Nigerian National Team Hires David Fizdale As New Coach
Former NBA coach David Fizdale, who is currently an analyst for NBA TV, is the new head coach of Nigeria’s men’s national team, he tells Marc J. Spears of ESPN Andscape.
The 51-year-old will be looking to lead the Nigerians to the 2028 Olympic games in Fizdale’s hometown of Los Angeles.
“It will be fun and exciting calling timeouts and drawing plays up again as a head coach,” Fizdale told ESPN Andscape in a phone interview. “It will be good to get back in that mindset of preparation and motivation. That is going to be fun and exciting as well. But the biggest fact is the nostalgia and what is driving me to get to L.A. What is driving me the most is helping Nigeria not only qualify and medal, but to do that in front of my family. That would be the most special thing.”
Fizdale spent several years as an assistant in Miami prior to landing his first head coaching job with Memphis. He also had a stint as head coach of New York. Overall, Fizdale compiled a 71-134 (.346 win percentage) regular season record across parts of four seasons with the Grizzlies and Knicks from 2016-19. His most recent coaching job came as the top assistant in Phoenix from 2023-25.
According to Fizdale, current Knicks head coach Mike Brown — who previously led Nigeria’s national team — helped convince him to take the job. Nigeria will play in the African qualifiers for the 2027 FIBA World Cup in early July, Spears notes.
If the Nigerian national team is able to qualify for the 2027 World Cup or 2028 Olympics, the roster could be loaded with NBA talent. A source tells Spears that Desmond Bane, OG Anunoby, Onyeka Okongwu, Gabe Vincent, Mark Williams, Zeke Nnaji, Precious Achiuwa, Josh Okogie, Adem Bona and Isaac Okoro are among the candidates to potentially suit up for those events.
Knicks Notes: Anunoby, Bridges, McBride, Fouls, Workout
The Knicks came through in crunch time on Wednesday to pull out a victory in Game 2 of their second-round series vs. the 76ers and will carry a 2-0 lead into Philadelphia. However, the win may have come out a cost, as standout forward OG Anunoby exited the game in the fourth quarter due to an apparent right hamstring injury and didn’t return, according to Zach Braziller of The New York Post.
Anunoby appeared to sustain the injury on a missed dunk attempt with just over three minutes left in the game. The 28-year-old landed a little awkwardly and briefly grabbed at the back of his leg, then was limping as he begin running up the court following the offensive possession (video link via NBA.com). He signaled to the bench that he needed to check out of the game and was subbed out shortly thereafter.
“It looked like he was hopping, but I don’t know anything,” head coach Mike Brown said after the game, per Vincent Goodwill of ESPN. “They haven’t told me. I just know he left the game. Nobody said he was back. I haven’t talked to anybody yet.”
There have been on additional updates on Anunoby since last night, so we’re still waiting to get a sense of whether the injury is a minor one or if it’s more significant. As Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post and Ian O’Connor of The Athletic write, it’s a concerning development for a team that has been playing its best basketball since Game 4 of the first round, given how important Anunoby has been during that stretch. He holds overall playoff averages of 21.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.9 steals in 35.3 minutes per game.
We have more on the Knicks:
- Mikal Bridges‘ scoring average dropped to 14.4 points per game this season, making him a target for criticism given what the Knicks paid to acquire him (five first-round picks) and to extend him ($150MM over four years). However, he has been on a roll in the postseason, showing why the team valued him so highly, writes Jake Nisse of The New York Post. Bridges has scored 35 points on 16-of-23 (69.6%) shooting through the first two games of the second round and has been one of the primary defenders on Sixers star Tyrese Maxey, who has made just 12-of-32 shots (37.5%) while committing 10 turnovers. Bridges’ contributions could be even more important going forward if Anunoby misses time, Nisse notes.
