiting (spiced up by blockbuster trades, the draft and free-agent signings), we got to watch an actual basketball game last night!

New York defeated the Hornets 111-109 in Charlotte on Sunday night, and, as far as preseason contests go, it was an entertaining affair. There are several topics we can discuss, including NY fans getting their first glimpse at Karl-Anthony Towns in a Knicks kit and Thibs deciding to start Josh Hart alongside KAT, Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges.

However, I think the most notable takeaways may have been the impressive showings from two reserves. 

When the Knicks traded for Towns on the eve of training camp, of course they made a massive wager on KAT. However, by parting with Donte DiVincenzo in addition to Julius Randle, Leon Rose and the NY front office also placed a sizable bet on Miles McBride.

Even the biggest supporters of the KAT trade must acknowledge that trading away DiVincenzo was a considerable gamble, as the sharpshooter was coming off a season in which he obliterated the Knicks' all-time record for three-pointers made in a single season. Not only did DDV stretch defenses with this long-range proficiency, but he also emerged as one of the team's better perimeter defenders - all while being locked into an extremely team-friendly contract. (As we have since learned, Minnesota was only willing to pull the trigger on the trade if DDV was included. And for good reason.) 

As of ten days ago, DiVincenzo was projected to serve as New York's sixth man and play essential minutes this season. Now, McBride inherits those responsibilities. And while Deuce was undeniably impressive over the second half of the 2023-24 campaign, he is far from a proven commodity. 

However, if we had suspected it before the trade, we now know that Thibs and the front office trust him a great deal. And although it was just one relatively meaningless preseason game, they have to be encouraged by what they saw Sunday night. 

McBride was brilliant vs. Charlotte, pouring in a game-high 22 points (shooting 8-of-18 from the field and 2-of-2 from the foul line), three assists, one steal, and four 3-pointers in 25 minutes.

This is the Deuce that Knicks fans have come to love and were hoping to see. Aggressive ball-hawking on the defensive end while getting into the lane and confidently stepping into jumpers on offense.

(It's wild to think back on the nearly 15 years - after the departure of Stephon Marbury and before the arrival of Brunson - when the Knicks were searching season after season, praying to find an even serviceable starting point guard. It could be argued that Deuce is a better, more impactful, all-around point guard than each starting Knicks PG during those forlorn years. And McBride is coming off the bench behind the second-best PG in Knicks franchise history.) 

Due to his ability to positively impact the game on both ends, New York needed to find a way to find McBride consistent minutes. Trading DiVincenzo (as difficult as it was) cleared the path for Deuce. 

The other player I expect to soak up some of DDV's playing time is a shooting guard who doesn't even have a guaranteed contract at the moment. 

When Landry Shamet signed an Exhibit 9 pact with New York in mid-September, it was expected he would likely earn a roster spot by opening night. Shamet's odds of securing a guaranteed contract increased exponentially when the KAT trade was finalized. This is not only because the Knicks have less than $3.7 million in cap space to spend before bumping up against the second apron but also because his shooting will help replace the three-balls DiVincenzo took with him to Minnesota. 

Shamet looked sharp in his Knicks debut Sunday night in Charlotte, racking up 16 points (6-of-11 FGs), four rebounds, one assist, two steals, and four 3-pointers in 27 minutes (the most of any Knicks guard).

Shamet, 27, is a proven commodity. Before a disappointing, injury-plagued season last year on the cellar-dwelling Wizards, Shamet had shot at least 37% from downtown in each of the first five seasons. Since entering the league (he was originally a first-round pick by Philly in 2018), Shamet is one of only 25 players in the NBA to knock down more than 650 treys while shooting over 38% from behind the arc and posting a True Shooting shooting percentage north of 57%.

And his numbers on catch-and-shoot attempts are even more impressive. He posted multiple seasons in which he's shot well above 40% on C&S triple tries. That's notable because he'll park out in the corners and help stretch defenses by spreading the floor.

Thibs has spoken highly of Shamet throughout training camp, even praising his defense and basketball IQ.

Not only do I fully expect Shamet to be on the roster when the Knicks travel to Boston for the season opener on Oct. 22, but he'll be a part of the rotation. 

It is undoubtedly a tiny sample size, but McBride and Shamet scoring a combined 38 points and knocking down eight three-pointers (on 47% 3PT shooting) off the bench was encouraging. By the way, they will make a COMBINED salary of $6.7 million this season.

Knicks News and Notes:

🏀 The newest Knick, Karl-Anthony Towns, logged 15 minutes in Sunday's exhibition, tallying 10 points (2-of-7 FGs, 5-of-6 FTs), four rebounds, two steals, and one 3-pointer. Like the rest of the Knicks starters, he sat out the second half. Towns' first-made basket as a Knick was a triple from about five past the three-point arc on the left wing. It was one of five 3PT attempts from KAT on the evening. This is notable because he was, at times, a reluctant long-range shooter during his day in Minnesota. If Sunday night was any indication, it seems clear that Thibs and the coaching staff have instructed him to let it fly from deep anytime he has even an inch of daylight. If the Knicks' offense goes from great to unstoppable this season, it will be because Towns fully embraces and excels as an unguardable stretch 5. 

On the defensive end, it is interesting to see KAT adapt to the drop coverage Thibs asks his centers to play. He looked fine on Sunday and will only get more comfortable as he gets more reps. 

🏀 Jalen Brunson also played 15 minutes, finishing with 12 points (5-of-11 FGs), one rebound, three assists, and two 3-pointers in 15 minutes. T'was good to see JB doing JB things on a basketball court. 

