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After enduring losing seasons in Detroit, Alec Burks and Bojan Bogdanovic are finally free and will play meaningful games again in New York with the ascending Knicks.
This early, Josh Hart put Bogdanovic on notice after the Knicks pulled off the deal to acquire both veterans at the February 8 trade deadline.
“(Burks) knows what to expect,” Hart said via The Athletic. “Bojan — hoooo, that boy in for it.”
The 34-year-old Bogdanovic will become the second-oldest player on the Knicks roster after the 38-year-old Taj Gibson, who was signed to a second 10-day contract on Friday.
Burks is already familiar with Tom Thibodeau, the demanding coach who treats every game like a Game 7 of a playoff series. Bogdanovic, however, could be in for a surprise.
If anything, Bogdanovic is a consummate pro whose sole focus is basketball. He doesn’t engage in social media and lives his life in private. Before he went to Detroit, he was a consistent playoff performer with the Utah Jazz.
“It’s gonna open up the spacing a lot,” Hart said of Thursday’s trade via New York Post. “Whether that’s for Jalen [Brunson], OG [Anunoby] trying to get to the basket or if they blitz him, then you have me or Isaiah [Hartenstein] or somebody in that short pocket being able to just facilitate.
“So it’ll help open the court up tremendously.”
A career 39.5% 3-point shooter, Bogdanovic is knocking down a career-high 3.1 3s per game this season. He could have more open looks around Brunson and Julius Randle in New York.
Knicks Installed as Title Contenders After Trade
Former NBA champion and current ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins became more bullish about the Knicks’ chances this season after acquiring Burks and Bogdanovic in addition to the Anunoby trade.
“The only thing that the Knicks were missing was depth. And right now they’re deeper than the Pacific Ocean and everybody else in the Eastern Conference needs to get life jackets, including the Boston Celtics,” Perkins boldly declared on NBA Today on February 8, moments after the Knicks pulled off the trade with the Detroit Pistons. “This New York Knicks team is a legit title contender this season.”
When healthy, the Knicks have one of the deepest teams in the league.
Their starting five has it all — elite perimeter (Anunoby) and rim (Mitchell Robinson) defenders, solid catch-and-shoot wings (Anunoby and Donte DiVincenzo) and the dynamic duo of their All-Stars Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle.
Burks and Bogjanovic will slide to the bench and spearhead a second unit filled with players who can start for other teams.
Jalen Brunson Injury Update
Brunson remains questionable for the Knicks’ February 10 home game against the Indiana Pacers. But he’s feeling good about his chances to return.
Appearing on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, the Knicks All-Star point guard provided a positive update about his ankle injury.
“Everything’s good,” Brunson told Fallon.
Asked if he’s ready to come back soon, Brunson replied: “We’ll see.”
Brunson missed the Knicks’ 122-108 loss to his former team, the Dallas Mavericks, on February 8 with a right ankle sprain.
The 27-year-old Brunson averages 27.2 points on 41.1% 3-point shooting and 6.5 assists, all career-highs, this season.
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