- Count Miles McBride among the Knicks who is prepared to take on a larger role if necessary, depending on Anunoby’s diagnosis, writes Ian Begley of SNY.tv. McBride said he’d be “extremely comfortable” if asked to do more. “I feel like the coaching staff trusts me, I know my teammates trust me and I trust myself overall,” McBride said. “So if that happens, I know I’ll be ready.”
- After his big men got into foul trouble for the second straight game, Brown suggested in his post-game media session that he hopes the free throw discrepancy between the two teams gets “evened out a little bit more” over the course of the series, per Jared Schwartz of The New York Post. “I think it was (Karl-Anthony Towns)’ third or fourth foul where Maxey came off him,” Brown said, presumably referring to this play. “I’m not sure what’s a bump and what’s not a bump, but up by half-court, I gotta go back and I gotta watch that, because you can literally call somebody getting bumped every time down the floor if you want to. And so, for KAT to pick up his third or fourth foul that way — I can’t remember which one it was — that was tough.”
- Texas Tech wing Donovan Atwell, Michigan guard Elliot Cadeau, Kentucky center Malachi Moreno, and Ohio guard Jackson Paveletzke were among the prospects who took part in a pre-draft workout with the Knicks on Tuesday, a league source tells Adam Zagoria of NJ.com (Twitter link). New York holds three picks in this year’s draft — Nos. 24, 31, and 55.
Atlantic Notes: Robinson, M. Brown, Nurse, Vucevic
The Knicks have ruled backup center Mitchell Robinson out for Game 2 against the Sixers due to an illness, SNY’s Ian Begley writes (Twitter link). Robinson had previously been listed as questionable, having been added to the injury report this afternoon.
Robinson played just 12 minutes in Game 1, limited by foul trouble as well as the Sixers’ decision to intentionally foul him early in the game to take advantage of his 37.7% career playoff percentage from the free throw line. He went 0-for-4, though Philadelphia did not go back to the strategy in the second half.
With Robinson on the bench, Knicks head coach Mike Brown turned to second-year center Ariel Hukporti, playing him almost as many minutes in the series opener (17) as he did in the entire first-round matchup against the Hawks (19). Hukporti also picked up four fouls, but contributed nine rebounds and two blocks.
With Joel Embiid ruled out due to ankle and hip injuries, New York will hope that their defensive-minded big man will not be as sorely missed as he would be otherwise.
We have more notes from around the Atlantic Division:
- Brown isn’t burdened by the weight of the championship mandate from the Knicks‘ leadership, because he already puts the same pressure on himself, Zach Braziller writes for the New York Post. “It doesn’t matter what others say. I’m disappointed if we’re not in the Finals and having a chance to win it,” he said. Brown is known for his steady temperament; it’s something the players admire about him. “He doesn’t listen to the outside noise and doesn’t let that affect him. And he’s focused every day on how he can come in and make this team better,” Josh Hart said. “He listens to his coaches and listens to us with our feedback and what we have to say and asks us questions and stuff like that.”
- Sixers‘ head coach Nick Nurse is back after a brief absence to mourn the unexpected loss of his older brother, Steve Nurse. Nick says that his brother would want him back with the team, per The Associated Press. “I’m here coaching and my brother would expect me to be,” Nurse said. “He was a huge fan. He wants us to go play, he wants us to play hard, so that’s what we’re going to try to do tonight.”
- After being eliminated in the first round by the Sixers, the Celtics have personnel decisions to make as they try to rebuild a championship roster around their core players. Nikola Vucevic will be a key factor in their offseason as his $21.5MM deal comes off the books this summer. President Brad Stevens spoke about the mid-season addition, though he stopped short of offering insight into the team’s plans for the veteran center. “I thought that Vooch gave us all that he had and, did what we asked…” Stevens said. “I have a lot of respect for Vooch as a person and as a pro. I thought he was really good in our locker room. I thought he was a really good person to have around. Certainly, a positive experience with him.”
Amick’s Latest: Lottery Reform, Mosley, Lakers, Wolves, More
A “heavy frontrunner” has emerged as the NBA considers its options to reduce tanking, league and team sources tell Sam Amick of The Athletic.
