As draft day approaches, ESM looks back on the best players chosen in the New York Jets’ current draft slots.
The New York Jets currently own eight draft picks in the 2020 NFL Draft, which begins on Thursday night in a virtual setting (8:00 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC/NFL Network).
To commemorate the path to the draft, ESM looks back on the greatest picks chosen in their respective positions. We continue with 68th pick, one acquired from the Leonard Williams proceedings…
1985: LB Jack Del Rio, New Orleans
After a three-year absence, the two-time Del Rio is back in the NFL as the defensive coordinator of the Washington Redskins. He got his start as a player as a third-round pick of the Saints. Del Rio had a roller-coaster career as a play, including a bizarre incident where he assaulted former Chiefs receiver and scout Otis Taylor during the 1987 players’ strike. He had mistaken Taylor for a replacement player in a matter that was settled out of court. Del Rio would later reach the Pro Bowl as a member of the Minnesota Vikings.
1988: QB/P Tom Tupa, Phoenix
Tupa entered the league as a quarterback, but instead went on to become one of its most reliable punters. He would make history as a 1994 Cleveland Brown by converting the first two-point conversion in NFL history on a botched extra point. In 1999, Tupa earned a special place in Jets lore. During their Week 1 tilt against New England, Tupa, designated an emergency quarterback, stepped in when Vinny Testaverde went down with an injury. In his first pass since 1999, Tupa found Keyshawn Johnson for a 25-yard touchdown. He’d later hook up with Fred Baxter for a seven-yard score in the second half to cap off one of the best backup quarterback performances in Jets history. That season ended with Tupa earned All-Pro honors…as a punter.
1991: WR Jake Reed, Minnesota
The pick used to select Reed was part of Minnesota’s haul from the historically massive Hershel Walker trade. His career got off to a slow start, but he would go on to post four consecutive seasons of earning at least 1,000 yards. Cris Carter duplicated the feat, and the pair became the NFL’s first teammates to amass that tally over four straight years. Locals around these parts perhaps best know Reed for the touchdown that played a part in the Vikings’ come-from-behind victory in the 1997 NFC wild card playoffs.
1993: G Mike Compton, Detroit
The versatile Compton played all over the offensive line and even served as the Lions’ long snapper for field goals. Years of blocking for Barry Sanders on mediocre teams finally paid off when he joined the New England Patriots in 2001. He would play on the starting offensive line for the Patriots’ original Super Bowl squad. Compton currently serves as the offensive line coach at Virginia-Wise at the Division II level.
2003: LB Lance Briggs, Chicago
The Jets are looking for some defensive depth in this draft. They would certainly be satisfied if they could someone with half of the caliber of Briggs. Not only did he develop a reputation as a hard-hitting, fundamentally sound linebacker, but he was durable to the tune of missing only four games over his first ten seasons. Briggs currently ranks second in the Bears’ lengthy history in defensive touchdowns and is also third in pass defenses (84). He also notably led both sides in tackles in Chicago’s Super Bowl visit in 2007.
As draft day approaches, ESM looks back on the best players chosen in the New York Jets’ current draft slots.
The New York Jets currently own eight draft picks in the 2020 NFL Draft, which begins on Thursday night in a virtual setting (8:00 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC/NFL Network).
To commemorate the path to the draft, ESM counts down the greatest picks chosen in their respective positions. We carry on with the 120th choice, which is currently slated as the Jets’ final pick in the proceedings…
1969: DT Earl Edwards, San Francisco
Edwards was drafted not from college, but from the CFL. His exploits may have been overshadowed by the antics of Pittsburgh’s Steel Curtain and downplayed by the sack’s lack of recognition as a stat. He nonetheless went on to become a fearsome pass rusher over an 11-year career that also took him to Cleveland, Buffalo, and Green Bay.
1978: CB Terry Jackson, NY Giants
Jackson literally made an immediate impression on New York football. In his first NFL game, a Giants visit to Tampa Bay, Jackson took back a Doug Williams interception back for a touchdown in a 19-13 win on opening weekend. Jackson, in fact, earned an interception in each of his first four games en route to seven in his rookie campaign. He ended an eight-season career with a total of 28 interceptions.
