San Antonio Spurs rookie Stephon Castle has been ready to roll right from the start of his NBA career. The same couldn’t be said for his car following the team’s 126-116 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night.
Castle, a Rookie of the Year contender, was ready to leave Frost Bank Arena after contributing eight points and two rebounds in the victory. As Castle approached his car, teammates were filming him, and it became clear he wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
The rest of the Spurs burst into laughter as Castle discovered that his car had the wheels taken off. Devin Vassell posted a video of the incident on social media.
Castle then acted like he was ready to fight teammate Blake Wesley, but he took the prank in stride. The real question was whether his teammates gave his wheels back immediately or did they make him sweat and call a tow truck?
Car pranks are becoming a trend around the NBA with Donovan Mitchell filling Cleveland Cavaliers rookie Jaylon Tyson’s car with popcorn on Sunday. Players need to have their head on a swivel these days, or they need to start just catching rides to the arena.
If you have ever wanted to own a Cheeto that looks like Michael Jordan, you now have that chance. A Cheeto shaped like the famous Jumpman logo is up for auction at Goldin.
After a Charizard-shaped Cheeto sold for a whopping $87,840 recently, Goldin decided to put this Jordan-esque snack up for auction. The Jumpman Cheeto isn’t necessarily commanding Cheeto-zard prices, but it has two bids with the current highest sitting at $275.
Watch as Spurs prank rookie Stephon Castle by removing the wheels from his car Austin Nivison Watch as Spurs prank rookie Stephon Castle by removing the wheels from his car According to Goldin, the Cheeto sits in a three-inch case to protect it from the air and hungry mouth.
“The reverse of the case is designed like a collectible card, highlighting Jordan’s accomplishments from his illustrious career,” Goldin writes in the description. “The Cheeto itself is positioned against a backdrop of the iconic photograph that inspired the world-renowned logo.”
Those hoping to get in on the bidding have some time. There are still 16 days left before the auction closes, and it’ll be interesting to see just how high the price climbs on this cheesy piece of Jordan memorabilia.
While this is one of the more unique pieces of Jordan memorabilia to go up for auction, anything associated with him can fetch lucrative prices. Last year, an autographed 2003-04 Logoman card sold for a record $2.928 million.
According to Dallas Mavericks owner Patrick Dumont, the Luka Dončić trade — in which they sent the face of the franchise to the Los Angeles Lakers just ahead of his 26th birthday in exchange for a star who was about to turn 32, a third-year wing and just one first-round pick — was about the future.
Dumont used the word four separate times during a speaking engagement put on by a Dallas-area real estate organization:
“This was a decision about the future. If you look at our roster today and who we have, we feel like we’ve positioned ourselves to be incredibly competitive against the best teams in the NBA. And if you’re a fan of basketball — I’ll just throw that out there — you have Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington, Anthony Davis and either Daniel Gafford or Dereck Lively [II] as your starting five. That’s going to put fear into a lot of teams in the league, if we can get going.” “The objective was, ‘How do we create a roster for the future that allows us to be the most competitive team?'” “We want to win championships, we want to be a winning franchise for the city of Dallas and we want to be one of character, one of community involvement and one where we sort of carry on the legacy of the Dallas Mavericks in the right way. When you look at what Mark [Cuban] did, what Ross [Perot Jr.] did, I mean, everyone who has been involved in the team has done great things for the city of Dallas, and we feel an obligation to continue that stewardship. So we were really looking to the future.” “It’s really just about improving the team for the future.” Dumont made these comments a month ago, well before Irving’s torn ACL effectively rendered 2024-25 a wasted season for Dallas. The speaking engagement was after Davis had gotten hurt in his debut, though, and after Dumont had cited Shaquille O’Neal as a model of work ethic and single-minded focus (while implying that Dončić was not cut from the same cloth). It was also after the Mavericks had ejected multiple fans who had brought signs calling for general manager Nico Harrison’s firing to American Airlines Arena (on the same night that Dumont was booed as he sat down in his courtside seat). There had been plenty of time to come up with an explanation that made more sense than this.
