Ian Begley, SNY.tv | Twitter | 

Earlier this week, several teams were holding out hope that the NBA season could resume in some form. 

No one knows at this point if playing games this summer will be an option amid the coronavirus crisis. It depends on factors that are impossible to project. 

Here is the Sports Squared crossword puzzle for Friday, April 3 called Knicks of the '90s: The Glory Days...

The Knicks parted ways with David Fizdale in early-December, and the Nets followed suit by letting Kenny Atkinson go in early-March. But which team offers the better job?

On this edition of Loud Mouths: The Great Debate, SNY's Eamon McAnaney and Maria Marino discuss which organization they think offers more for whoever steps in next ...

Ian Begley, SNY.tv | Twitter | 

Nets GM Sean Marks said on Wednesday that Brooklyn's coaching search is on hold while the NBA season is suspended. 

The Knicks are taking the same approach, heeding an unofficial moratorium on any personnel moves while the season is on hold, people in touch with the team told SNY. 

That means no action taken on a potential coaching search, those people say. Those in touch with the team also say that there is no movement at the moment on any front office transactions, confirming a New York Post report. 

Ian Begley, SNY.tv | Twitter | 

Knicks president Leon Rose, interim head coach Mike Miller and several players offered a thank you to healthcare workers battling the coronavirus crisis in a video posted Thursday. 

A message from the Knicks family. #NBATogether pic.twitter.com/Kx1HW8jYSQ

Tags: Frank Ntilikina, Kevin Knox, Mitchell Robinson, Ian Begley

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It sounds like the Knicks could be keeping close tabs on another Atlantic Division team to find their next general manager.

According to a report from Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News, new Knicks president Leon Rose has been keeping an eye on current Philadelphia 76ers GM Elton Brand.

The Knicks, of course, still have Scott Perry in place as their current GM, but with a new team president, they could be looking to move on.

Ian Begley, SNY.tv | Twitter | 

If the NBA can play games in the summer -- a big if -- one potential hurdle will be the scheduling of the NBA Draft. 

Several agents pointed out that having the draft any later than July would be difficult because it would push the decision date for draft-eligible players close to the beginning of the fall semester. 

This would make the timing of decisions difficult for both the player and the school the player is potentially leaving. College coaches would have to plan for the upcoming season without knowing whether a draft-eligible player will return or not. They would also have to operate during a significant portion of the recruiting calendar with that uncertainty. 

Ian Begley, SNY.tv | Twitter | 

No one can predict how the coronavirus will impact the United States - and the world - in the coming weeks and months. 

So it's way too soon to make any predictions or assertions about when the NBA might resume its season. 

Ian Begley, SNY.tv | Twitter | 

One of the most pressing questions for the Knicks under new team president Leon Rose is: What do you do at point guard?

Rose inherits Frank Ntilikina, Elfrid Payton and Dennis Smith Jr. as his lead guards, along with two-way player Kadeem Allen. Former Knicks head coach David Fizdale said last week that he thought it was important for New York to find a point guard who was a threat from the perimeter. Others currently in the organization share those thoughts. 

The Knicks have a team option on Payton for next season, and have Ntilikina and Smith under contract for next season. The club is projected to have three draft picks in the Top 36 picks of the 2020 NBA Draft, so they could target a point guard there. 

The NBA continues to work vigorously to figure out what the conclusion of the 2019-2020 season could look like once they're allowed to resume play and there are several options.

According to The Post's Marc Berman, executives "still cling to hope" that a 16-team playoff that is played at one site with no fans can occur. 

What about the regular season? Berman is hearing that a "five-to-seven-game" regular season is what's being suggested before the playoffs were to begin. Then, the 2020-21 season will start near Christmas. 

Knicks owner James Dolan, who recently tested positive for coronavirus, is no longer required to participate in what was to be a telephone mediation with Charles Oakley, according to court documents.

Instead, the mediation will go forward on Tuesday with counsel only. 

Recently, Knicks legend Patrick Ewing weighed in on the bad blood between Dolan and Oakley, which has existed for more than three years.

Former Knick Stephon Marbury is looking to give back to the city he called home growing up and for five seasons during his NBA career.

According to The Post, Marbury has "made arrangements" to have 10 million N95 masks brought to New York City for medical professionals and first responders who are on the front lines combating coronavirus. The masks have been hard to come by, and retailers have been charging $7.50 per mask. Marbury is saying he's getting them for $2.75 each from a supplier in China. 

