The New York Knicks made themselves contenders for the Larry O'Brien trophy after trading for four-time NBA All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns in a blockbuster 11th hour trade before the start of the 2024-2025 season.<\/p>\r\r
KAT, as Towns is known around the league, might just be the missing piece to deliver the Knickerbockers its first NBA title since 1973 when a team led by Jerry Lucas, Earl Monroe, Walt Frazier, Dave DeBusschere, and Willis Reed led them to the Promised Land.<\/p>\r\r
Since then\u201451 years later (coincidentally my age)\u2014the mecca of basketball hasn't reached the sport's mountaintop although it did come close with finals appearances in 1999 and 1994. The former was the Allan Houston, Latrell Sprewell, Patrick Ewing, and Marcus Camby era in the Big Apple, while the latter team was led by Knicks greats Ewing, John Starks, Charles Oakley, and Anthony Mason.<\/p>\r\r
The former Kentucky Wildcat gives Tom Thibodeau a bona fide all-star center after relying on Isaiah Hartenstein most of last year\u2014regular season and the playoffs\u2014due to the injury to then starting center Mitchell Robinson.<\/p>\r\r
Since the Minnesota Timberwolves made him the overall No. 1 pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, KAT has averaged 22.9 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.9 blocks per game. At the same time, the 7'0\" center\/forward has shot 52% from the field and nearly 40% from the 3-point line in 573 regular season games, making him one of the best outside shooting big men in the Association (he did win the NBA All-Star Game Three-Point Shooting Contest in 2022).<\/p>\r\r
While the Knicks missed out on a Villanova reunion with the trade of Donte DiVincenzo (he did say he didn't want reduced minutes following the acquisition of college teammate Mikal Bridges) along with incidentally another Kentucky Wildcat in Julius Randle, Thibodeau now has a more balanced lineup that can compete with defending champion the Boston Celtics and a souped-up Philadelphia 76ers with all-star forward Paul George now in the fold.<\/p>\r\r
Penciled alongside KAT at center in Thibodeau's starting five in the revamped Knicks lineup are, of course, franchise heart and soul Jalen Brunson, also from Nova, at point guard (son of former Ginebra import Rick Brunson), Bridges at shooting guard, rugger Josh Hart, another Nova product, at small forward, and do-it-all OG Anunoby at power forward.<\/p>\r\r
I fully expect the Knicks to crowd the Celtics (specially now with the Jaylen Brown snub and Jayson Tatum benching in the 2024 Paris Olympics) and Philly for Eastern Conference supremacy this season. Of course, I won't rule out my favorite team, the Miami Heat, as I'm crossing my fingers Jimmy Butler will go on a revenge tour to secure his last max contract.<\/p>\r\r
And speaking of Ginebra, the Barangay are in for David-vs.-Goliath encounter against sister team Miguel Beermen in their best-of-seven semifinal series in the PBA.<\/p>\r\r
The crowd favorites are definitely the underdogs in this one, as SMB head coach Jorge Gallent will be laser-focused in this round and won't underestimate the Gin Kings as he did the Converge Fiberexers in the quarterfinals.<\/p>\r\r
The Beermen are the betting favorites as they boast of none other than eight-time MVP June Mar Fajardo. The 6'10\" behemoth showcased his dominance in Game 5 of their epic quarterfinals duel against a gallant Converge side when he finished with a whopping 40 points and 24 rebounds.<\/p>\r\r
The thing is Ginebra head coach Tim Cone already had a hard time beating the premier team of the SMC conglomerate in the past when he had the luxury of a Greg Slaughter or Christian Standhardinger in the lineup to somehow counter Fajardo.<\/p>\r\r
This conference, however, the glamor squad is bereft of heft in its frontline with Japeth Aguilar more of a finesse player. Ginebra did coax Joe Devance out of retirement in anticipation of a Fajardo matchup in the semis following Isaac Go's unfortunate injury, but that may prove not enough to slow down The Kraken and San Miguel's march to the finals. Beermen in six games (Of course I've been known in the past to write columns the opposite of what I feel to kind of jinx the other team\u2014we shall see!).<\/p>\r\r
