The Knicks play the Kings today.
Kings. Knicks. Knicks. Kings. That’s it.
Here are a few words I gathered in the past few hours.
_**_On Mitchell Robinson as a roll threat:_**_
“Whoever’s guarding Mitch is aggressive. So if teams keep stepping up and trying to be aggressive on the ball screens, Mitch has to get out quick and he’s gotta look for it at the rim.”
_**_On Mitch’s defensive impact:_**_
“Our defensive player was Mitch. Mitch was phenomenal on the offensive glass, but he was really, really good for us defensively. Four deflections. Couple of 50–50 balls. Rebounding the ball really well. Couple of blocks. Big, big night from Mitch, especially on the defensive end of the floor.”
_**_On using the bench to defend against Maxey and Edgecombe:_**_
“They’re huge. You don’t stop those types of guys, but to have a guy like Deuce coming off the bench, have a guy like Landry, both those guys are physical at the point of attack. That type of relentless pursuit with athleticism and toughness is phenomenal, and obviously we need those guys.”
_**_On asking teammates for alley-oops:_**_
“I tell them when we’re watching film, ‘Look here, I’m wide open. Throw it to me. I do a little dirty work so reward me.’ That’s kinda how that is.”
_**_On staying levelheaded after wins:_**_
“It is good, but also it’s January. You can’t get too high or too low. Three games ago we were turning into a lottery team, and now you’re saying we’re battling the East. We’re just trying to stay levelheaded.”
_**_On Shamet and McBride’s defense against the Sixers:_**_
“They were huge. I think Sham got two offensive fouls drawn from blowing up handoffs. Dude was great all game. That’s a tough matchup with Tyrese, and we need that.”
_**_On the need to play defense whether shots fall or not:_**_
“Shots fall, sometimes don’t. Effort is controllable. On the defensive end, you gotta find ways to win games when the ball’s not going in. It’s a pride thing.”
_**_On the energy the bench_ brings to games:**_
“If you’re coming off the bench you’ve got fresh legs. You’re watching the game and thinking how you can elevate what’s going on. Sometimes it’s as simple as ball pressure. The domino effect is real.”
_**_On Robinson’s overall value:_**_
“He’s a special player. There’s no one like him in the league. His impact is felt every night in many different ways.”
_**_On being ready for another coaching gig:_**_
“I love the game. Obviously, I’m preparing for the next opportunity, so hopefully I’ll be ready for it.”