they are professional. You don't need the basic motivation that college coaches preach to their players. They are less susceptible to the emotional manipulation projected by high school coaches. their players. they are professionals. That's their job. It's their life. That is their livelihood.
So Tom Thibodeau knows better than to slam into what's a must-see at TD Garden on Tuesday night. The Celtics will raise their championship flag for the 18th time in the rafters of an already crowded garden. Be sure to watch the Knicks.
There will be one final C's anthem for 2023-24, and it promises to be loud and long enough to reach all of New England, so it's fitting that the audience far exceeds the 19,156 people packed into the venue. can be shared. arena wall. The Celtics didn't have to tame the Knicks to win that title, but it will be the Knicks who will experience the full spoils of what the Celtics achieved.
How will that affect the Knicks on Tuesday as they begin their quest to achieve what the Celtics have already achieved?
Well, you've been watching Thibodeau's basketball floor plan for four years now. You know he knows his biggest hits by heart. How do you think the Knicks will react and respond?
You see how they react and react.
“For me, situations like that happen all the time, whether it's a ring ceremony or honoring a team or a player,” Thibodeau said Monday, the day before the season-ending Knicks-Celtics game in Boston. . “It's all part of the league. And what I want them to remember is don't get distracted. We want our players to stick to their routines. If you get caught up in…what's really important is to be ready to play. That's the important thing.”
Don't get me wrong. What follows after the glamorous atmosphere is quite important. The Knicks want what the Celtics have and will have to learn how to beat the Celtics over the next seven to eight months to take it away.
Yes, they also need to be skilled at beating the Bucks, Cavaliers, 76ers, Heat, Pacers…
But for now, the Celtics are the gold standard. They are the defending champions.
“The first game is a real game, too,” Mikal Bridges said Monday. This isn't to disparage the slew of less interesting opponents that litter each team's schedule, just an understanding of what the Knicks will be like on Tuesday. “The energy is going to be crazy.”
So is the challenge the Knicks face in the first few weeks of the season, with a tough 10-game opening lap, including seven from the Garden. The only teams they will play at home are the Pacers, Cavs, and Bucks, teams that are almost guaranteed to advance to the postseason.
Knicks is still in the early stages of breaking in his new sneakers. Some days, the combination of old and new feels so comfortable that I feel like I could run a marathon in it. Some days, my foot swells to the point where I think I might have to cut it off. So, come November 13th, if the Knicks come to the Garden to face the Bulls with a record of 4-6 or worse, know that there is a possibility.
Just know that two-fifths of the starting rotation (Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns) haven't really played as a Knick yet. Just know that the player who was supposed to at least take care of the void left by Isaiah Hartenstein (Precious Achiuwa) could be out until closer to Thanksgiving. And know that Thibodeau's credo has never been more true throughout his 13 seasons as a head coach.
Play your best basketball by the end of the season.
It can cause growing pains. And ousted old stalwarts Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo may be sorely missed in the short term.
But there will also be joy in watching the Jalen Brunson/KAT pick-and-roll, which is already difficult to defend, flourish with each game. There are still OG Anunoby and 101 ways to help him win games (knock on wood) for an entire season. Bridges, Josh Hart and Deuce McBride are still around. There will still be a daily quest to get better and build chemistry.
A year ago, the Knicks were called upon to take immediate measurements against the Celtics, but were nearly run out of the gym after the first quarter, 30-18. It wasn't the same Knicks team that had captured the city's attention by spring. But it was also a different Celtics team, still seeking its 18th flag. It was still a good opening gauge.
This year is even better. Once the banner goes up and the reflections are over, it's the real beginning of the season, one with expectations the likes of which the Knicks haven't really had in 30 years.
“We have a chance to play great basketball. We have a chance to start things right,” Towns said, then added, perhaps inspired by the Yankees cap on his head.
On Tuesday night, Boston will be a proud basketball city. Applications from cities wishing to mount clams will then be accepted and reviewed in June. Knicks throws his hat into the ring and takes his chances from there.