Anthony Davis tries to calm Mavericks fans after Luka Dončić trade, says Dallas ‘gained a superstar in myself’ Sam Quinn Anthony Davis tries to calm Mavericks fans after Luka Dončić trade, says Dallas ‘gained a superstar in myself’ Maybe Dumont was using the definition of “the future” that Harrison used at the post-trade press conference. The quote is already infamous: “The future to me is three, four years from now. The future 10 years from now, I don’t know, they’ll probably bury me and [coach Jason Kidd] by then. Or we bury ourselves.”
Dumont acknowledged that Dončić is a “phenomenal player” and a “generational talent,” adding that the trade was “hard” and “emotional.” He said the decision was not about the salary cap — Dončić would have been able to sign a supermax extension with the Mavericks this coming summer — and the franchise will not leave Dallas for Las Vegas or anywhere else. He was well aware of fans’ anger and sense of betrayal in the aftermath of the trade, and he pledged to try to earn their trust back.
“I heard from the fans, I respect their voices, I listened, we know that this wasn’t easy,” Dumont said. “If we lost any of our fans’ trust, it was hard and I apologize, but I hope over time we can regain that trust through hard work and that’s our plan. And hopefully people will believe in the long run that what we did was the right decision. Time will tell.”
That message, though, was delivered alongside a rationale for the trade that doesn’t hold up to scrutiny. “Part of leadership is looking at risk and looking at all the factors of a decision and being willing to act at that time,” Dumont said. “And look to the long term and not only think about the short term or how it may be received immediately, but to think about the long-term benefits and what it may allow you to achieve if given all the right considerations.” Then he pointed to the 2024 trade deadline, at which point the Mavs “were not a playoff-bound team.” Trading for Washington and Gafford changed that, as they went on a late-season tear and advanced to the NBA Finals.
Before making the Dončić trade, Dumont said, “We looked at our trajectory during the season and realized that we did not get better, but the teams that we competed against, some of which we beat [last season], did get better.” He said Dallas determined that the defending champion Boston Celtics had improved, too, so it needed to make a move.
Dončić was sidelined with a calf injury at the time, and the Mavs were reportedly frustrated with his approach to conditioning. The way Dumont frames it, they weren’t pleased with the way things were going and thought the trade would put them on a better trajectory. But this is not what taking the long view looks like. From a long-term perspective, with an all-time great still just approaching his prime on the roster, a slower-than-expected start in any one particular season does not warrant an extreme reaction. This is particularly true given that the team was mere months removed from a Finals appearance that served as proof of concept.
The decision to trade Dončić was about the future in only one way: Dallas made a massive, long-term bet against him continuing on the course he’s been charting since being named EuroLeague MVP at 19 years old. Despite making the All-NBA First Team every year since his second season and dominating several playoff series, Dončić was simply not the guy the Mavericks wanted to build around anymore.
Even if you accept the unprecedented conclusion that they came to, though, it doesn’t justify the move they made. As Cuban said on WFAA last week, “If the Mavs are going to trade Luka, that’s one thing. Just get a better deal. No disrespect to Anthony Davis, but I still firmly believe if we had gotten four unprotected [first-round picks] and Anthony Davis and Max Christie, this would
A pivotal Game 3 gets underway on Friday as the No. 4 seed Los Angeles Clippers go on the road to play the No. 5 seed Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the 2024 NBA playoffs. Games 3 and 4 will be in Dallas after the first two games were split 1-1. These clubs squared off three times during the regular season and the Clippers won the season series 2-1. Kawhi Leonard (knee) is questionable for Los Angeles.
Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET at American Airlines Center in Dallas. The Mavericks are 4.5-point favorites in the latest Clippers vs. Mavericks odds via SportsLine consensus. The over/under for total points is 212.5. Before making any Mavericks vs. Clippers picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five-plus seasons. The model enters the second week of the 2024 NBA playoffs on a sizzling 90-58 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning more than $2,800. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Mavs vs. Clippers and just locked in its picks and NBA playoff predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Clippers vs. Mavs:
Mavericks vs. Clippers spread: Dallas -4.5 Mavericks vs. Clippers over/under: 212.5 points Mavericks vs. Clippers money line: Dallas -185, Los Angeles +153 DAL: 34-19 ATS this season at home LAC: 3-2 ATS this season against the Mavs Mavericks vs. Clippers picks: See picks at SportsLine Why the Mavericks can cover Guard Luka Doncic continues to show why he’s one of the best players in the NBA. The 25-year-old threads the needle as a passer while scoring from all three levels with consistency. Through two games in this series, he leads the team in scoring (32.5), rebounds (9.5) and assists (7.5). In the Game 2 win, Doncic had 32 points, six rebounds and nine assists.
Guard Kyrie Irving is one of the best ball handlers in the league. Irving can get past any defender due to his speed and quickness with the ball. The former Duke product is acrobatic in the lane while owning a pure jumper. In this series, he’s averaging 27 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per contest. In Game 1, Irving dropped 31 points, seven rebounds and four assists. See which team to pick here.
Why the Clippers can cover Center Ivica Zubac sets strong screens, is a solid rebounder on both ends and owns a soft touch around the rim. In this series, he leads the team in rebounds (13.5) with 16.5 points per game. The 27-year-old recorded back-to-back double-doubles. In Game 1, Zubac had 20 points and 15 boards.
Leonard would provide a huge boost for Los Angeles if he can go. Leonard can score from all three levels on the court with the instincts to be disruptive in the passing lane. The 32-year-old missed Game 1, but in Game 2 he racked up 15 points, seven rebounds and four steals. In 34 career games against the Mavericks, Leonard averages 18.6 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.9 assists. See which team to pick here.
How to make Clippers vs. Mavericks picks SportsLine’s model is leaning Over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 225 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits 60% of the time. You can only see the model’s pick and analysis at SportsLine.
So who wins Mavericks vs. Clippers, and which side of the spread hits 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Clippers vs. Mavericks spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that has returned more than $2,800 on its NBA picks this season, and find out.
The Los Angeles Lakers are facing elimination as they prepare for Game 4 Saturday night against the Denver Nuggets. In each of L.A.’s three losses against the Nuggets, they’ve held leads entering halftime but haven’t managed to hold onto those leads at the end of the game, allowing the defending champions to exert their dominance every time. Lakers coach Darvin Ham said during Friday’s film session guys were “irritated, frustrated, fed up and ready to make a change” ahead of Game 4, but when asked if that change would include moving struggling point guard D’Angelo Russell to the bench, he said no.
Russell struggled heavily in Game 3, going 0 for 7 from the floor, including 0-6 from deep. Across the series, he’s averaging just 12.0 points on 32.6% from the floor and 30.8% from deep. At the tail end of L.A.’s loss Thursday night, there was a video showing Russell looking disconnected from the rest of the Lakers group during a timeout.
D’Angelo Russell was seen eating on the bench late in last night’s Lakers loss to the Nuggets 🤔pic.twitter.com/nr6AjCrhgq
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 26, 2024 Since Ham isn’t considering bringing Russell off the bench, that means he’ll need to significantly improve his performance on Saturday. The Lakers need his production on offense and to replicate what he was able to do during the regular season, where he was averaging 18 points, 6.3 assists and 3.1 rebounds on 45.6% from the field. Without his scoring, more responsibility has fallen on the shoulders of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. While both are doing their best, it hasn’t been enough, especially in the second half against Denver.
We’ll have to see what adjustments Ham and the Lakers make for Game 4 because if things don’t improve in some capacity, whether that’s Russell suddenly finding his rhythm or a role player stepping up, L.A.’s season could end Saturday night.
Just a day after announcing that Jordi Fernandez would be the next head coach of the Brooklyn Nets, another hiring announcement has been made. Fernandez is reportedly adding former University of Michigan head coach Juwan Howard as an assistant, per ESPN.
Howard’s coaching career started after he retired from the NBA in 2013 following a 19-year career that included winning two championships with the Miami Heat in his final two years in the league as well as an All-Star nod and All-NBA and All-Rookie honors. He immediately joined Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra’s staff as an assistant, and following six years with the Heat, he took the head coaching job at his alma mater where he was a member of the lauded Fab Five at the University of Michigan.
Over the five years Howard was at Michigan, he compiled a 87-72 record, and coached the Wolverines to two March Madness appearances where they went as far as the Elite Eight and Sweet 16, respectively. However, following back-to-back disappointing seasons without postseason appearances, Howard was fired by Michigan in March. In his last season with the Wolverines, the team posted a 8-24 record, their worst since his hiring in 2019.