In March, the league presented three separate lottery reform concepts to its governors to address the problem. It appears option No. 1, which expands the draft lottery to 18 teams from the current 14, has received the best reception, according to Amick. The proposal would give each of the bottom 10 teams an 8% chance of landing the top overall pick, and the remaining 20% would be distributed among the other eight. It’s a significant change from the current system, which provides the three worst teams with a 14% chance at the No. 1 selection, with the odds steadily declining for the rest.
Several general managers that Amick contacted point out that option No. 1 could result in new problems that should be addressed before a vote is taken. There could be an outcry if one of the four lottery teams that reaches the playoffs winds up winning the top overall selection. Although the odds of that happening are slim, the huge jumps taken by Atlanta, Dallas and other teams in the last two lotteries show that it’s possible.
The next step in the process will take place on Tuesday with a league-wide meeting of GMs on Zoom. Draft reform won’t be the only topic of discussion, but it will be the main issue, Amick adds. He hears that commissioner Adam Silver is taking a “collaborative approach,” welcoming extensive feedback, with the league’s competition committee taking the lead and representatives from the players union also involved.
A vote on reform is expected at the next Board of Governors meeting in May, and at least 23 of the 30 teams must approve the proposal for it to be adopted. Silver stated in February that he hopes to have a new system in place by next season.
There’s more from Amick:
- Orlando’s playoff success may be complicating a few expected coaching moves. Amick notes that rumors about Jamahl Mosley being on the hot seat have been circulating since October, and they intensified when the Magic lost their final regular season game and their first play-in contest. Former Bulls head coach Billy Donovan and Bucks associate head coach Darvin Ham were seen as potential replacements, and Mosley was viewed as a possible candidate for the Pelicans. However, Orlando holds a 2-1 lead in its series with top-seeded Detroit, and Amick believes Mosley is worthy of a “second look” from Magic officials if he can get the team to at least the second round.
- Amick addresses a few other coaching situations, including Tiago Splitter‘s unique position with the Trail Blazers and Mike Brown‘s Finals-or-bust mandate with the Knicks. Amick also believes pressure has increased on the Sixers’ Nick Nurse and the Cavaliers’ Kenny Atkinson following Sunday’s playoff losses.
- The Lakers and Timberwolves have experienced terrible injury luck, with L.A. losing Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves before its series started and Minnesota seeing Donte DiVincenzo and Anthony Edwards both suffer significant injuries in Saturday’s game. Amick praises the foresight of the Lakers’ Rob Pelinka and the Wolves’ Tim Connelly for adding depth that gives their teams a chance to survive those losses. Pelinka signed Marcus Smart last summer following a buyout with Washington, then acquired Luke Kennard from Atlanta in February. Connelly made possibly the best deal at this year’s deadline, getting Ayo Dosunmu from Chicago in exchange for two little-used players and a package of second-round picks.
Knicks Notes: Towns, Hart, Brunson, McBride
The Knicks struggled to put four straight quarters of high-level offense together in Games 2 and 3 of their series against the Hawks. In Game 4, they turned to Karl-Anthony Towns as the lead man, and it may have saved their season, Kristian Winfield writes for the New York Daily News. The Knicks have had issues getting the talented center involved at times, but they made a clear effort to do so on Saturday.
The six-time All-Star had his first playoff triple-double with 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. His passing from the top of the key opened up the game for the Knicks, as did the off-ball play designs from head coach Mike Brown, which got players like OG Anunoby shot after shot inside, most of which were courtesy of Towns.
“[Towns] is a special talent. He can do it all. And I know if I get open, he’ll find me,” Anunoby said after the game, per Winfield. “No matter how tight the window is, he’ll be able to find it. It’s amazing playing with a player like him.”
Brown said that the decision to play through Towns was a result of being willing to adjust quickly, given the magnitude of the game, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Post.
“We just switched our early offense,” Brown said. “So with us switching our early offense up the way we did, the ball went to his hands quite a bit.”
