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The New York Knicks have been a rather active organization this summer what with their front office shakeups, free agency decisions, and, most recently, their activity within the trade circuit.
However, one specific move made by Leon Rose and company is predicted to have an overwhelmingly positive impact on Tom Thibodeau, as Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors believes the seasoned head coach is going to “love” newly signed guard, Donte DiVincenzo.
“His competitiveness is going to fit right in. The Knicks really struck me as a competitive group last year,” Kerr said, per the New York Post. “Thibs’ is going to love him, then the Villanova connection with Josh and Jalen. That’s real, those guys are champions together from college. I think that connection will help, and then he’ll give them another two-way player, another guy who can handle the ball and play off of it, and defend on the other end. Guys like that are super-valuable.”
Steve Kerr got to know DiVincenzo quite well during the guard’s lone stint with the Warriors during the 2022-23 campaign, and further stated in his talk with the Post that Thibodeau is going to enjoy the addition because “Donte is a grinder” and “he plays hard every possession.”
After putting up impressive per-game averages of 9.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.3 steals on 39.7 percent shooting with the Dubs, the 26-year-old signed with the Knicks via free agency to the tune of a four-year, $50 million deal.
Steve Kerr Has Big Plans for Jalen Brunson on Team USA
Donte DiVincenzo isn’t the only Knicks guard that Steve Kerr seems to have high praise for, as he recently noted that Jalen Brunson is slated to take on a rather large role within his scheme for Team USA during this summer’s FIBA World Cup.
“I will definitely go into this with a vision of Jalen Brunson taking on a pretty big role given the way he plays, his success at the FIBA level in past tournaments,” Kerr said.
The point guard is coming off his first season as a member of the Knicks as well as the best campaign of his professional career, as he posted stellar per-game averages of 24.0 points, 6.2 assists, and 3.5 rebounds while shooting 49.1 percent from the field and 41.6 percent from deep.
He would only improve upon this level of production under the bright lights of the NBA postseason, particularly during their six-game semifinal series against the Miami Heat where he went on to post a whopping 31.0 points, 6.3 assists, 5.5 rebounds, and a steal while shooting 50.4 percent from the field.
Brunson will be joined by fellow New York cohort Josh Hart as well as each of these aforementioned talents’ former Villanova teammate and current Brooklyn Nets star Mikal Bridges on Team USA.
Josh Hart Playfully Called Out for ‘Tampering’
As noted, all three of Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, and Josh Hart were members of the Villanova basketball team during their collegiate careers.
Naturally, there’s bound to be some excitement regarding each of them now reuniting on Team USA, which is why Hart emphatically tweeted “We teammates again” on July 6 and specifically tagged each one of them.
The Nets star opted to stir the pot a bit in response to Hart’s message, as he playfully quote-tweeted the wing with claims of tampering.
Josh Hart quickly set the record straight, however, by clearing the air and responding to Bridges, saying: “What I do??? I’m talking about Team USA!!!”
All three of Hart, Brunson, and Bridges managed to win an NCAA title together back in 2016 as members of the Wildcats, and will now look to claim another title as a trio during the upcoming FIBA World Cup.
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