Morning Knicks 6/17: Nate Robinson Praises Thibs, Frank's Future, and More
-Former Knick Nate Robinson became the latest person to speak about one of the Knicks' head coaching candidates. Robinson was interviewed by Heavy.com's Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson," saying that Tom Thibodeau taught him "professionalism, really how to be a student of the game" during his time in Chicago. While Thibodeau may be perceived by some as too intense, endorsements like Robinson's show how much the former Knicks' assistant could help the team as a head coach.
It does seem, despite SNY's Ian Begley's reports last week about Kenny Atkinson having internal support, that Thibs is likely who the Knicks hire. Begley outlined the situation in his most recent mailbag, which you can read here. There are some other interesting topics in the mailbag as well, including why Begley believes there will still be an NBA season and how the Knicks may view Frank Ntilikina moving forward.
-Speaking of Frank, the fan favorite had an up-and-down year, possibly putting the Knicks front office in a position of ambivalence. The Ghost of Kristaps Past posted a great season review on Ntilikina on Posting and Toasting, analyzing the Frenchman's improvements and by how much. The piece paints an encouraging picture, as Frank's numbers down the stretch showed clear improvement, and his play on the court displayed a newfound aggression. As Begley mentioned in his mailbag, Frank is likely not going to be shopped hard by the front office, but he isn't off limits either. Fans will have to wait and see if Ntilikina can get Year Four at MSG and truly break out.
-The NBA's return plan continues to take form. The NBPA sent out a memo that details all of the rules, regulations and schedules that players will have to follow. The plan includes testing details, what happens with players who choose not to participate in the league's return, what the players can do while inside the bubble, the schedule of games set to begin July 30, and more. You can read all about the memo from The Athletic's Shams Charania here.