We have more from the Knicks:
- Josh Hart is best known for his rebounding and hustle plays, but it’s his defensive versatility that has allowed New York to come back and tie their first-round series with the Hawks, Jared Schwartz writes for the New York Post. Hart split his time guarding CJ McCollum, who has been picking apart the Knicks’ defense for much of the series, and Jalen Johnson. He was similarly effective on both players, and his intensity helped set the tone for New York’s perimeter defense, which held the Hawks to 24.4% shooting from deep and converted 19 Atlanta turnovers into 21 points. “Josh was really good on the ball,” Brown said. “Josh is a guy with quick feet, he’s strong and when he gets locked in, he’s locked in. His defensive activity, especially when he [pressures the ball], was fabulous [Saturday night]. Really, really good. And we needed all of it.”
- Another crucial part of the Knicks’ victory was finding a way to keep Jalen Brunson from being a target on defense. On Saturday, Brown was able to do that, Winfield writes. “We mix it up so Jalen is not always on [the ball-handler],” Brown said pregame. “When he is, we got to make sure we continue to mix up our defensive coverages.” Brunson also waved away concerns over the visible disagreement he had with his father, assistant coach Rick Brunson, simply saying, “That was two competitors,” per Schwartz.
- It’s been an inconsistent start to the playoffs for Miles McBride, who is still less than three months removed from undergoing sports hernia surgery. McBride has had some positive moments, especially late in games, but has made just one two-pointer and has yet to attempt a free throw. He’s not making excuses about his injury though, Bondy writes. “I expect a lot out of myself, more than anybody else, honestly. And I try not to listen to how I’m feeling day to day,” he said. “Because at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter; if I’m supposed to get a stop, I gotta get a stop. If I’m supposed to make a shot, I gotta make a shot. So I try not to think about it. Reality is, I’ve gotta go out there and perform.”
Knicks Notes: Brunson, Brown, Defense, Game 4, Robinson
Part of the pitch head coach Mike Brown made when he was hired by the Knicks last summer was instituting an offensive scheme that would allow star Jalen Brunson to get easier looks and be less ball-dominant. Through three playoff games, that has not been the case, and Brunson’s effectiveness on offense has suffered because of it, Jared Schwartz writes for the New York Post.
Part of that is due to a roster construction flaw that was always present but has been particularly noticeable in this series: the Knicks lack a second ball-handler who can get into the defense and create opportunities for teammates. Josh Hart is better at attacking an already-tilted defense, while players like OG Anunoby, Miles McBride, Landry Shamet, and Mikal Bridges are limited by a shaky handle and a lack of explosiveness with the ball. Karl-Anthony Towns is a good passer from a standstill but struggles to make reads on the move.
The Hawks also have a group of strong perimeter defenders, led by Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who have hounded Brunson and made life difficult for him.
“We all have to be aggressive, not just to shoot the ball, but be aggressive to touch the paint [on drives],” Brown said. “And if you don’t have anything in the paint, you gotta spray it. We haven’t gone anywhere near our sprays that we’ve wanted to in these first three games.”
We have more from the Knicks:
- After two-and-a-half games of struggling to contain Hawks guard CJ McCollum, the Knicks seemed to find an answer by putting Hart on him in the second half of Game 3. Hart corralled the smaller McCollum, holding him to just 2-of-5 shooting, Schwartz writes. However, when they most needed to get a stop on the final play of the game, Brown went away from the strategy. Instead, he had the smaller McBride guard McCollum one-on-one with 16 seconds to go while up one point, while Hart defended the inbounds passer. McCollum was able to get free for a comfortable look that ultimately proved to be the game-winner. “I’m not happy with my contest,” McBride said. “He made the shot. I feel like if I maybe had bumped him earlier, but trying to get a feel for how the game was being called. I don’t want to put him at the free-throw line in a sense like that.”
