Morning Knicks 6/12: Lillard Thought He Was Going to Be a Knick, Spike Lee Comments on James Dolan, and More
-Add Damian Lillard to the list of stars that could've been a Knick. In an interview with Vanity Fair's Lisa Robinson, Lillard said he thought was going to be a Knick a few years ago based on trade rumors he was hearing. Lillard added "the Garden is my favorite place to play." It's another shot in the heart to Knicks fans. You can read the full article, talking about racial injustice, basketball, and music here.
-The Knicks have the potential to acquire both Chris Paul (via trade) and Danilo Gallinari (via free agency) in the offseason. That's precisely why our own Kris Pursiainen thinks Knicks fans should be keeping a close eye on the Oklahoma City Thunder when the NBA returns. Paul and Gallinari have both had impressive seasons so far, and Kris wrote about how Knicks fans can do their own personal scouting reports on the players to determine if they'd want Leon Rose to bring in the OKC starters.
-Interim head coach Mike Miller made clear strides with a subpar team after he took over for David Fizdale last year. Miller remains in contention to either keep that job or remain with the Knicks in some capacity. For all of the disastrous head coaches New York has had in the past decade, it's clear Miller did something right. The Athletic's Mike Vorkunov continued his series breaking down the Knicks' head coaching candidates, focusing on Miller and how he'd fit if he kept the job. The piece is loaded with insights from current Knicks players, giving fans a good look behind the scenes at Miller's value.
-Spike Lee said he was "not surprised" that James Dolan did not initially have the Knicks' organization issue a statement on the murder of George Floyd. Lee also mentioned on ESPN's First Take that he thought of President Trump in regards to how Dolan handled the situation. Lee had an issue with Dolan before the season was suspended that led to him claiming he would not attend another Knicks game all season. You can read more about Lee's comments from Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News and Jarrel Harris of Sports Illustrated.