1993: RB Adrian Murrell, NY Jets
In the dark days of the Rich Kotite era, Murrell was one of the Jets’ rare bright spots. While East Rutherford burned to the flames of a 1-15 record, Murrell finished with a career-best 1,249 rushing yards, good for seventh in the league. Immediately behind him were Emmitt Smith and his eventual successor Curtis Martin. Murrell would again reach four digits under Bill Parcells’ watch in 1997 before heading west to Arizona.
2003: CB Asante Samuel, New England
Samuel is perhaps best known for his historic drop on the New York Giants’ final drive of Super Bowl XLII, but that’s doing the four-time Pro Bowler a great disservice. Two other Super Bowl rings do reside on his fingers and he has scored four touchdowns in the postseason. He also led the league in interceptions twice, most recently in 2009 with Philadelphia.
2010: DT Geno Atkins, Cincinnati
Things have been par for the grim course in Cincinnati, but Atkins has been one of the rare consistently silver linings. The Georgia alum has already established himself as one of the most illustrious players in Bengals history. His dominant decade was commemorated with an invitation to the All-Decade team.
The draft dust has settled, and the New York Liberty have emerged with several young players to begin a new era.
The New York Liberty might well be America’s oldest expansion team at this rate.
New York’s WNBA franchise looks a tad different than it did a week ago, literally and figuratively. The team unveiled a new logo and uniform this week and later dealt franchise face Tina Charles to the Washington Mystics for extra draft capital. When they do get back to basketball, the Liberty will also make themselves a new home: Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. On Tuesday, the Liberty also bid farewell to Brittany Boyd, one of their longest-tenured players.
Speaking of Friday’s WNBA Draft (witness by 837,000 viewers), the Liberty were immediately able to fill Charles’ empty slot of franchise face with the addition of Oregon guard Sabrina Ionescu. What do you need to know about Ionescu and her new comrades? ESM has you covered…
1st Round (1st overall): G Sabrina Ionescu, Oregon
Lottery ping-pong balls finally bounced New York’s way, leading them to one of the most electrifying players in college basketball history. Ionescu hopefully has a large carry-on bag for her eventual flight to New York, as she’ll be hauling plenty of hardware to Brooklyn. Her most recent accolades include the Player of the Year honors from the Associated Press and the Pac-12 (her third in the latter category), matching perfectly with the NCAA’s all-time lead in triple-doubles (26). When we get back to shooting again, Ionescu’s New York arrival has a chance to change not just a premier franchise, but a league entirely.
1st Round (9th overall): F Megan Walker, Connecticut
What’s a draft without representation from Storrs? With the first pick obtained in the Charles transaction, the Liberty went with one of the few early entries in Walker. Her breakout junior year paced the team with 19.7 points, and she also tallied 8.4 rebounds en route to first-team All-American honors. Walker’s scoring prowess should help a Liberty squad that struggled to consistently score in the latter stages of last season.
1st Round (10th overall): F Jocelyn Willoughby, Virginia
The Charles trade indirectly yielded the arrival of Willoughby, as the Liberty dealt the contract of former Mystic Shatori Walker-Kimbrough to Phoenix for the rights to Willoughby. Some were surprised to see Willoughby go in the top ten, but her flexibility could turn her into a diamond-in-the-rough selection. One of Willoughby’s greatest qualities is her ability to get to the foul line. Over the second half of the season, the Liberty averaged less than 15 foul shots per game. Willoughby reached double-digits on her own in six games of her senior season.
1st Round (12th overall): G Jazmine Jones, Louisville
With the second pick acquired in the Charles move, the Liberty opted to take one of Asia Durr’s Cardinal teammates. No one has appeared in more games in Louisville red than Jones, who reached the All-ACC and All-ACC defensive teams. Her shooting needs some work, but Jones nearly doubled her career scoring average in her senior campaign (14.1 PPG, good for second on the team).
2nd Round (13th overall): F Kylie Shook, Louisville
Ionescu is trying to forget the exploits of Shook, who paced the Cardinals with a double-double (18 points, 15 rebounds) in a head-to-head matchup last November that saw Louisville gave Oregon their only loss. More impressive may be Shook’s defensive abilities. She took the ACC Defensive Player of the Year award and departs KFC Yum! Center as the program’s all-time leader in blocks.
2nd Round (15th overall): F Leaonna Odom, Duke
Another strong defensive talent from the ACC, Odom’s versatility (able to the one-through-four) and length (6’2 with a 27.5 vertical) makes her a solid defensive find in the second round. The versatility was on perfect display when she appeared on watchlists for the Katrina McClain and Cheryl Miller awards (earned by the nation’s top power forward and small forward respectively).