- The Knicks are only down 2-1 in the series, but they’re viewing Game 4 as a must-win, Steve Popper writes for Newsday. “We’re playing for our lives,” McBride said. “I mean, it is a seven-game series and it’s the first to four, but it’s ticking away. We don’t want to leave it up to chance. We don’t want to say we wish we could have or we wish we would have done this different. We want to take every opportunity, every chance we can, and take advantage of it, be together as a team and figure it out.”
- Mitchell Robinson has been uncharacteristically absent for a team that relied on the backup big man to provide much of their identity and defensive backbone throughout the year. On Friday, Robinson’s trainer, Marcell Scott, took to Instagram to express frustration with Brown’s approach to the series, Schwartz writes in another New York Post story. “Knicks Coach Mike Brown is SCARED to get mad!!!” Scott wrote on his post. “He’s to [sic] nice of a guy to coach the New York Knicks!!! He would rather play OG at the 5, instead of [Towns] and Mitch at the 4 and 5. Nice guys finish last Coach!” Scott has been vocal about Robinson’s role on the team in the past, Schwartz notes, including a post in December urging Brown to get Robinson more involved in the offense. Brown has said throughout the series that he’s struggled to find the right matchups to unleash the defensive-minded big man, especially in lineups that include Towns.
Knicks Notes: Bridges, McBride, Robinson, Hart, Fouls
The Knicks‘ loss to the Hawks in Game 3 on Thursday was a team effort, but the most notable aspect was the performance of Mikal Bridges, who went scoreless in 20 minutes, with more turnovers (four) than steals, assists, rebounds, and points combined.
Head coach Mike Brown isn’t benching Bridges, but he came closer to doing so on Thursday, as he was replaced for most of the second half by Miles McBride, Vincent Goodwill writes for ESPN.
While McBride was one of the few Knicks hitting shots, Bridges looked out of sorts, lacking confidence or intentionality, writes Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. After the NBA’s iron man was benched two minutes into the third quarter, Brown put him back on the court to start the fourth quarter. His one attempt to make a play with the ball ended in a turnover, and he was pulled once again in favor of McBride.
“I’ve got to take it on the chin, handle it how I’m supposed to and be ready for the next one,” Bridges said. “You know, it’s going to suck. It is what it is. I’ve just got to be better to help my team out there.”
Determining whether to replace Bridges with McBride in the starting lineup will be a crucial decision, according to Ian Begley of SNY, who notes that the Knicks have been getting off to slow starts and says they can’t afford to do so in Game 4 on Saturday.
Brown isn’t committing to a change yet, but he’s also not ruling anything out, per James L. Edwards III at The Athletic. The Knicks’ coach told reporters on Friday that the lineup for Game 4 would be a game-time call.
We have more from the Knicks:
- New York has struggled to get backup center Mitchell Robinson involved in this series despite his importance to the team throughout the year. Brown hasn’t been able to find ways to use him, especially with Karl-Anthony Towns playing well, Andrew Crane writes for The Post. On Thursday, Robinson played just 11 minutes and finished the game with four rebounds. Crane notes it’s only the seventh game all year in which the big man recorded four or fewer boards. When asked what he was looking for in terms of using Towns and Robinson together, Brown said the two-big lineup “has to fit offensively and defensively over the course of a ball game,” per Begley (Twitter link), adding that it’s been hard to find the right matchups to roll it out against.
- Josh Hart also struggled on offense in Game 4, recording just two points on 1-of-9 shooting in 40 minutes. However, he has still managed to be the Knicks’ most important player through three games, Edwards writes. His defense on Jalen Johnson and CJ McCollum has been crucial for keeping the Knicks in a series they might otherwise be trailing 3-0, and he remains an elite rebounder, averaging 12.0 per contest through three games. If the Knicks are going to make it out of the first round, they’ll need even more from him, Edwards says. More importantly, they need the rest of the team to play with as much hustle and determination as their versatile, undersized forward.
