Knicks Coach Praises Cavaliers Offense

The New York Knicks respect their next opponent, the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Mar 3, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) dribbles beside Cleveland Cavaliers guard Max Strus (1) in the second quarter at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images
Mar 3, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) dribbles beside Cleveland Cavaliers guard Max Strus (1) in the second quarter at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images / David Richard-Imagn Images
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The New York Knicks are back in action tonight as they take on the undefeated Cleveland Cavaliers at Madison Square Garden.

The Knicks are looking to start their first win streak of the season after winning their home opener against Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers, but it won't be easy as they take on Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and the Cavs.

Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau is well-aware of the challenges that his team will face in tonight's game.

"It’s a team that’s very potent offensively," Thibodeau said h/t Posting and Toasting. "They can play fast, they can bring it down off the dribble and the bigs on the boards, you’re concerned about that. And so you have to be strong in every area.You have to finish your defense, you have to finish your offense against them. [They] have shot-blocking—they’re a very good team.”

The Knicks can find a lot of similarities between them and the Cavs. After beating them in the first round of the playoffs back in 2023, Cleveland got better and moved one round closer to the title, getting eliminated at the same stage the Knicks did last spring, so the two teams should be very evenly-matched.

“They were very good last year as well," Thibodeau said. "Any team when you have Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell in the backcourt, it’s very dynamic. And then, of course, you’re talking about Jarrett Allen and [Evan] Mobley up front. And then they adjust and they got [Dean] Wade, they got [Georges] Niang, they got guys. [Sam] Merrill, who can spread the floor and shoot threes.”

There are a lot of ways the Cavs can beat a team, but the Knicks will find a way to combat those as they look to win their second game of the season.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.