As draft day approaches, ESM looks back on the best players chosen in the New York Jets’ current draft slots.
The New York Jets currently own eight draft picks in the 2020 NFL Draft, which begins on Thursday night in a virtual setting (8:00 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC/NFL Network).
To commemorate the path to the draft, ESM counts down the greatest picks chosen in their respective positions. We start with 211th pick, which is currently slated as the Jets’ final pick in the proceedings….
1957: DE LaVerne Torczon, Cleveland
Torczon was an 18th round pick of the Browns, but is better known for his American Football League exploits. In fact, he spent four seasons with the Jets’ franchise, the first coming during their New York Titans incarnation. His most notable campaign came in 1961, when he made the inaugural AFL All-Star Game as a member of the Buffalo Bills.
1964: DB Cornell Gordon, San Francisco
Another defender that opted for the greener pastures of the AFL…namely those of the Jets. Gordon was in fact on the Jets’ roster for their historic victory in Super Bowl III. He tallied nine interceptions over five New York seasons, including two in the trek to Miami.
1979: P Max Runager, Philadelphia
Runager partook in three Super Bowls, including one with the team that drafted him (the Eagles fell 27-10 to Oakland in Super Bowl XV). He moved onto San Francisco in 1984 and returned to the Big Game twice. These next two trips were far more profitable, as they respectively topped Miami and Cincinnati in the 19th and 23rd showdowns. He did, however, make an unwanted bit of NFL history when he was assessed an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for flopping during a 1984 game against the Eagles. Tragically, Runager passed away in June 2017.
1992: QB Kent Graham, NY Giants
A Giants quarterbacks wearing No. 10 ending a seemingly unstoppable trek toward perfection? That’s Ken Graham, of course. The Ohio State alum would play five years over two stints with New York’s blue team. Graham made the 1972 Dolphins proud in December 1998. His 37-yard touchdown pass to Amani Toomer in the final gave Big Blue a 20-16 win over John Elway’s 13-0 squad from Denver.
Yet another perfection stopper, Tyree was originally chosen for his special teams prowess. The Livingston, NJ native and Montclair High School alum blocked six punts at Syracuse prior to his Giants selection. He later went on to reach the 2005 Pro Bowl as a specialist. Though never earning more than 19 catches in a season, he earned perhaps two of the biggest catches in Super Bowl history in the 42nd edition against the 18-0 New England Patriots. Prior to his renowned helmet catch, Tyree caught Eli Manning’s first scoring throw, a five-yard strike earlier in the fourth quarter.
ESM’s New York Jets experts present their final seven-round mock drafts as a big trio of days for Gang Green approaches.
The date of a full-on return has yet to be placed. But live sports are slowly working their way back into our lives. Friday saw the WNBA Draft staged in a virtual setting. NASCAR’s nationally televised virtual races returned over the weekend.
Football fans will get their fix starting on Thursday night, as the NFL Draft will likewise conduct their selection proceedings in a virtual arena (8:00 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC/NFL Network).
How will things shake out for the New York Jets? ESM’s experts weigh in and prognosticate in their final 2020 mock drafts…
Geoff Magliocchetti
1st Round (11th overall): OT Jedrick Willis, Alabama
2nd Round (48th overall): WR Brandon Aiyuk, Arizona State
3rd Round (68th overall): CB Jaylon Johnson, Utah
3rd Round (79th overall): S Jeremy Chinn, Southern Illinois
4th Round (120th overall): EDGE Kenny Willekes, Michigan State
5th Round (158th overall): WR Joe Reed, Virginia
6th Round (191st overall): RB Patrick Taylor Jr., Memphis
6th Round (211th overall): K Rodrigo Blankenship, Georgia
The debate between a receiver and an offensive lineman has been more tightly contested battle amongst New Yorkers than the preference of Seinfeld or Friends as their favorite local 90s sitcom. But the Jets are in the enviable position NBC was placed in during that lucrative era: they’re placed in a situation where there is an endless supply of talent in the category.
