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The New York Knicks are expected to have one of the toughest defenses in the entire league this season. With the acquisition of Mikal Bridges in the offseason, pairing him alongside OG Anunoby makes them arguably the most formidable defensive wing duo in the NBA.
Knicks’ HC Tom Thibodeau has high hopes for their defense this season
In addition, Josh Hart is one of the toughest off-ball defenders in the league, and newcomer Karl-Anthony Towns has improved defensively in his own regard. Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau is excited about what this group can bring to the table on the defensive side of the ball:
“That could add a whole different element to our defense,” Thibodeau said via SNY’s Ian Begley.
The Knicks were already positioned to be one of the best defensive units this season once they brought back Anunoby on a five-year, $212.5 million contract over the summer. Upon Anunoby’s arrival mid-season last year, the Knicks went 12-2 in his first 14 games with the team and had a net rating of 15.8, second only to the Cleveland Cavaliers in that span.
Additionally, New York held their opponents to under 100 points in six of their 14 wins in January 2024. Injuries derailed a very promising season for them, but they demonstrated how dangerous they can be on that side of the ball despite the relatively small sample size.
Mikal Bridges enhances the Knicks’ defense significantly
Now with Bridges added to the roster, the Knicks now have the potential to be the top defensive team in the league along with their potent offense. Bridges said that playing alongside good defenders is a huge relief for him knowing that he has less pressure to make plays on that side of the ball.
“I learned a lot from OG defensively in the past month, and I told him that,” Bridges said via SNY’s Ian Begley. “Obviously, it’s all five guys locked in together (on defense), but I just know if I mess up or something, everyone else has got my back, especially OG. If I mess up, he’ll come from anywhere, and I’ll just read and react off him.”
Bridges and Anunoby flashed their amazing defense against the Wizards on Wednesday
Bridges and Anunoby both showed a glimpse of the potential they have together in the Knicks’ preseason victory over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday. Bridges recorded three steals and Anunoby added two of his own, and their tenacity was what led the Wizards to commit a staggering 30 turnovers in the game.
The sky is the limit for the Knicks’ defense this season, and Bridges and Anunoby can lead this group to a historically good defensive season for New York.
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TODAY'S BEST
The 'NBA assist champions' quiz
Happy 27th birthday to four-time NBA All-Star, 2018-19 AP first-team All-Rookie selection and 2024-25 NBA assist champion Trae Young! Young has been the Atlanta Hawks starting point guard since being drafted fifth-overall in 2018 out of Oklahoma and he hit the ground running in the NBA. As a rookie he averaged 19.1 points and 8.1 assists-per-game, and has improved that to 25.3 points and 9.8 assists for his career. Which brings us to today's quiz. In 2024-25, Young led the NBA with 11.6 assists-per-game for his first ever Assist title. With that being said, how many of the players to win the NBA's assist title since the NBA/ABA merger in 1976-77 season can you name in five minutes? Good luck! Did you like this quiz? Are there any quizzes you’d like to see us make in the future? Let us know your thoughts at quizzes@yardbarker.com, and make sure to subscribe to our Quiz of the Day Newsletter for daily quizzes sent right to your email!
Maple Leafs have strong reason to believe they can sign Connor McDavid
Connor McDavid has still not extended his contract with the Edmonton Oilers as he enters his eighth and final year of his current agreement. McDavid, 28, will be an unrestricted free agent (UFA) in 2026 if he does not reach an agreement with the Oilers, and according to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, the Toronto Maple Leafs are wondering "what’s happening" with the Canadian center. “Just like 15 other teams around the NHL, until Connor makes his decision, there are teams that are gonna want to know, ‘Do we have to keep our powder dry for the summer of 2026?’ The Leafs are among them,” said LeBrun. In fact, there is a strong reason to believe that Toronto could sign McDavid, and it is that the Oilers player has recently made statements that could be an important clue about what the future holds for him. The center's words, curiously, are very similar to what Mitch Marner used to say at the time, before moving to the Leafs from the Vegas Golden Knights. Is McDavid's speech a farewell from Edmonton? In September 2024, Marner seemed committed to Toronto, without giving many details about his true intention. “It’s another year of wanting to be the best you can be and help this team win hockey games,” he said then, via the NHL official website. "That’s where my mind is, it’s not thinking of a contract year, and you have to be doing this and that. It’s just another hockey year where you want to be the best you can be to help this team win hockey games and get to the ultimate goal," added Marner. For his part, McDavid's speech goes practically along the same lines. "I’ll take my time and go through everything. I have every intention of winning in Edmonton. It’s my only focus," he said at the end of August of this year, via Sportsnet. "I want the group to be as focused and dialed in and ready to roll from Day 1 as much as possible, and we don’t need any distractions," added McDavid. Unfortunately for the 28-year-old Canadian, his contractual situation has already become a big distraction. History tells us that it is more than likely that in 2026, the center will be defending another jersey.