"At the end of the day, I am from Brooklyn," Marbury said. "This is something that is close and dear to my heart as far as being able to help New York."

Ian Begley, SNY.tv | Twitter | 

We don't know when NBA free agency will take place. But we know that the Knicks will have several decisions to make when it gets here. 

Among them is what to do with veteran wing Maurice Harkless. 

On the latest edition of Out of Office Replies, SNY's Maria Marino believes the Nets will become New York's favorite team, has hope for Frank Ntilikina, and more!

The Knicks released a statement on Saturday night explaining that team owner James Dolan has tested positive for coronavirus.

"The Madison Square Garden Company Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jim Dolan has tested positive for coronavirus," reads the statement. "He has been in self-isolation and is experiencing little to no symptoms. He continues to oversee business operations."

According to Marc Berman of the New York Post, Dolan, 64, is self-isolating with his family in the Hamptons.

On March 18, the Knicks announced that all of their players were asymptomatic and therefore had not been tested for the virus.

SNY NBA Insider Ian Begley checks in with the latest on the Knicks front, explaining that the team is indeed looking to upgrade shooting at the point guard position, why Christian Wood is a name for fans to keep in mind, and how players like Julius Randle, Bobby Portis, and Dennis Smith Jr. are doing what they can to help amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

Though they may try to skip steps to playoff contention, the New York Knicks are in the developmental stage. One of the key players in New York's rebuild is forward Kevin Knox. 

In his second year in the league, Knox's growth and development as a player has stalled. With one more season before he's up for a rookie extension and two more seasons before he would become a free agent, it's important for the Knicks to crystallize what Knox's role and future would be in New York. 

It feels like a decade ago that Knox was being christened New York's latest savior after a splashy Summer League showing in 2018. While he piled up the points, Knox shot 35.1 percent from the field. That would be a hint at what Knox would really contribute in the NBA. The 6-foot-9 forward has yet to shoot at least 40 percent from the field in either of his two pro seasons in the NBA.

As the coronavirus pandemic continues, members of the Knicks are doing whatever they can to help those in need. 

Knicks forwards Julius Randle and Bobby Portis are donating $180,000 worth of meals to help feed New Yorkers in need, while guard Dennis Smith Jr. is purchasing food vouchers for 575 first responders at Cape Fear Medical Center in his hometown of Fayetteville, North Carolina. Smith is also purchasing 32 computers to help local students learn from home while schools are closed. 

Randle and Portis are making their donation to City Harvest, New York's private response to hunger and largest food rescue organization. Along with their meal donations, Portis and Randle are each contributing another $50,000 to support City Harvest's operations. Their combined contributions will help more than 370,000 New Yorkers in need.

Over the years, there have been plenty of villains in the world of New York sports, from Reggie Miller to Chipper Jones, and many others.

On the debut edition of Loud Mouths: The Great Debate, SNY's Eamon McAnaney and contributor Jon Hein discuss who they would choose for their lists ...

.

Ian Begley, SNY.tv | Twitter | 

When Leon Rose officially took over as Knicks president on March 2, the plan was to use the final six weeks of the season to get to know coaches, players and execs. That, presumably, would help inform Rose as he reshaped New York's roster, coaching staff and front office in the offseason. 

Obviously, that plan was altered two weeks ago when the NBA suspended its season amid the coronavirus crisis.

Knicks owner James Dolan and ex-Knick Charles Oakley continued their feud on Tuesday with an over-the-phone mediation that was ordered by a federal appeals court. Oakley hasn't broken his conviction in trying to get back at Dolan for ordering he be thrown out of Madison Square Garden back in 2017. 

But if it were up to one of Oakley's former Knicks teammates in Patrick Ewing, this feud would've been done a long time ago. 

Ewing has been asked about it in the past, and he always said he holds Oakley in high standards while not wanting to discuss his personal matter. However, he does want the bug squashed soon.

Just 22 games into his second season as Knicks head coach, David Fizdale was let go after the team got off to a dismal 4-18 start. 

In one season-plus as the team's head coach, Fizdale coached the Knicks to 21-83 record, leading to his dismissal. 

On Wednesday, Fizdale was a guest on ESPN Radio, and when asked if the Knicks had a true star on the team, he pointed to rookie RJ Barrett while also saying that the Knicks need better shooters in place to help talented youngsters like Barrett and Mitchell Robinson reach their full potential.

John Calipari, who coached Kevin Knox during his time at Kentucky, spoke at length about the Knicks' second-year pro on Tuesday about his adjustment to the NBA, his work ethic, and more.