Premiere picks are dedicated to filling both of these needs. Willis was the darling of the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, earning strong praise for his strength and athleticism. A deep receiver class would also yield the talents of Aiyuk, who tore apart the man coverage of the Pac-12 and developed a strong reputation as an earner of yards after the catch. Defensive needs are taken care of with the middle picks. Johnson and Chinn add depth in the secondary, while Willekes (18 sacks over the last two seasons) will raise the pressure on a division that will feature competitions against the multi-talented Josh Allen (and, possibly, Tua Tagovailoa if the Patriots or Dolphins opt to find their franchise quarterbacks).
This day three set would allow the Jets to not only address another offensive need, finding a spell option for Le’Veon Bell. The powerful Taylor could become a goal-line and short-yardage steal, especially if teams are still wary about an ankle injury that cost him a portion of his senior season. But day three could also afford the Jets an opportunity to bolster their special teams. The Georgia staple Blankenship could finally end the post-Jason Myers kicking carousel, while Reed could be the answer to Andre Roberts’ departure. Reed can also serve as a slot receiver, having earned 14 touchdown receptions over the last season seasons.
Dylan Price
1st Round (11th overall): OT Jedrick Willis, Alabama
2nd Round (48th overall): WR Michael Pittman Jr., USC
3rd Round (68th overall): CB Damon Arnette, Ohio State
3rd Round (79th overall): EDGE Jonathan Greenard, Florida
4th Round (120th overall): DT Larrell Murchison, NC State
5th Round (158th overall): OL Michael Onwenu, Michigan
6th Round (191st overall): WR John Hightower, Boise State
6th Round (211th overall): K Rodrigo Blankenship, Georgia
Wills is the only pick that has remained consistent in this final mock draft, Wills becomes the anchor of the future. Pittman has familiarity with Darnold and could be the next steal from USC like JuJu Smith Schuester. Arnette is a talented outside corner who can be the next good OSU corner.
Greenard and Murchison have received a lot of interest from the Jets and would be ideal targets here to add defensive depth. Onwenu and Hightower provide size and speed respectively. Both could develop into could pieces but will begin as depth guys. Rodrigo Blankenship becomes the kicker for the future and rounds out a solid class for Joe Douglas.
Taking a receiver with the first pick is tempting, but the Jets instead choose to sure up their offensive line. At 6’7″ and 364 pounds, Becton is a monster on the line. A flagged drug test at the combine has raised some questions and may make him available outside the top-10. I have gone back-and-forth between Reagor and Tee Higgins in the second, but I don’t see Higgins lasting to this pick. The Jets sure up their line in the first round and get Darnold a fresh target here. After acquiring the third pick from the Giants in the Leonard Williams trade, the Jets could look to add a new pass rusher. In 14 starts this past season, Anae recorded 13 sacks. His knack for finding the quarterback is the deciding factor here.
Edwards, at 6’3″ and 212 pounds, would be a solid target for Darnold. However, there are question marks. He missed his final two games with a knee injury and broke his foot while training for the combine. After taking Reagor in the second round, Edwards is another addition that could have decent upside. Cornerback is also a position of need for Gang Green. With Jeff Okudah most likely going in the top-five in the draft, there is no need to reach for one after that. Getting Pride Jr. in the third round would satisfy a need the Jets desperately need to address. He would slide in to play alongside Pierre Desir and Brian Poole in the secondary. He falls back past the original round three pick I had him at, so the Jets get their guy, just later.
The Oregon alumna will don the seafoam and black of the New York Liberty next season after a record-breaking career in Eugene.
The New York Liberty have chosen Sabrina Ionescu with the top overall pick of the 2020 WNBA Draft.
Ionescu will bring a historic amount of hardware with her to New York City. The former Oregon Duck is the first player in NCAA history to earn a de facto triple-quadruple: she put over 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, and 1,000 assists over her four seasons in the Pacific Northwest.
“It’s a historic night for the New York Liberty,” said Liberty general manager Jonathan Kolb. “Sabrina is a generational player whose resume speaks for itself and we are thrilled to have her as our first-ever No.1 pick. We look forward to adding her to the Liberty family, as we work to reestablish ourselves as one of the top teams in the league for years to come.”
“I’m blessed. I think I’ve been working on this for my entire basketball career,” Ionescu said in a conference call shortly after he selection. “Just to see that come to fruition, I’m very humbled and excited for the opportunity.”