Bengals QB Joe Burrow has a worrying complication for surgery
The timeline for Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow's return from a toe injury is murky, and the star has a complication that could delay his surgery, pushing back the time he can play again this season. Per Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, Burrow is set to have surgery on his toe on Friday, but that could be pushed back based on how much swelling the quarterback is experiencing. Joe Burrow's swelling is another complication for the Cincinnati Bengals A three-month recovery would put Burrow's return date around Week 16, when the Bengals are set to play the Miami Dolphins on Dec. 21. If the swelling doesn't go away soon, he could miss more time this season. Every game is precious for a Cincinnati team that entered the season believing it could contend for the playoffs. However, the Bengals will be fortunate to be in the chase for a wild-card spot without Burrow for the majority of the season. The Bengals started the season 2-0 with wins over the Cleveland Browns and Jacksonville Jaguars, but backup quarterback Jake Browning will have his hands full in the coming weeks, starting with the Minnesota Vikings and elite defensive coordinator Brian Flores on Sunday. Browning went 21-of-32 for 241 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions in the Bengals' 31-27 win over the Jaguars. The turnovers are an issue, and Cincinnati needs to consider pulling off a trade for a quarterback like Jameis Winston of the New York Giants or Kirk Cousins of the Atlanta Falcons if it hopes to make the postseason.
Latest comments hint Penguins will part ways with franchise cornerstone
As the Pittsburgh Penguins approach a new season with an eye on the future, their relationship with Evgeni Malkin, one of their longest-tenured legends, is already under fire. When Penguins president of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas spoke to the media ahead of training camp getting underway on Friday, one of the first questions he was asked was about Malkin's contract. The upcoming 2025-26 season will mark a career milestone for the 39-year-old Russian-born superstar. Malkin is preparing to play in his 20th NHL season, but he's also well aware he's in the final year of a four-year contract he signed in July 2022. But based on the comments from both sides, it certainly sounds as if there's uncertainty about how much longer Malkin will remain in Pittsburgh. Penguins GM Kyle Dubas comments on Evgeni Malkin "He’s in a great mood every day,” Dubas said in reference to Malkin. “No change on [the contract] front. I spoke with him and [agent J.P. Barry] in the summer when stuff started percolating there. At the time in every one of their careers, I’ll sit when time permits," he added. Most of what Dubas said comes off as a typical statement from a general manager wanting to stay noncommittal while also avoiding alienating a star player. However, what Malkin said leads fans to believe he has every intention on continuing his career beyond this coming season. Evgeni Malkin speaks out ahead of contract year Malkin seems to understand the Penguins' situation, but that doesn't necessarily mean he will bow out gracefully and have his final year in Pittsburgh be his last in the NHL. "I understand it's maybe last year, maybe two more years. I need to just play fan. Because I play my whole life, why not just two more years? It’s so much better when the team wins. The last three years, we missed playoffs; it’s the worst feeling, you know?" said Malkin. The problem with that may be that he's unlikely to fit into Dubas' plans. Fully aware that it may take time to make the Penguins a contender again, Dubas spent most of last year selling off talent in hopes of rebuilding the roster. Even so, most don't expect Pittsburgh to contend unless somehow the only Penguin with a legacy greater than Malkin's in Sidney Crosby performs to a level that rivals his MVP seasons. Where does Evgeni Malkin fit into the Penguins' plan? If the Penguins are still stuck in a rebuilding mode, where does an aging and declining player fit into that equation, if anywhere at all? Of course, a lot of what happens may depend on how much production Malkin can still provide the current iteration of the team. Last season, Malkin registered only 16 goals and 50 points in 68 games, his lowest outputs in a season with at least 60 games played in both categories since 2018-19. And for the most glaring statistic, Malkin was a -24, the second worst +/- of his career. While Malkin will be enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame and likely honored with his No. 71 retired by Pittsburgh, it's very possible Dubas will be able to find a younger, and maybe cheaper, player who can match or exceed his production. Regardless of what the future holds, Malkin's legacy as is set. The three-time Stanley Cup champion has 514 goals and 1,346 points. He's also a seven-time NHL All-Star and a Conn Smythe and Hart Trophy winner as the MVP of a postseason and a regular season among his many accolades. When it comes to Malkin and the Penguins, stay tuned.
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