New York Notes: Thibodeau, Walker, Harden, Irving

Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau has already removed Kemba Walker from his rotation and extra adjustments could possibly be coming after Saturday’s embarrassing loss, writes Steve Popper of Newsday. Thibodeau gave his gamers the break day Sunday to mirror on their latest downturn, and Popper means that the coach may additionally have wanted time away to check his lineups and see how he can enhance them.

“The factor is, if we’re not performing properly, look, there could also be extra adjustments coming,” Thibodeau stated. “That’s the factor . . . I like our group, I like the best way they strategy it. All of us put our stuff collectively. We’ve acquired to focus collectively and we’ve started working our manner out of it collectively. That’s the best way it’s.”

The Knicks are beginning a three-game highway journey and Thibodeau informed reporters that the adjustments could start with Tuesday’s recreation in San Antonio, tweets Barbara Barker of Newsday. Probably the most troubling concern, based on Popper, is that the crew has misplaced the identification it had final season when it completed fourth within the East.

There’s extra from New York Metropolis:

• Walker spoke to reporters right now for the primary time because the demotion (video link from SNY.television). He admitted being shocked by the choice, however stated he gained’t turn into a unfavourable affect within the locker room. “On the finish of the day, there are some younger guys right here who look as much as me,” Walker stated. “Perhaps I could be a function mannequin. I really like being round my teammates and I’m going to cheer them on till I can’t anymore.”
• The Knicks’ analytics division had an influential function within the signing of Walker, based on Marc Berman of The New York Post. Berman considers it to be a curious resolution as a result of Walker’s numbers on pick-and-roll effectivity, isolation effectivity and pull-up capturing final season had been his worst of the previous 5 years.
• James Harden ranks second within the league in assists after taking up the Nets‘ playmaking duties, however his capturing woes continued in Saturday’s loss to the Bulls, per Peter Botte of the New York Post. Harden shot simply 5-of-21 from the sphere and is at a career-worst 40.3% by the primary 23 video games of the season. Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer recommends that Harden work on growing a mid-range recreation.
• New York Metropolis Mayor Invoice de Blasio has strengthened the town’s vaccine mandate, which makes it much less probably that Kyrie Irving will play for the Nets this season, tweets Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic.