East Notes: Knicks, Julius Randle, Hornets, Cavs

Knicks

Power forward Julius Randle appears to be just fine with the idea of the Knicks picking up the pace, even if it means less touches.

“It’s just the way the game is going,” Randle said, via Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. “There are so many more possessions, high-scoring games. So, it’s just the way the league is going and an adjustment that everybody has to make.” 

Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau added that Randle could actually benefit from a faster pace.

“Because of the strength of the club, we can use him in different ways,” Thibodeau said, via Bondy. “He doesn’t always have to have the ball. He can play off the ball [as a secondary playmaker in transition].”

• Knicks guard Immanuel Quickley said he added to his mid-range game over the summer. “I think it will help my field-goal percentage a lot,” Quickley said, via Zach Braziller of the New York Post. “Just being able to do everything when I’m on the floor is a versatility thing I like for myself.” 

Hornets

• The future of Hornets forward Miles Bridges remains fairly murky, given his offseason legal troubles, per Michael Gordon and Rod Boone of the Charlotte Observer. Bridges pleaded not guilty to three domestic felony charges and is awaiting a pretrial hearing. 
• Bridges is a restricted free agent, and should he be able to return this season, it will highly likely be on the one-year, $7.9 million qualifying offer. That would set him up for free agency in July 2023. But there are a lot things that must be decided legally before any of that.

Cavaliers

Kevin Love agreed with Darius Garland that the Cavs are a close-knit group, and that’s being reflected in the early days of training camp.

“I think it’s just the temperament of this group,” Love told reporters. “It’s one thing to say and it’s one thing to actually see it live here. More than anything, guys have a willingness to just listen, able to really communicate at a very high level. I think that all starts with (coach J.B. Bickerstaff) but trickles down through the coaching staff. I think we just have very, very high character people, let alone players, out here with us. I think we’ve gotten better every practice so far.”

All of that includes newcomer Donovan Mitchell, who is fitting right in and being embraced by his new franchise. Caris LeVert said he knows the feeling.

“It’s a unique group in the sense that everyone celebrates each other and we celebrate the wins,” LeVert told reporters. “We’re always looking out for each other. That’s super unique, especially in the NBA with a lot of different mentalities around the league. I think here it’s all about team, it’s all about family.”

• For much more out of Cleveland, check out our Cavs page right here.