Livescore
T.J. Warren played nine games for the G League’s Bakersfield Jam in 2014-15. A first-round pick by the Suns, Warren was with Bakersfield to get some in-game experience at the time.
Ten years later, Warren is back in the G League. He’s there again to get valuable in-game reps.
“It’s been a blessing,” Warren said in an interview with SNY on Tuesday night. “I just wanted to get some reps and get in the flow of playing basketball again and just show health. It’s been great being out here, mentoring the guys, just kind of showing them my experiences and teaching them the right way and having fun with it. Take advantage of every day. No wasted days.”
Warren values every day he’s on a basketball court. Months after averaging 31 points in the NBA bubble during COVID-19, Warren suffered a stress fracture in his foot. He missed most of the next two seasons while undergoing three major surgeries.
He returned in 2022-23, playing in Brooklyn and Phoenix. After the trade to Phoenix, which sent Kevin Durant to the desert, Warren said he “kind of got lost in the shuffle” of teams with different objectives.
Entering this season, Warren, 31, wanted to show the league that he was healthy. He wanted to show that he could handle regular minutes, playing every day.
Mission accomplished. Warren set Westchester’s single-game scoring record this season when he had 47 against Canton. He helped Westchester win its second straight G League Cup earlier in the year. At the moment, he’s averaging 24.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 37 minutes per game. He’s hitting 58 percent of his twos and 37 percent of his threes.
“I have a lot of respect for what he’s doing,” Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau said earlier this month. “He’s had a terrific year and he’s been great down there. For our young guys to watch somebody like that, who loves the game, great teammate and obviously he’s been terrific on the floor; I have a lot of respect for that.”
The Knicks have an open roster spot and will have enough room in team salary under the second apron to add a veteran. Warren and Westchester’s Chuma Okeke are among the players on the Knicks’ radar for that spot. We’ll find out soon enough if Warren gets the nod. For now, he’s just “taking it one day at a time and just controlling what I can.”
“Westchester has been great,” Warren said. “Just mentoring these guys, continuing to get better and we’ll see what the future holds.”
Warren also hit on a few other topics during the interview:
ON BEING A VETERAN IN THE G LEAGUE: “A lot of guys coming up to me saying I was watching you when I was in high school and college. It’s kind of surreal to hear that but it just lets me know how long I’ve been doing this.”
ON HIS APPROACH TO MENTORSHIP: “Just coming in and try to share my knowledge. Just letting them know coming to work every day with a consistent mindset of just getting better. I try to tell them that every day matters and just because something’s not going your way at the moment, just understanding that it’s a long season and there’s a lot of ups and downs in a long season so try to stay positive and stick with it. I see a lot of young guys get down on themselves and lack confidence. Just trying to come in and help them build confidence. Whenever the guys (Knick rookies Tyler Kolek, Ariel Hukporti and two-way player Jacob Toppin) come down (from the Knicks), just try to share my knowledge with them. Let them know: stay aggressive, stay in tune, stay with it both on ends.”
ON HIS APPROACH IN THE G LEAGUE: I wanted to go to the G League and show health and it was an opportunity for me to do that. I’m glad the Knicks were able to allow me to do that. I feel great. I feel like I showed everybody I’m healthy. I can contribute on and off the court as far as mentoring guys, giving them confidence. Just being an overall great teammate. I felt like health is the main priority; I wanted to cancel out any negativity about my health. I know that’s been a question mark with me with my foot. So I just wanted to cancel al that out. I was glad to play this year, consistently, at a high level. Win at a high level. I love basketball, so any type of basketball, sign me up. I want to play.”
ON BEING BACK IN THE NBA: “Absolutely. I feel like that everybody’s goal in the G League, to get to the high level. For myself, definitely want to get back to where I belong. But I’m just taking it one day at a time and just controlling what I can. Westchester has been great. Just mentoring these guys, continuing to get better and we’ll see what the future holds.”
MITCH WEEKEND?
There have been so many different timelines and projections about Mitchell Robinson’s return to the court. I assume most Knicks fans are tired of the topic by now. But Robinson has been getting through practices without issue after the All-Star break.
Tom Thibodeau said Robinson “did a lot” in Tuesday’s practice. Thibodeau said Robinson’s return would be based on how he feels the next morning.
He’s not playing Wednesday against Philadelphia but there was optimism earlier this week about Robinson returning against Memphis on Friday or Miami on Sunday. It all depends on how Robinson feels after workouts. But there’s been optimism about Robinson making his season debut this weekend.
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