Calipari, who announced Tuesday that, through The Calipari Foundation, he would be donating groceries to 400 families during the coronavirus pandemic, also implored the Knicks to not give up on Knox too soon.

On the adjustment period for Knox given his age

"He was so young. Some guys are even younger than their chronological age, which is young. And guess what? He's one of those. He was the youngest player in that draft. And he was learning about himself. And i come back to: you've got to conquer yourself before you can conquer anybody else. Being in that league, I've never heard him complain one time. How about that? That he's accepting, 'I'm responsible for me. I am what my stats say I am. I'm responsible. And I've got a ways to go.'"

It's no secret Kentucky head basketball coach John Calipari is a very good friend of Knicks new team president Leon Rose -- their relationship spans over decades. So Calipari is the perfect person to discuss how Rose is going to transform the Knicks. 

Speaking to SNY's Ian Begley during a conference call, Calipari -- who announced Tuesday that, through The Calipari Foundation, he would be donating groceries to 400 families during the coronavirus pandemic -- elaborated on his good friend, saying that Rose is just the guy the Knicks need because of one crucial quality. 

"He's a gatherer," Calipari said. "And I believe that's what the Knicks need right now, a gatherer who can bring things together and make it a culture that players want to be in because they know, 'this is about all of us.'"

Referring to the Knicks as "dysfunctional," Stan Van Gundy -- who said he had no interest in coaching the team -- touched on his brother Jeff's potential interest in again being New York's head coach. 

"I'm not really interested in the New York Knicks, no," Stan Van Gundy said on ESPN Radio, according to Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. "First of all there's a family history there. If anyone would be interested in that it -- and I'm not sure he is, either -- it would be my brother. And number two, I just -- I've said this, I'm different than a lot of coaches in looking at jobs. To me it's all about who you work for and who you work with. Everything I've seen over the last few years with that organization says that it's extremely dysfunctional."

Stan Van Gundy also said the Nets' job is better than the Knicks' job right now.

The latest edition of SNY's "Out of Office Replies" has contributor Kazeem Famuyide talking about new Knicks president Leon Rose's biggest challenge, where he sees the Nets going with Kevin Durant working with Kyrie Irving next season, and even some wrestling content...

Knicks center Mitchell Robinson has a very valid question: Is he the new record holder for highest field-goal percentage in NBA history? 

While the NBA is working hard to figure out how to resume play once it is safe to do, the Knicks still hold a 21-45 record and sit as a 12 seed in the Eastern Conference. Though games were obviously left on their schedule, a revised NBA season could just jump right into playoffs. 

If that's the case, Robinson would have ended his sophomore campaign with a 74.2 field goal percentage after making 253 of his 341 field goal attempts...

In a memo sent on Thursday, the NBA has informed teams that they should shutter their facilities due to the coronavirus situation, SNY's Ian Begley confirmed.

Teams had been cautious during workouts with players prior to the ban. Several teams had limited workouts to 20 minutes per player. Some teams didn't want the coach working with the player to touch the ball the player was shooting with, instructing the player to use a shooting machine rather than having the coach rebound. With team facilities now closed, players will have to work out on their own while following the league guidelines around social distancing.

The NBA had recently informed teams that players were allowed to travel out of market, but that the preference of the league was that players remain in the cities they play.

Ian Begley, SNY.tv | Twitter | 

If this Knicks season is over, RJ Barrett will finish with averages of 14.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.0 steal per game.

Those numbers may not put Barrett in the Rookie of the Year conversation, but they've left a strong impression with some NBA evaluators.

"Everyone is going to talk about Ja (Morant) and Zion (Williamson), for obvious reasons," one Western Conference executive said. "But I like RJ a lot. I think he can have a long, successful career in this league if he stays healthy."

With every pro sports league shut down due to coronavirus concerns, the NBA announced on Wednesday that it will be unlocking all of its League Pass content until April 22. 

With full-length replays and classic games at every basketball fans' disposal, this is a perfect tool to use to hold you over until the league resumes play, which they're working on as we speak. 

So, until that happens, here are a few League Pass suggestions that Knicks fans in particular might want to relive, starting with this season:

Ian Begley, SNY.tv | Twitter | 

NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Wednesday that he's holding out hope that a portion of the NBA season can be salvaged amid the coronavirus crisis.

