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00:00Live right here on this Thursday on the early line, less than three weeks away from the opening night of a new season in the association. NBA basketball is near. We've got preseason games starting this weekend. The guys are back at camp. We've got media day. There is so much to get to and we've got blockbuster trade deals as well. So we welcome on our coach. It is J. Y. James Young joining us live right now.
00:30Here on T. E. L. J. Y. It's been a minute. We're glad to have you back on the early line.
00:35Fellas, you know, the leaves start to fall. The Mets start choking games. The Jets take my heart. You know what that means? That means basketball season is right around the corner. Good morning, guys.
00:48And who would have thought the New York Knicks would be the optimistic olive branch to keep J. Y. Enthused. But they made a big, big, big move on Friday night. A blockbuster deal that sends shockwaves throughout the Eastern Conference, throughout the Western Conference, throughout the entirety of the NBA.
01:07And it was made official yesterday so we can officially talk about the guy named Carl now living in the Big Apple. Carl Anthony Towns traded from Minnesota to the New York Knicks. In return, Julius Randall, Dante DiVincenzo, Cianova Knicks, Cata Bates the up, and a first round pick back to the T-Wolves. A three-team trade that also included the Charlotte Hornets.
01:29But of course, J. Y., we start with your Knickerbockers. How much does this change the outlook for New York entering this upcoming season in your estimation?
01:41You know, when you think about it, Ben, and you look at the Knicks team, you bring in Carl Anthony Towns. Number one, I want to say this. I think he's the best stretch five in the NBA. Although he played as a four next to Rudy Gobert.
01:58His ability to shoot the ball from three, Ben, and to run both the pick-and-roll and the pick-and-pop effectively spaces the floor. Number two, you notice the three-point corner shot has become pivotal in the NBA. Cat and O.G. Ananoby happen to be two of the better four-size fives that shoot it there.
02:20So how does that benefit the Knicks? Driving lanes for Jalen Brunson. That gives them an alley to get to the basket. Gotta remember, Jalen Brunson, I do believe, was the only guard in the NBA top ten in scoring inside the paint. Although he's six-foot-two on a good day.
02:36Now, it also allows, with Cat at the center, O.G. to slide to the four, Bridges slide to the three. I was concerned, Ben, because I thought that I don't know if Bridges is really a true two and O.G. a true three. So everybody kind of lines them up into their best position.
02:55Lastly, Hart benefits because he goes into the starting lineup. But I also think there's two kids to look at that I think the Knicks are high on. One is Deuce McBride. That made Demon Chenzo more replaceable, even though they did not want to put Dante in the deal. And also, don't sleep on Tyler Kolick. I was impressed with him in Summer League. He's a lefty. He's a righty guard the same way, Ben, because you have a starting lefty guard, a guard coming off the bench, and Kolick even campaigns a lefty.
03:23So everything flows naturally offensively for New York.
03:28If we're taking a look at the Knicks, Coach, because as a fan, you have to be elated by this. There's nothing more fun than being a fan of a team that's bringing superstar talent with the expectations of winning a championship. But talk to me about this.
03:39Heading down the stretch in the playoffs, the Knicks team camaraderie was phenomenal. That room, we're saying, how are they winning basketball games? They were so tight, bringing new players in, trading some players away. Is there any thought process that maybe it would take a while to get that camaraderie back with all these superstars and the changes to the team?
03:56Well, I think the tough thing about it, Don, is having it happen so late. And NBA training camps, guys, is what, two weeks? So you're not going to get a lot of time early on to kind of get the flow going here. But remember, they also played the second half of the year without Julius Randle. So that is something to also be noted.
04:15There is camaraderie. There is that. I also think we're getting Carl Anthony Towns, that's a little bit more mature than people realize. I know him and Tibbs had their runnings in Minnesota. But he's shown a real true appreciation for Tom Thibodeau over the last couple of years. Obviously, I think, if I'm not mistaken, Cat was a Leon Rose client as well. So there's camaraderie that way.
04:40Listen, at the end of the day, Donnie, if you can stay healthy, protect the rim and not threes, you know, take that camaraderie and shove it. They need to win games because the window now officially with this group is open for about a four year span.
04:55You saw the career resume for Cat. You see the outlook now for the New York Knicks, a three to one price to win the Eastern Conference. There was a little bit of a tradeoff, J.Y., back and forth after the Sixers acquired Paul George in a relatively quiet free agency period that Philly moved in front of the Knicks for the second best price out east, New York back to the third best number.
05:19Now the Knickerbockers at three to one, second best price, less than a buck and a half behind the reigning NBA champs. That would be the Boston Celtics. And that was kind of the thing, J.Y., all throughout the summer, we debated how far was the gap, the seas in front of everybody else in the Eastern Conference.
05:37So let me ask you plainly a two part question with the same answer. Really are the Knicks the second best team in the Eastern Conference now? Has the gap between Boston and New York closed enough that you believe the Knicks are a true title contender with Boston?
05:54Yes. Close. Philadelphia is right there with them. And yes, here's the key, guys. The three centers, Porzingis, Cat, and obviously Embiid. All three of them have had careers with injury concerns. Which one of the three can stay the healthiest?
06:14Obviously, we know that KP is going to miss the first, I think, two to three months of the season. So I think the Knicks are the biggest challenger. But there's a guy down I-95 in Joel Embiid that's going to have a lot to say. Tyrese Maxson should be unbelievable. Paul George, that guy can shoot the ball from three. And I'm really amazed at what Daryl Morey was able to do with no salary cap. Just getting rid of Tobias Harris was a win in itself.
06:41Everything else Daryl Morey did struck gold. Top three teams in the East all come from the Atlantic Division.
06:47When you look at Carl Anthony Towns, he was drafted first overall by the T-Wolves back in 2015. He has spent every year of his career, all nine, in the Twin Cities. A four-time All-Star, but has not played more than 75 games since his fourth season way back in 2018-19.