East Notes: Knicks, RJ Barrett, Sixers, James Harden, Celtics

Knicks

Guard/forward RJ Barrett suggested the Knicks can’t be worried about what outsiders think or are predicting for the season.

“I think we’re still always going to be doubted and overlooked regardless,” Barrett said, via Zach Braziller of the New York Post. “That’s not really what’s important. We want to win. People can say we’re the greatest team ever or we’re the worst team ever, we’re trying to win. It doesn’t really matter what anybody else says except the people that are in there fighting together and working together every day. … We know the expectations we have of ourselves and we kind of work to that standard every day.”

• Coach Tom Thibodeau said he’s not too worried about a GM poll that predicted the Knicks will finish fifth in the Eastern Conference. “Yeah, I put a lot of stock in that,” he joked, via Braziller.

76ers

Coach Nick Nurse wasn’t real pleased with how things went in a preseason loss to the Celtics on Wednesday — despite the fact many big names did not play for either side.

“A night where we didn’t look very good,” Nurse said, via Gina Mizell of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “… That was more what I thought would happen the first [game] with the offense, and it kind of got to us tonight with a few lineup changes.”

• Center Joel Embiid and guard James Harden are healthy, but neither has suited up for the Sixers’ first two preseason games. Nurse would not say if either will play in the next, Monday at Brooklyn.
• The Sixers are not close on anything resembling a trade when it comes to Harden, league sources told Hoops Wire. The situation remains in limbo.

Celtics

Guard Payton Pritchard said he hopes to offer several aspects to the Celtics this season — and not just outside shooting.

“Obviously I can be able to stretch the floor out and be able to maybe hit 3s and stuff like that, but I really try to hang my hat on the energy plays and picking up and little things like that to change the game,” Pritchard said, via Marc D’Amico of Celtics.com. “Obviously we’ve got unbelievable players, so scoring is not something we necessarily need. So I’ve gotta find ways to always affect the game.”