- While a majority of the Knicks’ issues have been either self-inflicted or the result of the Hawks’ tough defense and shot-making, Brown is also frustrated with a lack of calls for his players as they drive to the basket. “When they close out hard, we gotta drive the basketball. I do think it’s a tough game for the officials to officiate,” Brown said. “But I know we got fouled on a few of the drives that didn’t get called. It’s tough to see 20-26 [free-throw discrepancy] in a one-possession game when you know for sure there were a couple of fouls that should’ve been called.”
Knicks Notes: Brown, Towns, Robinson, Shamet
Much of the discussion following the Knicks‘ loss to the Hawks in Game 2 revolved around coach Mike Brown‘s decisions regarding lineups and timeout usage. Asked ahead of Game 3 whether he’ll stick with his usual substitution patterns, Brown says he’s open to tweaking his rotation, Andrew Crane writes for the New York Post.
“Anything’s open to discussion offensively, defensively,” Brown said. “Maybe changing this defensively. Maybe changing that offensively. I’m comfortable with all of our guys playing, no matter who the five is out there.”
The Knicks’ players themselves say they’re fully confident in Brown’s adjustments, per Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News, noting that it’s up to them to execute the game plan their coach lays out for them. Playing with pace and physicality are two points of emphasis among the coaching staff and the players.
“We [have to] get the ball faster, run on makes and misses,” said Jalen Brunson. “Just be who we are and don’t let things are not that important in this moment — it shouldn’t mean we’re not doing the things that we’re supposed to be doing.”
We have more Knicks notes:
- Karl-Anthony Towns took 12 shots in Game 2 and only two in the fourth quarter as the lead the Knicks had built slipped away. In a feature story for ESPN, Vincent Goodwill outlines how Brown and the coaching staff have struggled all season to maximize the star big man on offense but observes that it hasn’t impacted Towns’ desire to continue being a Knick. “He so badly wants things to work here,” a source close to Towns tells ESPN. “He wants to be a Knick for life.”
- Mitchell Robinson isn’t angry about the Hawks employing intentional fouls as a way to force him off the floor. He views it as a sign of respect, Winfield writes. “I mean, yeah, I feel like they want to get me off the court, so I know I’m threatening they ass and it be like that,” Robinson said. Despite being just 2-for-6 from the line through two games, Robinson believes that the work he puts in to practice his free throws will pay off in the end. “Sometimes, it go in; sometimes, it don’t,” he said. “Confidence still high, so still ready to go.” Brown is trying to figure out how to get the defensive-minded center more minutes, but he says it’s been difficult because the two-big lineups with Towns haven’t been effective so far this series, Ian Begley of SNY notes (via Twitter).
- The Knicks have praised Landry Shamet‘s plug-and-play ability all year, but he hit a rough patch towards the end of the season and hasn’t found a way to break out of it so far in the playoffs, Jared Schwartz writes for the New York Post. Shamet shot just 1-for-7 from the field over the first two games of the series, with six of those seven attempts from beyond the arc. The Knicks have struggled to find a stable ball-handler off the bench, as both Shamet and Miles McBride are more comfortable off the ball and have difficulty breaking down defenses off the dribble. Those two were supposed to be New York’s top guard depth, but neither has been able to get going, forcing Brown to turn to Jose Alvarado instead as a source of energy and ball-handling.
Knicks Notes: Game 2 Collapse, Towns, Alvarado, Robinson, More
Karl-Anthony Towns was the Knicks‘ second-leading scorer in Game 2 of their first-round series against Atlanta, with 18 points, but he was essentially a non-factor during the fourth quarter of their 107-106 loss, Zach Braziller of the New York Post notes.
Towns attempted just two shots during those 12 minutes as the Knicks squandered a 12-point lead. He scored 25 points and dished out four assists in the Game 1 victory.
“The opportunity just didn’t come around shooting,” he said after Monday’s loss. “But at the end of the day, I trust everybody in this locker room to shoot the ball. The opportunities weren’t available for me in the fourth and it was fine.”