🏀 Mikal Bridges donned the orange and blue for the first time Sunday, tallying four points and one rebound in 13 minutes. I thought it was notable that Bridges began the game guarding the Hornets' best player, point guard LaMelo Ball. There will be plenty of nights this season when Bridges' box score numbers are underwhelming, but his contributions on both ends, especially the defensive side of the ball, are critical to New York's success… As we know, the same can be said of OG, who had four points, six boards and two blocks on Sunday. 

🏀 There has been plenty of debate/discussion over the past couple of weeks about who the Knicks' fifth starter will be this season. Well, Josh Hart got the nod in the preseason opener. He was scoreless in his 15 minutes on the floor vs. Charlotte, but he doesn't need to put up points to help the Knicks win games. I assume Thibs has already decided he will start Hart on Opening Night vs. the Celtics, and that's probably the correct choice. 

As I noted above, Deuce is capable of holding his own. I suppose an augment could also be made for Precious Achiuwa or Shamet, with the idea that bringing Hart's unbridled energy off the bench optimizes his impact. However, let's not try to overthink it. Hart is a key contributor, and the team often plays its best when he is on the court (he was arguably the Knicks' MVP in their first-round series victory over the Sixers last season). Thus, he should be on the floor as often as possible. Let him start and develop chemistry with JB/Bridges/OG/KAT, as this group will frequently be the "finishing five" as well.

"At the end of the day, my job isn't to go out there and score 20. It's not to go out there and force things offensively and try to make things happen," Hart told the New York Post after Sunday's win. "My job is to rebound, defend at a high level, offensively kind of be a connector, get into the lane and find guys for open shots, get the rebound, push the pace and get us easy transition buckets. I don't worry about shots. The shots will come how I play. How I play is very random. The shots will be there. I think I shot the ball twice [Sunday]. At the end of the day, I don't think any team's won without several people sacrificing. If that's me sacrificing points, I will gladly do that."

​​🏀 Speaking of Precious Achiuwa, he logged a team-high 33 minutes Sunday night, tallying 15 points, five boards, two dimes, two steals and a block. While having KAT start at center fills the massive hole in the middle resulting from iHart's departure and Mitch Rob's injury, New York still needs to find solid center minutes off the bench until Robinson returns.

In his 21 minutes off the pine, Jericho Sims grabbed a game-high ten rebounds, including five on the offensive end.  

Achiuwa's best highlight from Sunday's win was his dunk over Nick Richards. It was as Precious was saying to Leon, "You don't need to trade for that dude. You got me!!"  

🏀 Regarding backup point duties, Cam Payne checked in for Jalen Brunson with about four minutes remaining in the first quarter. Payne was inefficient on the evening (shooting 5-of-14 from the floor and 1-of-7 from downtown en route to 11 points) but did dish out six assists (vs. three turnovers) in 26 minutes. 

🏀 Tyler Kolek didn't enter the game until under two minutes left in the third quarter, yet the point guard out of Marquette made an immediate impact, draining his first shot (a 27-foot three-pointer) on his second trip down the floor.  

Kolek would finish the contest with 11 points (3-of-5 shooting), three triples, two steals and one assist in 14 minutes. He also posted a team-best +9 plus/minus. 

As was noted several times during his stint in Summer League, Kolek looks incredibly comfortable anytime he steps onto a basketball court. He plays with the poise of a grizzled vet and is unafraid to take big shots. He is never rushed or frantic and consistently makes the correct play. 

Payne has the edge over Kolek due to his experience, but I think Kolek is going to push for minutes sooner rather than later. The Garden will love this kid once they watch him play consistently. Great pick by the Knicks.  

🏀 In his latest Substack published last night, Marc Stein reported that before reaching a deal with Minnesota to acquire Karl-Anthony Towns, the Knicks "made multiple trade runs at Utah's Walker Kessler." However, per Stein, "Utah wanted at least two future first-round picks for Kessler."

After the Knicks traded DDV and Julius in the KAT swap, I wondered if New York shopped Donte around the league and what kind of package they may have considered—for instance, Mitch and DDV for Clint Capela or Jusuf Nurkic and something else etc.? Ultimately, the KAT trade probably made the most sense.

Two first-round picks for Kessler was (unsurprisingly, considering Danny Ainge was involved) too much to give up. 

🏀 The Knicks announced on Friday that Patrick Ewing was hired in the newly created role of basketball ambassador, where he will work with both basketball and business operations.

"As I said the day my number 33 jersey lifted into the rafters at MSG, I will always be a Knick, and I will always be a New Yorker," Ewing said in a statement announcing the hiring. "I can't wait to get started in this new position and to officially be back with the organization that I love so much. The Garden has always been my home, and I'm looking forward to working with Leon Rose, Coach Thibodeau, the team and everyone else that makes this place so special."

This is terrific news, as the Big Fella is finally back home where he belongs. It's yet another instance of the current Knicks regime doing the right/smart thing. There had been tension between Ewing (the greatest player in franchise history) and the organization since he was traded to Seattle nearly 25 years ago. Kudos to Leon Rose and company for stepping in, putting egos aside, and helping mend fences. 

"The New York Knicks and Patrick Ewing are synonymous with one another, and we are humbled and excited to bring Patrick back home," Rose said in a statement. "A monumental figure in New York basketball lore, Patrick brings a wealth of knowledge from his time both on and off the court that is unmatched. We are ecstatic that Patrick will once again be back in the blue and orange."

🏀 Up Next:
The Knicks will host the Wizards Wednesday night at MSG. The game, which will mark the Garden debuts of KAT and Bridges, tips off at 7:30 pm.