Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau likes what he sees in younger players, singling out Jericho Sims
Jericho Sims #45 of the Knicks reacts after a basket during the fourth quarter against the Portland Trail Blazers at Madison Square Garden on Friday, Nov. 25, 2022 in New York City. Credit: Jim McIsaac
CHARLESTON, S.C. — While the Knicks' nine-man rotation may be set, there are roster spots to be had in camp, and coach Tom Thibodeau said the battle has been a good one through the five days at The Citadel.
The Knicks currently have 12 players under fully guaranteed contracts with a trio of two-way deals for Jaylen Martin, Dylan Windler and Nathan Knight. Isaiah Roby and Daquan Jeffries are on non-guaranteed deals and Ryan Arcidiacano, Charlie Brown Jr., Duane Washington Jr. and Jacob Toppin are on training camp/Exhibit 10 contracts.
“I’d say early the young guys that came in [impressed me],” Thibodeau said. “Most camps now are bigger. We have 21 guys. It’s more of a 1-to-4 ratio so there’s more rest in between rotations. The younger guys were very good for camp, bringing energy and working hard.
“It’s going to be a tough call. Those guys have been here for a good chunk of the summer and fall and worked extremely hard. We’ll see how it unfolds. We still have a little more time to go. But they’ve been terrific. Hopefully we’ll be able to keep some of those guys for our G League team. I like who they are, I like how they practice, I like how they compete.”
Thibodeau singled out second-year big man Jericho Sims as an impressive part of camp.
“Jericho has really had a great camp,” he said. “He’s the one guy, obviously coming off the [shoulder] surgery, he had a great summer the way he worked. He’s really done a good job for us.”
It begins
The Knicks will host the Celtics on Monday night in the preseason opener. Thibodeau said he is uncertain what the rotation will be in the four exhibition games, but with an unusual back-to-back set next week in Boston and then home to Washington, he will find time off for his regular rotation pieces.
“It’s so different now just because you have a shorter amount of time,” he said. “Essentially the way it unfolds for us with the back-to-back, basically you’re looking at three games. So we have to just build our base, take it game by game. Usually the first game you’re going to get something and then you keep adding. The last one will be closer to the normal rotation . . . They’ll play in three [games], I can tell you that.”
Told that, Jalen Brunson said, “He’s the boss.”
Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
