PHOENIX — Wednesday brought some cautiously optimistic updates for the Knicks frontcourt.
Precious Achiuwa, who hasn’t played since sustaining a strained hamstring within the preseason finale, is predicted to be cleared for practice in the course of the Knicks’ five-game road trip, Tom Thibodeau revealed before the 138-122 victory over the Suns.
Mitchell Robinson, who also accompanied the Knicks on the road trip, began shooting on his surgically repaired ankle but hasn’t been cleared to practice or run yet, the coach said.
“It’s going to be a protracted progression,” Thibodeau said. “So obviously he began but he must be patient, go step-by-step. He hasn’t been cleared for practice but he’s done some shooting and that type of thing. Can do conditioning in the load room. So he’s making good progress. Just must be patient.”
Robinson, who underwent a second surgery on his left ankle in May, isn’t expected to return until December, on the very earliest, though more likely after the Recent Yr.
Achiuwa is way closer to playing again. Thibodeau said it’s a matter of how he feels after a contact practice.
“He’s moving pretty good straight away,” Thibodeau said.
Without Achiuwa and Robinson, the Knicks have been rolling with a middle rotation of Karl-Anthony Towns, Jericho Sims and Ariel Hukporti.
Miles McBride, who missed his fourth straight game due to knee inflammation Wednesday, is taken into account a real day-to-day, meaning he could play as early as Saturday in Utah.
Cam Payne, who scored 12 points within the Knicks’ win Wednesday, returned to the place of his NBA breakout and likewise an arrest this summer he declared was a one-time mishap.
“It was just a bit of mistake I had,” Payne said. “Wish it never would have happened. Won’t ever occur again.”
In line with reports, Payne called police to his Scottsdale, Ariz., home on June 14 following a fight together with his girlfriend. When police arrived, Payne refused to offer his name — as an alternative calling himself, “Terry Johnson” — and was cuffed for providing a false name and making a false report.
The incident, which occurred lower than a month before Payne signed with the Knicks, couldn’t be forgotten without Josh Hart chiming in.
Soon after Payne inked his one-year, $3.1 million deal, Hart wrote on X, “Shoutout Terry.”
Apparently the joke wasn’t cleared by Payne.
“When he made that tweet, I hadn’t even talked to him yet,” the guard said before adding, “It’s all good.”
Payne, 30, spent 4 seasons with the Suns, where he earned an everyday rotation spot and solidified a task within the NBA after a bumpy start because the Fifteenth-overall pick in 2015.
Payne, the primary guard off the bench with McBride out, scored 12 points on 4-for-9 shooting in Wednesday’s win.
“They make it comfortable to be here,” Payne said Wednesday. “J-Hart, he’s funny, he loves playing, but at the tip of the day, I believe this team has great chemistry. I feel like all of us prefer to be around one another, and that’s good. Type of like once we were in Phoenix a couple of years ago. I feel that very same type of vibe here.
“Everybody desires to win, so it’s cool to be around. And while you joke, you recognize it’s from the center because once we get on the court we hold everybody accountable. We’re allowed to consult with one another any type of way. And that’s the way it goes. You mess around on Twitter, mess around in person, but once we’re on the court it’s all seriousness, all about winning.”
PHOENIX — Wednesday brought some cautiously optimistic updates for the Knicks frontcourt.
Precious Achiuwa, who hasn’t played since sustaining a strained hamstring within the preseason finale, is predicted to be cleared for practice in the course of the Knicks’ five-game road trip, Tom Thibodeau revealed before the 138-122 victory over the Suns.
Mitchell Robinson, who also accompanied the Knicks on the road trip, began shooting on his surgically repaired ankle but hasn’t been cleared to practice or run yet, the coach said.
“It’s going to be a protracted progression,” Thibodeau said. “So obviously he began but he must be patient, go step-by-step. He hasn’t been cleared for practice but he’s done some shooting and that type of thing. Can do conditioning in the load room. So he’s making good progress. Just must be patient.”
Robinson, who underwent a second surgery on his left ankle in May, isn’t expected to return until December, on the very earliest, though more likely after the Recent Yr.
Achiuwa is way closer to playing again. Thibodeau said it’s a matter of how he feels after a contact practice.
“He’s moving pretty good straight away,” Thibodeau said.
Without Achiuwa and Robinson, the Knicks have been rolling with a middle rotation of Karl-Anthony Towns, Jericho Sims and Ariel Hukporti.
Miles McBride, who missed his fourth straight game due to knee inflammation Wednesday, is taken into account a real day-to-day, meaning he could play as early as Saturday in Utah.
Cam Payne, who scored 12 points within the Knicks’ win Wednesday, returned to the place of his NBA breakout and likewise an arrest this summer he declared was a one-time mishap.
“It was just a bit of mistake I had,” Payne said. “Wish it never would have happened. Won’t ever occur again.”
In line with reports, Payne called police to his Scottsdale, Ariz., home on June 14 following a fight together with his girlfriend. When police arrived, Payne refused to offer his name — as an alternative calling himself, “Terry Johnson” — and was cuffed for providing a false name and making a false report.
The incident, which occurred lower than a month before Payne signed with the Knicks, couldn’t be forgotten without Josh Hart chiming in.
Soon after Payne inked his one-year, $3.1 million deal, Hart wrote on X, “Shoutout Terry.”
Apparently the joke wasn’t cleared by Payne.
“When he made that tweet, I hadn’t even talked to him yet,” the guard said before adding, “It’s all good.”
Payne, 30, spent 4 seasons with the Suns, where he earned an everyday rotation spot and solidified a task within the NBA after a bumpy start because the Fifteenth-overall pick in 2015.
Payne, the primary guard off the bench with McBride out, scored 12 points on 4-for-9 shooting in Wednesday’s win.
“They make it comfortable to be here,” Payne said Wednesday. “J-Hart, he’s funny, he loves playing, but at the tip of the day, I believe this team has great chemistry. I feel like all of us prefer to be around one another, and that’s good. Type of like once we were in Phoenix a couple of years ago. I feel that very same type of vibe here.
“Everybody desires to win, so it’s cool to be around. And while you joke, you recognize it’s from the center because once we get on the court we hold everybody accountable. We’re allowed to consult with one another any type of way. And that’s the way it goes. You mess around on Twitter, mess around in person, but once we’re on the court it’s all seriousness, all about winning.”