Now, though, after spending time in the collegiate ranks, Howard will return to the pro level under first time head coach Fernandez. The Nets new coach took the Brooklyn job after spending six years under Michael Malone in Denver, and most recently as an associate head coach under Mike Brown in Sacramento.
Though Howard is returning to the NBA as an assistant, teams have shown interest in him becoming a head coach in the past. The Lakers reportedly viewed him as their top option back in 2022 before they hired Darvin Ham, but Howard, turned down the opportunity as he instead opted to stay at Michigan for a chance to coach both of his sons.
With Howard is back in the NBA, he will be joining a coaching staff that has a lot of work to do in order to turn around a Nets team that went 32-50 this season, and missed the Play-In Tournament by four games.
The Phoenix Suns will attempt to get back into its first round playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves when the teams square off in Game 3 on Friday at the Footprint Center in Phoenix. The Suns enter the game in an 0-2 hole in the best-of-seven series in the 2024 NBA playoffs, which is an unfamiliar spot for this team. The last two seasons they reached the Western Conference finals, and three years ago they famously made the NBA Finals, losing to the Bucks. The Timberwolves also are in an unfamiliar spot. This is just the second time in franchise history that they’ve been up 2-0 in a series.
Tipoff is at 10:30 p.m. ET. Phoenix is listed as a 5.5-point favorite in the latest Suns vs. Timberwolves odds while the over/under for total points scored is 208 Before making any Timberwolves vs. Suns picks or NBA predictions, be sure to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five-plus seasons. The model enters the second week of the 2024 NBA playoffs on a sizzling 90-58 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning more than $2,800. Anyone following the model has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Suns vs. Timberwolves and just locked in its picks and Game 3 predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are several NBA betting lines and trends for Timberwolves vs. Suns:
Suns vs. Timberwolves spread: Phoenix -5.5 Suns vs. Timberwolves over/under: 208 points Suns vs. Timberwolves money line: Phoenix -254, Minnesota +204 MIN: Timberwolves led the NBA in defensive efficiency (108.4 points per 100 possessions) in the regular season PHX: Kevin Durant ranked fifth in the league in scoring (27.1 points per game) Suns vs. Timberwolves picks: See picks at SportsLine Why the Suns can cover Despite the results of the first two games of the series, Phoenix knows it owned Minnesota during the regular season, winning all three matchups between the teams. In those three games, the Suns’ margin of victory was 15.7 points. That includes a 19-point win in Minneapolis in the regular season finale when the Timberwolves could’ve locked up the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference playoffs with a victory.
In addition, Kevin Durant remains an elite scorer. The 14-time NBA All-Star ranked fifth in the league in scoring (27.1 points per game) during the regular season. Through the first two playoff games, he is averaging 24.5 points and shooting 53.1% from the field and 50.0% from beyond the 3-point arc. See which team to back at SportsLine.
Why the Timberwolves can cover Minnesota has done an excellent job so far in this series in locking up Devin Booker. The four-time NBA All-Star ranked sixth in the NBA in scoring during the regular season (27.1 points per game). However through two games the Timberwolves have limited him to 19.0 points a game, 37.9% shooting from the field and 25.0% shooting from 3-point range.
In addition, Minnesota could face a Phoenix team that may be without one of its top contributors, Grayson Allen. Early in the third quarter of Game 2, the sharpshooting Allen aggravated an ankle injury early and was forced to miss the rest of the game. He is listed as questionable to play in Game 3. If he is unable to go, his absence would be a significant loss for the Suns as he led the NBA in 3-point percentage (46.1) during the regular season. See which team to back at SportsLine.
How to make Suns vs. Timberwolves picks SportsLine’s model is leaning Over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 219 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits nearly 70% of the time. You can see the picks only at SportsLine.
So who wins Timberwolves vs. Suns, and which side of the spread hits nearly 70% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Suns vs. Timberwolves spread you need to jump on, all from the model on a 90-58 roll on top-rated NBA picks this season, and find out.
Before Jalen Brunson became a star with the New York Knicks, the Dallas Mavericks could have signed him to a four-year, $55 million contract extension, Brunson said on an episode of “All The Smoke” with Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes.
“I really did want to stay in Dallas,” Brunson said.