In the other semis matchup between TNT Tropang Giga and Rain or Shine Elastopainters, I'm rooting for head coach Yeng Guiao's crew. Aaron Fuller has been a workhorse for the Elastopainters and I don't see anyone from TNT matching up against the 6'6\" USC alum\u2014much like Fajardo against Ginebra's reed thin or vertically challenged slotmen. Rain or Shine is seven games, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson's all-around brilliance notwithstanding.<\/p>\r\r
On the John Amores gun shooting issue, me thinks there should be a full investigation before the PBA passes judgment on the former Jose Rizal University Heavy Bomber (at least he didn't use bombs) as it could've been done in self-defense.<\/p>\r\r
The NorthPort Batang Pier cager is in hot water anew after he and his brother were charged with homicide after an alleged heated exchange during a basketball game led to the apparent shooting. Amores also figured in several fights during college, the most famous of which was when he punched UP Fighting Maroon forward Mark Belmonte back in 2022. As a fifth-round draft pick with a history in college, Amores was already a redemption story. It would be a pity if he throws it all away.<\/p>\n","article_custom_fields":"{\"\":[\"\"],\"seo_meta_keywords\":[\"\"],\"seo_meta_description\":[\"\"],\"seo_meta_title\":[\"\"],\"sponsored_flag\":[\"\"],\"offer_flag\":[\"\"],\"featured_article_flag\":[\"\"],\"drupal_json\":[\"{\\\"type\\\":null,\\\"properties\\\":{\\\"PUBLISHED\\\":0,\\\"PROMOTED\\\":0,\\\"STICKY\\\":0},\\\"fields\\\":[]}\"],\"wp_custom_json\":[\"{\\\"type\\\":\\\"\\\",\\\"fields\\\":[]}\"],\"article_tags\":[\"\"],\"show_image\":[\"\"],\"Disable_Ad\":[\"\"],\"disable_player\":[\"\"],\"column\":[\"\"],\"kicker\":[\"\"],\"edel\":[\"\"],\"delu\":[\"\"],\"delt\":[\"\"],\"premium\":[\"off\"],\"Redirect_URL\":[\"\"],\"Registration_required\":[\"\"],\"background_image\":[\"\"],\"page_number\":\"0\",\"initial_publication\":\"\",\"date_created\":\"2024-10-09 03:41:17\",\"date_modified\":\"2024-10-09 03:51:49\",\"last_modified_user\":\"Emil Noguera\",\"section_color\":\"#08F304\",\"target_page\":\"0\",\"cxense_metatags\":null}","cms_type":"live","author_id":1303,"section_id":3,"seo_meta_keywords":"KAT,goes,to,Gotham,,atbp.","seo_meta_description":"","seo_meta_title":"KAT goes to Gotham, atbp.","publish_time":"2024-10-09 03:41:00","related_articles_ids":"","article_tags":"","sub_section_id":0,"visit_count":20,"sponsored_flag":0,"offer_flag":0,"featured_article_flag":0,"media_gallery_flag":0,"video_gallery_flag":0,"highlight_flag":0,"top_story_flag":0,"is_updated":0,"is_old_article":0,"old_article_id":0,"article_byline":"Mark Rabago","ts":"2024-10-09 10:37:34","last_edited":"2024-10-09 03:51:49","alt_publish_time":"2024-10-09 03:52:16","image_path":null,"author_name":"Mark Rabago","section_name":"Sports","sub_section_name":"","slide_show":0,"breaking_news":0,"visit_count_update_date":"2024-10-09 10:37:34","old_cms_article_id":null,"permalink":"2024\/10\/09\/sports\/kat-goes-to-gotham-atbp\/1981336","show_image_in_thumb":0,"api_status":2,"a_custom_data":"{\"exclude_from_gallery\":null,\"lead_image_id\":null}","publication_id":2,"max_publish_time":"2024-10-09 03:52:16","page_number":"0","homepage_article_flag":0,"article_shortlink":null,"cropped_image":0};
The New York Knicks made themselves contenders for the Larry O'Brien trophy after trading for four-time NBA All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns in a blockbuster 11th hour trade before the start of the 2024-2025 season.
KAT, as Towns is known around the league, might just be the missing piece to deliver the Knickerbockers its first NBA title since 1973 when a team led by Jerry Lucas, Earl Monroe, Walt Frazier, Dave DeBusschere, and Willis Reed led them to the Promised Land.