"We're gonna try by every means we can to play basketball again," Silver said in an interview with ESPN. "But I say that the safety and health of our players is first, and our fans, which is why I don't want to speculate more on that.

Ian Begley, SNY.tv | Twitter | 

The NBA and NBPA defended the testing of their players for Covid-19 amid criticism from New York City mayor Bill de Blasio and others.

"There's nothing irresponsible -- if you've got that information [that you've been exposed] -- about trying to get the tests," NBPA executive director Michele Roberts said in an interview with ESPN on Wednesday. "The problem that more of us can't get the tests -- and I'm not apologetic about saying it -- in my view, that rests at the foot of the federal government. They were responsible for making sure we were protected in that regard, and I think they failed.

"We shouldn't be fighting about this now ... but once this is done and we get through it, and we will, let's figure out who screwed up and fix that."

The Knicks released a statement on Wednesday night explaining that all of the players on the team are asymptomatic and therefore none have been tested for Covid-19.

The full statement reads: "We have been following the recommendations of local and national health officials and continue to monitor our players closely. As of now, with our players remaining asymptomatic, none of them have been tested for Covid-19. We will remain in close contact with health officials and the NBA."

One week ago, the Knicks played their final game before the NBA season was officially suspended, topping the Atlanta Hakws 136-131 in overtime. That same night, the NBA suspended the season as it was revealed that Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for coronavirus.

Less than a week ago, the NBA's regular season was still in full swing.

But now, with the season suspended amidst the coronavirus outbreak that has put the entire sports word on hold, all NBA arenas are silent.

To pass some of the time until basketball returns, many NBA players have turned to social media to either post highlights of themselves, or just share some laughs and show off their creative sides.

Ian Begley, SNY.tv | Twitter | 

Regardless of what happens with the salary cap amid the coronavirus crisis, we know the Knicks are going to have money to spend in free agency. 

While it's way too early to know who they'll target, it's worth noting that some in the Knicks' front office are enamored with Detroit's Christian Wood. 

Ian Begley, SNY.tv | Twitter | 

The NBA and NBPA agreed to suspend random player drug testing during the current moratorium to address concerns regarding the proximity of drug testers amid coronavirus fears and the sensitivity of drawing blood, SNY sources confirmed. 

Players are customarily subjected to random drug testing over the course of the year, as part of the collective bargaining agreement. 

Typically, a player will be tested roughly six times over the course of the year. 

After a CDC report recommending that no gatherings of 50 or more people take place for the next eight weeks was released on Sunday night, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reports that a number of NBA owners and executives increasingly believe a best case scenario is a mid-to-late June return to play -- with no fans.

This may not come as such shocking news to some, with Adam Silver saying on TNT's Inside the NBA only just a few days ago, that the season would be suspended for at least 30 days and "of course it's possible" that the season as a whole gets canceled.

A return to basketball in mid-to-late June would mean the NBA Finals wouldn't take place until August -- something the league is already looking into by scouting possible arena dates that late into the year.

The Knicks may have more coronavirus concerns than they thought.

Pistons' big man Christian Wood, who played 33 minutes against the Knicks on Sunday, tested positive for the coronavirus on Saturday, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania.

Wood went up against the Utah Jazz the day prior. Two members of the Jazz - Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell - tested positive for the virus on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively

It seems as though the Knicks are joining the list of pro teams vowing to continue paying hourly employees during the coronavirus outbreak, or at least they're in the process of doing so.

According to Marc Berman of The Post, steps have already been taken to put a plan in place to keep compensating hourly workers who are missing shifts at Madison Square Garden due to the cancellation of the Big East Tournament and the suspended NBA and NHL seasons.

"We've already taken immediate action this week and are working on a longer-term plan,'' a Garden source told The Post.

Rick Pitino is making his return to college basketball.

Pitino will become the next head coach of the Iona Gaels, the school announced on Saturday.

Former Iona head coach Tim Cluess announced on Friday that he was stepping down from the position after 10 seasons to focus on health concerns, though he is staying with the program in an advisory role.

Charles Oakley continues to rip the Knicks.

Oakley recently had his lawsuit against Madison Square Garden settled last month, but that's not stopping him from ripping his former team.

The former Knick appeared on the "Knicks Fan TV" podcast on Wednesday and took his time out to say the Knicks should stay away from Jeff Van Gundy and Patrick Ewing in their head coaching search, while also saying the Knicks are "years" away.

