Four of the five Knicks starters didn’t board a plane north of the border, the fifth one didn’t play basketball on Tuesday, and it all showed badly.
New York will host a preseason game for one final time on Thursday before dressing in gold for Tuesday’s banner night.
Here’s the latest from Mike, James, and Miles.
Mike Brown
On the Knicks’ performance and defensive shortcomings in their 50-point preseason loss to Toronto:
“It’s not necessarily what’s on
the scoreboard at that particular time. It is: are you doing the right things to be better and/or get better? And in the first half, what I was most disappointed in was we weren’t putting bodies on bodies. Fifteen second-chance points in one half is not good. Thirty fast-break points in one half is not good.
“And then the way they sped us up, and us not necessarily touching the paint and trying to spray it and/or making quick decisions is not good. So that’s what I was most disappointed in in the first half. I really didn’t care about the score, especially with the group we had on the floor.”
On how James Wiseman has developed since his time with the Warriors:
“Back then, obviously, he was talented but he was really raw in terms of his ability and feel on the court. It’s obviously a lot higher now, but he’s also been humbled a little bit with the challenges and the adversity he’s gone through in his career. He understands how hard it is. That obviously is different now than what it was back then.”
On Wiseman’s growth and understanding of how quickly NBA opportunities can disappear:
“Everything was new to him. He was a wide-eyed young puppy and now he’s a little bit more seasoned with the knowledge of, ‘This is not gonna be easy and opportunities can come and go like that.’”
James Wiseman
On appreciating his opportunity to compete for a roster spot with the Knicks:
“It’s a blessing to just be here. Really just being able to go out there, enjoy myself, have fun, just keep working. Stay diligent.”
On overcoming injuries and adversity throughout his NBA career:
“It’s been a lot. Really just putting God first. Staying down, grinding every single day and just taking one day at a time. That’s really all you can do, just really control what you can.”
On what he has learned about himself through his career struggles:
“Really just being able to stay resilient through the process and really just staying persistent as well.”
On how his athleticism can help him earn the Knicks’ final roster spot:
“Just being able to use my athleticism. Being able to put my head on the rim every single time, run the floor and really just being vocal.”
Miles McBride
On the Knicks’ 50-point preseason loss to the Raptors:
“You never want to lose in that way. But at the same time, we just gotta move on. Preseason is for those reasons. Missing eight of our guys, you just want to come out there and have a positive mindset. Go out there and play hard. There were things we could’ve definitely done better, but they’re a playoff team and you add a Hall of Famer with them.”