Ionescu’s storied collegiate career ended prematurely thanks to the NCAA Tournament’s cancellation. Nonetheless, she will bring numerous trophies and accolades with her to the east coast including three Pac-12 Player of the Year Awards, two John Wooden Awards, and a Naismith Player of the Year Award.
However, the only thing Ionescu was focused on was improving before she made her New York entry.
“I’m looking to do everything that I possibly can to get better in every aspect,” she said. “Whether that’s scoring, defending, rebounding, passing. I’m really just excited to be playing against professionals and learning from them and just seeing where that takes me.”
The Liberty will play their home games at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on a full-time basis starting with the 2020 season.
The New York Jets have to consider using their expanded draft stash on special teams solutions, which will put a developing offense at ease.
Special teams conspiracy theorists could probably claim that the NFL’s latest innovations and trends are trying to get rid of the third phase of the game entirely.
When extra points got too automatic, the league tacked on 15 yards to them, leading to increased tries for two points. Whereas the point-after-touchdown was moved back, kickoffs were moved up. Some felt their travels to the 35-yard-line (as well as a “reward” for a touchback being access to the 25) were the first step in having the kickoff go the way of the single-bar facemask. The increasingly prevalent analytics departments also weren’t helping matters, as evidence continues to mount that it makes more sense to go for it on fourth down in lieu of kicking or punting.
But special teams undoubtedly hold a place in the modern game. For a team that is situated with an offense that struggles to enter the end zone on a consistent basis, having a proven kicker is a perfect safety blanket. If defeat must be admitted, the least you can do is arm yourself with a good punter.
Hence, the New York Jets must spend this draft session, at least the latter portions, on special teams assistance.
NASHVILLE, TN – APRIL 25: The video board shows that the New York Jets have turned in their pick during the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft on April 25, 2019, at the Draft Main Stage on Lower Broadway in downtown Nashville, TN. (Photo by Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The Jets obviously have aspirations of becoming frequent end zone visitors. They moved up in the draft to find a franchise quarterback. Free agency currency has been dealt to a star running back and blocker to clear the way for him. But until the team can find the end zone on a regular basis, having reliable specialists are absolutely vital. Considering the fact that Robby Anderson (by far their most reliable receiver since 2015) sought bluer pastures in Carolina, regular six-point possessions are easier said than done.
The long-term long snapper spot was readily fulfilled last season. Thomas Hennessy has played four incident-free years thus far and is destined for four more through 2024. But there are several needs that must be fulfilled as the Jets’ latest rebuild continues.
Over the past two seasons (the first of hopefully many overseen by Sam Darnold), the Jets have kicked 63 field goals, a number tied for seventh in the NFL. The surplus was tolerable when Jason Myers was booting triples from all over the field (17-of-19 from at least 40 yards out), but the Marist alum has moved on to Seattle. Since then, four different kickers have dressed in a green uniform, the most recent of which is Sam Ficken.
Those we believe that special teams are meaningless to the Jets…who, granted, still have holes to fill…surely missed their opening weekend tilt against the Buffalo Bills. The Jets’ heartbreaking 17-16 loss was made all the more painful by a missed field goal and extra point from first-game participant Kaare Vedvik. Ficken surfaced shortly after, but was hardly reliable with a 70 percent success rate (19-of-27).
The Jets did bring in a new kicker shortly after the season’s end. Alas, it was Brett Maher, one of only two qualified names below Ficken for conversion rate (20-of-30, 67 percent). Simply put, the Jets need competition, barring a miraculous scoring outbreak next season.
It’s understandable why the Jets didn’t upgrade in free agency. The most reliable names (Mason Crosby, Ka’imi Fairbairn, Dan Bailey) re-signed with their prior squads. Greg Zuerlein was coming off a career-worst season, while Stephen Gostkowski and Ryan Succop were working off injuries.
The Jets are blessed with a deep draft in several of their need positions. Kicker is one of them.
2020’s kicker slot is highlighted by the bespectacled wonder that is Rodrigo Blankenship of Georgia. The former Bulldog may be more of an Athens staple than the hedges and Uga combined. Save for Georgia’s unfortunate collapse in the 2018 National Championship Game, Blankenship might’ve earned everything a kicker could achieve at the Football Bowl Subdivision level. He capped things off with the 2019 Lou Groza Award but his name also appears in the slots reserved for the kicker of the longest field goal in Rose Bowl history and the all-time leading leg scorer in SEC history. Blankenship also has an appearance in the 2019 ESPN Body Issue and a rap track to his name, certainly a unique accomplishment amongst his peers.
