When Tom Thibodeau got the Knicks head coaching job he was unable to spend time with his team in full, but he did manage to send a message out imploring them to get in the best shape possible.
And as the Knicks prepared for their first game in nine months, Thibodeau singled out a few players as taking that step forward better than others.
"For young guys, our two young guys, they obviously have a lot to learn but in terms of commitment and conditioning, they’re really, really impressive," Thibodeau said. "I would say the vet that has probably stood out the most, there’s actually two, I would say Julius [Randle] is in great shape and Kevin Knox is in really great shape as well.