Knicks Daily Roundup 4/28: NBA Practice Guidelines Update, the Case for Mike Miller, and More
-The NBA was hoping to allow players in states that eased stay-at-home guidelines to use practice facilities by Friday, May 1. That has been pushed back. The league is now trying to open these facilities with a target date of May 8, and no earlier, but the situation is obviously in flux. There are several guidelines that players must follow whenever these facilities become accessible, including a maximum of four players at a facility at one time, no scrimmages, and more. Our own Kris Pursiainen has more about the NBA's update and why the Knicks may be even further away from getting into these gyms than others.
Georgia is one state that is going to ease state restrictions, but before this news broke, Hawks general manager Travis Schlenk said that Atlanta would not be re-opening its practice facilities on Friday, even if the NBA was allowing it. There are several hurdles that could further affect the situation, but the league is taking baby steps it would need to attempt to save the season.
-In yesterday's roundup, we spoke about Scott Perry remaining general manager for the 2020 NBA Draft. Our own Alex Wolfe took it upon himself to do a deep dive into Perry's draft history during his time in New York, Sacramento, and Orlando to see how Knicks fans should react to this decision. The results may provide a surprising amount of optimism, as Perry's had some solid picks, although that has yet to translate into winning for the Knicks.
-Mike Miller has become the forgotten man in the Knicks head coaching search. He currently has the role, but many expect Leon Rose to bring in someone new to lead the team. The crop of available coaches isn't great, and while the Knicks weren't world beaters under Miller, the former Westchester Knicks coach should be highly considered to keep his position.
The Athletic's Mike Vorkunov made the argument for keeping Miller as head coach. After Miller took over for David Fizdale, there were clear statistical improvements and positive stylistic changes that Vorkunov detailed. He also noted how Miller brought leadership to an organization that desperately needed it. Additionally, Marc Berman of The New York Post wrote a mailbag, with the main topic focusing on how the team was better under Miller, and that his candidacy should not be dismissed. Berman also answered questions about Frank Ntilikina, the Knicks trading up in the draft, and more.
Miller isn't the second coming of Gregg Popovich, but he's a solid coach and steady hand who's already shown he knows more about basketball than probably all of the Knicks' recent coaches. The roster he was given was doomed to fail, so perhaps Miller deserves another shot to prove himself.
-The next matchup in the Knicks SI 2K20 Fantasy Tankathon tournament has concluded, and it looks like Lauren Russell has the secret recipe for success. The winner of our Knicks SI NBA 2K20 Tournament, Lauren was able to flip the script and lose (which is now the goal in this tanking tournament) to Jackie Powell's team. Read more about the matchup, how Lauren hopes to secure back-to-back Knicks SI 2K20 championships, and why Jackie has some choice words for Steve Novak.
-What's next for Dennis Smith Jr.? Do some Knicks still have issues with Julius Randle's style of play? What current players will be part of the Knicks' next playoff team? SNY's Ian Begley attempts to answering all of these questions and more in his latest mailbag. Randle and Smith Jr. are two of several polarizing players on the Knicks, and while they may not be in New York when the team is back in the postseason, Begley provided interesting nuggets about all things Knicks.