Also among the draft options is the perfectly named Jet Toner out of Stanford. Toner’s distance needs work, and he’s coming off a leg injury, but he completed all 101 of his extra points and went 14-of-15 in his last full season. Small-school option Tyler Bass (Georgia Southern) struggled in his senior season but impressed during the Senior Bowl preparation in Mobile. With the Jets afforded an eighth draft pick, particularly their final one in the sixth obtained from Kansas City through the Darron Lee transaction, they can afford to use capital on a kicker spot.
Somewhat murkier is the Jets’ dilemma at punter. It seems like an avoidable spot, but the fact remains that current free agent Lac Edwards led the league in punts with 87. That does come with a Luke Falk-sized asterisk (25 of Edwards’ boots alone came during Darnold’s three-game absence), but the Jets can’t afford to be negligent. If they fail to bring Edwards back, an SEC trio of Braden Mann (Texas A&M), Tommy Townsend (Florida), and Joseph Charlton (South Carolina) could fill in the gap.
The Jets can also fulfill their special needs earlier in the draft. After enjoying the antics of Andre Roberts’ first Pro Bowl season, their average kick return plummeted to 22nd in football after enjoying a third-place finish last season. While the team enjoyed some late traction in the punt return game with Vyncint Smith, it wouldn’t hurt to full multiple needs within the first two days. Virginia’s Joe Reed led the ACC in kick return average twice and also can work as a sizable slot receiver (6’0, 224 lbs.). Jalen Reagor and K.J. Hamler could each go in the second-round and can contribute in more ways that one.
Enough tired memes and jokes have been made at the specialists’ expense. Enough Jets fans are also, perhaps, still traumatized by the second-round selection of Mike Nugent during 2005’s proceedings (especially when Vincent Jackson and Frank Gore went not so long after).
But if the Jets want to end their endless cycle of misery, or at least start to put a dent into it, extra draft capital should go toward the third phase of football. The new Jets brass has already shown that they’re willing to do things differently, especially when it comes to the offensive line. Logic at least hints you can find an undrafted rookie in the scrap pile (i.e. Fairbairn to the Texans in 2016), but the Jets have played by the laws of football logic long enough.
These draft diamonds in the rough, practitioners of football’s third phase, could help provide the spark that burns the perception of “Same Old Jets” down.
New York Knicks coach David Fizdale is looking for relentless competition for positions 1-3 on the Knicks. The 4th spot is solidified with an improved electrifying lefty powerhouse power forward Julius Randle. The 5th spot is solidified with shot-blocking, lob catching, and defensive terror Mitchell Robinson. High flying point guard Dennis Smith Jr., and small forward Kevin Knox will have a battle on their hands against others for their respective positions at point guard and small forward. The shooting guard position is up for grabs for the likes of RJ Barrett, Damyean Dotson, and Allonzo Trier. Marcus Morris will be in the mix battling for that small forward spot for sure.
Fizdale’s not granting nods to anybody other than Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson. Everybody else is going to have to fight for it in training camp. There’ll be no handouts. If a player gets a starting spot, it will basically mean that player earned it!
David Fizdale is trying his best not to contradict the culture. In this current New York Knick culture of defense and offensive attacking styles, everything is really about “You keep what you kill.” Fizdale wants the young Knicks to have an aggressive killer attitude on both ends of the court and go into training camp trying to kill everything and build a killer instinct past Knick teams wholeheartedly lacked.
When Fizdale got hired back in 2018, he possessed the same mindset heading into last offseason training camp after the impressive Summer League showings from Mitchell Robinson, Kevin Knox, and Allonzo Trier. This season after some decent Summer League showings from RJ Barrett, Ignas Brazdeikis, and an infusion of veteran and star talent, the competition in training camp will be really fierce and mighty.
The starters for the New York Knicks will be battle-tested and ready for war in the open Eastern Conference this upcoming season starting Wednesday, October 23rd in a road game against a cut-throat San Antonio Spurs team looking for sweet revenge on their home floor after being embarrassed during the last meeting in Madison Square Garden back in February 24th, 2018. Will the New York Knicks turn potential into reality and get their first win on the road next season in San Antonio? It surely will be televised.