In response to the coronavirus outbreak that has gripped the world -- with 1,701 known cases and 40 deaths in the United States as of Friday morning -- Major League Baseball, the National Hockey League, and the National Basketball Association were among the major sports leagues to suspend/pause operations over the last 48 hours.

Here's how the back pages in New York City reacted on Friday...

On Wednesday night, the NBA became the first of the four major American sports league to suspend its season, with the NHL and MLB later following suit.

The announcement shocked the sport world, as the Utah Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder were about to tip-off from Oklahoma City when it was revealed that Jazz center Rudy Gobert had tested positive for coronavirus. 

After Wednesday's slate of games (which included two cancellations), the league officially suspended the 2019-20 season, doing what is best for team and fan safety.

On Thursday night, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver joined the Inside the NBA on TNT crew to discuss the timeline of the events that led to the suspended schedule and whether or not there's a possibility that the rest of the season will eventually be cancelled. 

Amid the NBA's announcement that the season has been suspended, SNY's Ian Begley says one source in touch with a Knicks player said the mood among the team is "surprised, worried, but like everyone else, hoping for the best."

Utah Jazz C Rudy Gobert tested positive for coronavirus, which led to the NBA's announcement. Because the Knicks played the Jazz last Wednesday night, sources confirmed to Begley that players were under the impression they would be self-quarantined. 

The Knicks are not the only teams to self-quarantine after learning about Gobert's contraction of the virus. According to SI's Chris Mannix, the Raptors -- who were playing in Utah on Monday night -- were all tested for coronavirus. The team has been told to isolate themselves for the next two weeks.

The 2020 trade deadline was an opportunity for the Knicks to acquire some assets. The Knicks had an attractive trade chip in Marcus Morris and ended up dealing him to the Clippers at the deadline.

The primary focus of the deal was the draft pick compensation that the rebuilding Knicks secured for the free-agent-to-be. An afterthought in the deal was Moe Harkless. An eight-year veteran, Harkless' time with the Knicks since the deal has been a mixed bag.

The Queens-bred Harkless has started the last ten games, but has seen his minutes fluctuate. In the team's most recent back-to-back before the NBA suspended action, Harkless saw just 12 minutes against the Wizards before recording 41 minutes of action in New York's overtime victory against the Hawks.

Late Wednesday night, Knicks players were under the impression that they'd be self-quarantined because they'd recently played Rudy Gobert and the Utah Jazz, SNY sources confirmed. 

Gobert reportedly tested positive for the coranavirus just before Wednesday's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Without naming Gobert, the NBA announced Wednesday night that the season was suspended indefinitely due to the coronavirus outbreak. 

Gobert and the Jazz played against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on March 4, and the Jazz played Detroit on March 7, a day before the Pistons played the Knicks at MSG. 

In an unprecedented moment for the NBA, the league announced that it has suspended the 2019-20 season following the conclusion of Wednesday night's games due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The announcement came from the league as the Knicks were in action in Atlanta. The Knicks went on to beat the Hawks 136-131 in overtime, but after the game, all of the talk was about what comes next for the Knicks given the season's uncertain outlook.

"At this point, we're just going to trust what our medical team is telling us and then be very conscious and aware if anybody would happen to have symptoms, and then we know what we do from there," interim head coach Mike Miller told reporters in Atlanta after the game.

"Obviously, I appreciate the diligence, the work that has gone into it. I have completely trusted our medical team and what the NBA is doing, because I know that their first concern is the safety of everybody. It goes way beyond players and coaches. There are so many people that are included in that. So I trust what they're telling us and I continue to just get the information as it comes in and then we'll do as we're instructed to make sure that everybody remains safe."

The Knicks defeated the Atlanta Hawks 136-131 on Wednesday night in what could be the last game they play in the foreseeable future due to the coronavirus outbreak. >> Box score

Five things to know from Wednesday's game

1) The Knicks commanded Wednesday night's game from start to nearly the finish, but they let a huge lead crumble in the fourth quarter. Trae Young carried the Hawks with a whopping 27 points in the fourth quarter alone. The Knicks led by as many as 23 points on the night, but the Hawks were able to fight back to send the game into overtime. The Knicks were able to hold on for the win. 

On Tuesday night, Knicks point guard Frank Ntilikina scored a career-high 20 points and added 10 assists in the team's loss the Washington Wizards. 

Ntilikina has had a very up-and-down start to his NBA career, but the flashes of excellence have certainly been there.

Is Ntilikina on the verge of taking a big jump?

The crew from Wednesday's edition of The Thread discussed that very topic …