Brunson was eligible for that extension in the 2021 offseason and throughout the 2021-22 season, his fourth in Dallas. According to Brunson (both in an interview with Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes 11 months ago and in this recent one) and Brunson’s father, Rick (in an interview with ESPN’s Tim MacMahon 22 months ago), he told the Mavericks that he’d be willing to sign that on two occasions: Before the season started and in the first half of the regular season. Both times, they said the Mavericks declined to put the offer on the table.
“I wanted to stay there, I thought I would be there for a long time, and I liked my role there,” Brunson told Jackson and Barnes. “It’s funny because my agent was like, ‘You can do so much, you can get more, you can get more.’ I’m saying, ‘Well, I want to be safe. I’m not trying to gamble right now. This is not something you really gamble with if it’s out there.’ But [the Mavericks] were like, ‘We want to see where we’re at by like 20, 25 games into the season.’ We were like, ‘All right, well, if you’re not going to do it, I kind of don’t want to do it until after the season. I’m not trying to think about this [during the season].’
“So there was a period where Luka [Doncic] went out and I started to start. I was playing really well, I think I was averaging like 20 and like six, maybe, whatever. It was about that 20-, 25-[game] mark. And so we went back, we’re like, ‘Hey, if the deal is there, we’re thinking about it.’ Like, ‘I’ll do it, like right now.’ Still, it was no. It wasn’t a hard no — it was just like, ‘We want to see, we want to see.'”
As the trade deadline approached, Brunson said he figured he was about to get traded. Dallas did not trade him, and after the deadline passed, it put the four-year, $55 million deal on the table. But this was too late.
“I was like, ‘No, I think I’ve outgrown that now,'” Brunson said. “Personally, that’s what I thought.”
In the 2022 playoffs, with Doncic sidelined, Brunson led Dallas to wins against the Utah Jazz in Game 2 (in which he scored 41 points on 15-for-25 shooting) and Game 3 (in which he scored 31 points on 12-for-22 shooting) of the first round. The Mavericks went on to win that series and beat the No. 1-seeded Phoenix Suns in seven games before the Golden State Warriors eliminated them in the conference finals. The night their season ended, in an interview on Bally Sports Southwest, owner Mark Cuban told Marc Stein, “We can pay him more than anybody. And I think he wants to stay, and that’s more important.” Brunson saw the clip on Twitter.
“So he says that in an interview, whatever, like literally right after the game,” Brunson told Jackson and Barnes. “So I’m thinking, ‘OK.’ After that, it was just like crickets. From my point of view — I can’t speak to anyone else or my agent’s — from my point of view, it was crickets.”
.@jalenbrunson1 details his last season in Dallas. He was ready to sign a 4-year $55 million contract, but the Mavs front office balked.😳
Full episode of All The Smoke with JB drops tomorrow on our YouTube. pic.twitter.com/whxbOrez0w
— All the Smoke Productions (@allthesmokeprod) February 21, 2024 Cuban sees things differently. Last April, he blamed Rick for the guard’s departure and said that Dallas didn’t have a chance to negotiate with Brunson in free agency. “Knowing the numbers now, I would’ve paid it in a heartbeat, but he wouldn’t have come anyway, Cuban told ESPN. He also claimed, per the Dallas Morning News, that, two days before the 2022 trade deadline, Rick had. Through agent Aaron Mintz, he demanded that the Mavericks dump salary so they could immediately renegotiate and extend Brunson’s contract.
That July, New York signed Brunson to a four-year, $104 million contract that now looks like a bargain. The previous month, it had hired Rick as an assistant coach. When Rick was a player, he was the first client of agent Leon Rose, who is now the president of the Knicks. Rose is Brunson’s godfather. In December 2022, the league took a second-round pick away from New York as punishment for having conversations with Brunson before the official start of free agency.
This season, Brunson is averaging 27.6 points on 59.6% true shooting (with a 29.2% usage rate), 3.8 rebounds, and 6.5 assists. He is one of the most popular human beings in the city of New York, and he probably should have started this past Sunday’s All-Star Game. On “All The Smoke,” when Jackson said Brunson’s decision to sign with the Knicks was the “best move you made,” Brunson nodded his head.
Now in the twilight of his career, Klay Thompson might have to get used to coming off the bench. Thompson was recently left out of the Golden State Warriors’ starting lineup for the first time since his rookie season, and three-time NBA Sixth Man of the Year Jamal Crawford had some advice for him.
