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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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Summer League standout rewarded with two-way deal with Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs have signed guard David Jones-Garcia to a two-way contract after his recent impressive performance at the NBA Summer League, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. Jones was just named to the All-Summer League First Team in Las Vegas after averaging 21.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.2 steals per game, while shooting 52.7% from the field and 52.9% from three-point range. Jones, who helped the Spurs to a fifth-place finish with a record of 4-1, is the Spurs' first of three two-way spots to be filled. The 23-year-old recently turned down a three-year offer from Olympiacos in Greece to continue pursuing a spot on an NBA roster, and his decision paid off as he now has that opportunity. If his level of play continues over into the upcoming NBA season, he could then be rewarded with a standard NBA contract, but for now, this is a step in the right direction. Last season, Jones, who is from the Dominican Republic, played for the Mexico City Capitanes in the NBA G League where he finished runner-up in the voting for G League Rookie of the Year.
Hall of Famer believes this AFC QB will win Super Bowl first
Pro Football Hall of Famer Warren Moon just made headlines during a recent appearance on "Up Adams," where he gave his take on one of the NFL’s most debated questions. When asked which star quarterback will win a Super Bowl first, Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen or Joe Burrow, Moon without any hesitation went with Jackson. “We have Josh Allen, MVP, Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, they wrecked the league last year… Which one of those three do you think has the best shot to get one this year?” Kay Adams asked. Moon responded, “I think Lamar.” Moon’s reasoning for this take was not due to stats or accolades, because both have great numbers and awards, rather Moon was focused on the surrounding cast around Jackson. While he was complimentary of Allen and the team around him, he emphasized that the Ravens had a strong secondary, incredible running back and solid wideouts that could allow them to be a serious threat to win it all. It is easy to see why Moon made his opinion clear and without hesitation. Jackson is one of the top quarterbacks in the league, with four Pro Bowl nods, three All-Pro selections and two MVP awards. He is the best dual-threat quarterback in the world, and now with an incredible roster around him, Jackson has become much scarier. However, pressure is mounting on the superstar QB, and Moon did make the case for Allen to also potentially win first. “Josh Allen, they’ll be right there too. I think it depends on who plays who in the playoffs … You have to go through playing both Kansas City and Baltimore if you’re Buffalo, and same thing if you’re the Ravens, you gotta play both of those to get to the Super Bowl … But if you only have to play one of them, that would be great.” Allen is also regarded as one of the league’s best QBs too, and Moon's argument has a lot of merit to it. Both Buffalo and Baltimore are flooded with talented pieces that are hungry to make that Super Bowl run. It could come down to matchups come playoff time. If one squad has an easier route to the AFC Championship game, then it might be the one who ultimately comes out on top. As for Burrow, Moon did not mention him in the conversation, but clearly it was not meant to be a slight on him as a player. Rather, for obvious reasons, it seems that Moon might have Baltimore and Buffalo as overall rosters in a higher tier from Cincinnati. Ultimately however, time will tell who breaks first. But if Moon is correct, Jackson might finally be able to silence his critics, and make his mark on NFL history.
The Phillies need to replace this struggling bat at the deadline
Another year, another shot at a championship. Since their last World Series appearance in 2022, a match in which they lost, the Philadelphia Phillies have slid backwards, falling in the NLCS in 2023 and the NLDS in 2024. This year, the Phillies are back on top of the NL East, holding a slim half-game lead over the New York Mets entering Tuesday. Still, their season has been far from spotless. The Phillies have gone through immeasurable difficulties from the bullpen without Jeff Hoffman (signed with Blue Jays), Carlos Estevez (signed with Royals) or Jose Alvarado (PED suspension), especially with Jordan Romano’s descent into the dumpster fire. But with new free-agent signing David Robertson in tow, we can expect some degree of stability from the relief corps going forward — though, not to insinuate that team president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski is done adding bullpen arms. Another sore spot that received plenty of attention the past few months is in the outfield, left field in particular. Among all qualifying left fielders, Max Kepler maintains the second lowest OPS. Much has been made about potentially replacing him, but as bad as he’s been, there is one Philadelphia infielder that has done even worse. Once a promising bat, second baseman Bryson Stott seems to be reaching rock bottom. Below, you can his stats in comparison to that of Kepler’s: (wRC+: weighted runs created plus represents the culmination of a hitter’s offensive achievements where a value of 100 is MLB’s average) Stott has been more proficient than Kepler at recording hits, but Kepler’s power and higher walk rate gives him the edge in overall offensive stats. It was only in 2023, his second year of MLB action, when Stott hit .280/.329/.414 with 15 home runs. Unfortunately, Stott’s productivity began to slide last season. This year, his slump halted in April when he hit .314 on the month, but it quickly resumed in May (.216), worsened in June (.202) and has reached a fever-pitch in July (.132). If the Phillies are going to claw their way back to the Fall Classic, it may be better if Stott’s bat isn’t in the lineup.
Chicago Blackhawks reportedly set to trade 25-year-old goaltender to Stars rival, Edmonton Oilers
Is Giants' Joe Schoen already having second thoughts about Jaxson Dart, Shedeur Sanders decision?
The New York Giants were routinely linked with quarterback Shedeur Sanders leading up to the 2025 NFL Draft, but the Giants ultimately traded back into the first round to select Ole Miss signal-caller Jaxson Dart at pick No. 25. For a piece published on Monday, Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News revisited how Giants general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll ended up with Dart instead of Sanders earlier this year. "Members of the Giants’ staff had fawned over Shedeur Sanders," Leonard wrote. "Giants brass had spent a lot more time with Sanders during the fall. Then, Daboll’s increased participation after the NFL season steered the process in a different direction." Sanders allegedly had a rough visit with Daboll ahead of the draft, and a report from early May revealed that "Sanders openly acknowledged during the predraft process that he didn't hit it off with Giants coaches." A different story claimed that Schoen "shifted his preference to Dart this spring as head coach Brian Daboll warmed to Dart as a player and person and Schoen rounded out his own evaluation" before the draft got underway. That said, Schoen raised some eyebrows when he said during a May interview that he knew the club would select Dart over Sanders as of "the week of the draft." Schoen also said the decision was the result of a "collaborative process." According to Leonard, those comments were seen by some as "not exactly a firm endorsement of a player standing out above the rest" as it pertains to the quarterbacks. "...Schoen’s lukewarm rhetoric and reluctance to stick his neck out about Dart caught the attention of some people around the league," Leonard added. "And it has put the rookie in a strange position: trying to validate support that almost sounds conditional." Meanwhile, Sanders fell to the draft's fifth round before the Cleveland Browns traded up to grab him at selection No. 144. As of Monday afternoon, FanDuel Sportsbook had Sanders (+870 odds) and Dart (+1060 odds) as significant betting underdogs to serve as Week 1 starters in September. Cleveland is expected to go with Joe Flacco or Kenny Pickett for its regular-season opener, while Russell Wilson is on track to start for the Giants against the Washington Commanders on Sept. 7. In short, fans may have to wait a long time to learn if Schoen has any buyer's remorse about possibly being talked into drafting Dart when Sanders was on the board.
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