In less than two months, the Knicks will travel across town to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn to face the Nets in the 2012/13 season opener. It'll be the start of what the NBA is hoping will be a renewed rivalry, and former Knicks president Donnie Walsh is fascinated to see how it plays out.
"I think it’s going to be an unbelievable rivalry," Walsh told Fred Kerber of the New York Post. "The Knicks still will have their fans but the Nets now have an entire borough. And Manhattan and Brooklyn have always been rivals…. Even when New Jersey was really good, the rivalry wasn’t there. This is fantastic for the city, great for Brooklyn. Knick fans are loyal but there are enough people in Brooklyn to support a second team."
Here are a few more of today's Knicks-related items:
- Howard Beck of the New York Times reports that Ronnie Brewer will miss six weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a meniscus tear in his knee (Twitter link).
- Tommy Beer of HoopsWorld writes that the Knicks will certainly be an older team this season, but it remains to be seen whether or not they'll be a better team.
Earlier updates:
- Walsh also told Kerber that he likes the Knicks' roster, and doesn't buy the popular theory that Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire can't play together.
- In a Q&A with Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com, Steve Novak discusses his role, his goals for the season, and the challenge of playing in what could be the NBA's toughest division.
- The Knicks have new attitudes to go along with their new uniforms, according to Anthony Sulla-Heffinger of the New York Post. Within the piece, Tyson Chandler praises his teammates for being willing to give up a month of their summers to participate in a "pre-training camp" starting next week. Chandler also noted that not having to deal with a lockout this summer should put him in far better position heading into his second season with the Knicks.