In last Thursday’s 140-137 win over the Utah Jazz, Thompson came off the bench and went berserk. He made seven of his 13 three-point attempts and ended the night with a game-high 35 points. Thompson looked rejuvenated after struggling for most of the 2023-24 season.
Crawford knows a thing or two about having success off the bench. Crawford joined ‘The Draymond Green Show’ and spoke about the adjustment Thompson will have to make.
“I actually reached out to Klay before he came off the bench because we talked about it on TV,” Crawford said. “Everybody is trying to bury Klay. I’m like, he’s still averaging 17 points. I said, ‘The fight is with himself because he’s been so legendary for so long. Klay’s battle is that, and obviously the injuries and everything. With him, I’d tell him to embrace it. I can give him a whole other wind. We don’t see legendary players like that who have had four-time champions and averaging 17 points be like, ‘I’m gonna come off the bench.'”
Crawford also laid out the benefits of Thompson playing a reduced role. When Thompson does get on the court, the offense will run through him, and he might be able to play more freely with less pressure on his shoulders.
“You’re the focal point of the offense when you do that,” Crawford said. “It gets you in a rhythm. Forget off the bench or starting. You’re gonna have better numbers doing this than you’re doing it right now. You may have more fun. Enjoy this s–t. … Enjoy it because it goes so fast, and you’ve earned that.”
Following last week’s game against the Jazz, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said Thompson dealt with the situation like a professional.
“I thought he handled everything beautifully, the way he came out — determined, competitive,” Kerr said. “That’s difficult, but Klay’s a champion. He’s one of the most competitive people I’ve ever met. He responded accordingly, and played a great, great game.”
The Warriors’ next game is a home clash against the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night, so we’ll see if Thompson keeps thriving in his new role.
New York Knicks forward Julius Randle hasn’t played since Jan. 27 because of a dislocated shoulder, and, in his first public comments since the injury, the All-Star said Wednesday that surgery has not been ruled out.
“I mean, we’ll see,” Randle told reporters, via SNY. “There’s still, like, necessary steps, and it’s a process to everything. I have to weigh out everything, ultimately, and decide from there. But right now I’m just focused on trying to avoid that, obviously, and get back on the court as soon as I can.”
Asked if he’d need surgery eventually, even if he were able to come back and play the rest of the season without it, Randle said, “I’ve heard many different opinions.”
Randle said that he knew his shoulder was dislocated as soon as it happened. While he’s been sidelined, he has been “diving into the film” with coach Tom Thibodeau, he said, in order to “see how I can get better and apply it when I’m able to really get out there on the court.”
Last week, SNY’s Ian Begley reported that the Knicks were optimistic about Randle’s progress and the chances of him being able to return this season without surgery.
“Every day I’m getting stronger, I’m getting better,” Randle said. “So just taking it a day at a time, just continuing to try to just stay locked in on what I have to do to continue just to get healthy. Not just physically but mentally as well.”
The Knicks are “taking it step by step” with Randle, Thibodeau told reporters Wednesday, via SNY.
“Right now, he’s preparing to come back to play,” Thibodeau said. “He’s putting a lot into it, he looks good, he’s got a great spirit about him, he’s working out twice a day. So all things are good right now.”
The previous day, Thibodeau told reporters that Randle is “meeting all the markers” and “moving around pretty good,” but hasn’t been cleared to practice yet.
This season, Randle has averaged 24 points, 9.2 rebounds and 5.0 assists in 46 games. He was named to his third All-Star team, but was unable to participate because of the injury.
New York lost four straight games and five of six entering the All-Star break, but it was extremely shorthanded during that stretch. The Knicks will still be without its entire starting frontcourt – OG Anunoby, Randle and Mitchell Robinson – when they visit the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday, but forward Bojan Bogdanovic, center Isaiah Hartenstein and wing Donte DiVincenzo are all expected to return to the lineup.
On the season, New York is 33-22 and fourth in the East, with only a half-game lead on the fifth-place Sixers. The Knicks rank eighth in the NBA in offensive rating, ninth in offensive rating and sixth in net rating. With Jalen Brunson, DiVincenzo, Anunoby, Randle and Hartenstein on the court, they have outscored opponents by 16.6 points per 100 possessions, but that lineup has logged only 180 minutes in 10 games.