Jalen Brunson dominated the ball during much of that final quarter as New York scored just 15 points and shot 22.7% from the floor.
“We could’ve flowed better, for sure. We could’ve done that,” Towns said. “But at the end of the day, I have to watch the tape. When you’re so into the game, it’s hard to give a great assessment about it.”
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- Jose Alvarado was a bright spot in the loss, according to Braziller. The reserve guard provided three assists, two rebounds and pesky defense in his nine-minute stint. Mitchell Robinson‘s performance was also a positive, in Braziller’s view. The big man notched 13 points, seven rebounds, a steal and a block in 18 minutes.
- Lay the blame for the late collapse on coach Mike Brown, Brunson and OG Anunoby, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post opines. Brown mismanaged his timeouts, Brunson got lit up by CJ McCollum and Anunoby committed a crucial turnover and missed two late free throws.
- James Edwards III of The Athletic blames the loss largely on Brown, not only for the timeout issues but for his rotations. Brunson and Towns were both on the bench when the fourth quarter started and Atlanta made its run. Brown stood by that decision. “We’ve played that lineup quite a bit at the end of the season,” Brown said. “That lineup’s been pretty good. We weren’t good tonight and we turned the ball over a few too many times during that period. But we had opportunities where our starters were in, and we were up eight to 10 [points] and Atlanta closed it. So I wouldn’t just say that specific lineup caused it.”
Knicks/Hawks Notes: Robinson, Anunoby, Okongwu, Gueye
The Hawks attempted to take Mitchell Robinson out of the equation for the Knicks in Game 1 by employing Hack-A-Mitch, intentionally fouling him to send him to the free throw line. After going 1-for-4 from the line, Robinson was pulled from the game after 15 minutes without having recorded a single offensive rebound.
Discussing how he will approach Robinson’s minutes in Monday’s Game 2, Knicks coach Mike Brown said that the team wasn’t overreacting to the strategy.
“We’ll probably just use a normal rotation, and at the end of the day, he’s gonna get an opportunity, and we’re confident that he’ll knock ’em down,” Brown said. “If we need to make a change, we feel confident with Josh [Hart] going and playing the center. Especially the way we’re playing, it allows us to switch the pick and roll and all that other stuff, so we’re okay with them fouling Mitch if that’s what they want to do.”
Robinson’s rim protection and ability to generate extra possessions on the offensive glass have been a huge part of the Knicks’ success over the last few years.
Brown adds that in some ways, the intentional fouling strategy can work in New York’s favor.
“If they want to start fouling him, that’ll get us closer to the bonus, and so that’s the time for us to go back to him,” he said, according to Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News.
The Knicks had 30 free throw attempts against 19 for the Hawks in Game 1, some of which had to do with Atlanta putting itself into the bonus to send Robinson to the line.
We have more from the Knicks/Hawks series:
- OG Anunoby is available to play for the Knicks on Monday, James L. Edwards III notes (via Twitter). The 6’8″ wing, who came in 10th in Defensive Player of the Year voting, was a crucial part of New York’s Game 1 victory, scoring 18 points in 38 minutes despite missing some time in the second half after twisting his ankle.
- Onyeka Okongwu is available for the Hawks, per Stefan Bondy of the New York Post (Twitter link), after previously being listed as questionable due to knee inflammation. Okongwu was productive in his 37 minutes in Game 1, scoring 19 points and hitting four of his six three-pointers. His presence is a welcome sight for the Hawks, who are thin at the center position as a result of Jock Landale‘s ankle injury.
- Due to the Hawks‘ aforementioned frontcourt depth – or lack thereof – the team turned to Mouhamed Gueye as their primary backup center behind Okongwu in Game 1, and he managed to hold his own, Lauren Williams writes for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. While Gueye didn’t put up impressive box score numbers, he didn’t allow Karl-Anthony Towns to bully him down low. With Okongwu dealing with knee inflammation, the Hawks may need Gueye to play more than the 10.5 minutes he saw on Saturday, Williams observes.