The New York Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers opened the 2025 NBA preseason in Abu Dhabi, marking the fourth consecutive year of games there to kick off the league’s exhibition series. The Knicks and 76ers will take Friday off before meeting again on Saturday morning.
Knicks Showcasing Trade Candidate Pacome Diadet In Preseason and Leading Candidate For 5th Starting Spot Emerges? Plus, Other Notes and Observations
While the Knicks dominated the first matchup, winning 99-84, it was a solid start for both teams. Miles McBride led three players in double figures for the Knicks, who were missing OG Anunoby. Meanwhile, the 76ers were significantly handicapped with three starters sidelined.
Mike Brown, in his first game as the Knicks’ head coach, gave all 19 players of his active roster some playing time. All 19 players contributed, with 17 scoring at least one point. Anunoby sprained his hand yesterday in practice and is considered day-to-day, per MSG’s Bill Pidto. Tosan Evbuomwan, on a two-way deal, also didn’t play.
New York didn’t shoot the ball well at all, but that had a lot to do with Philly’s defense. However, the Knicks did play fast and got out on the break, totaling 24 fastbreak points and drawing a lot of fouls (32 free throw attempts on 26 fouls). They finished the shooting just 38.5% from the field and 20.5% from deep (8 of 39).
New York was excellent on the defensive end. The Knicks held the 76ers to 34.6% shooting from the field and just 3 of 35 from deep (8.6%). The Knicks also forced 17 turnovers, leading to 18 points, with seven coming off steals. Additionally, they recorded 18 deflections and contested 46 of the Sixers’ 78 shots.
Here are some observations from today.
Pacome Diadet Gets Start
Pacome Diadet got the start for Anunoby against the Sixers and struggled mightily offensively. The Knicks’ 2024 first-round draft pick looked very rushed in his shot attempts, resulting in him going 1 for 6 from the field, including 0 of 5 from deep. Needing to show improvement on the offensive end, the 20-year-old committed a careless turnover (stepping out of bounds) on the Knicks’ first offensive possession before releasing a pass. He then left his first 3-point shot way short and missed four of his next three 3-point attempts, looking rushed or off-balanced.
Diadet finished with four points, two rebounds, and three turnovers. While the 6-8 wing didn’t provide much offensively, he did bring energy and showed off his athleticism. He got to the free-throw line twice, and his only bucket was an athletic and one fastbreak layup. Defensively, he was okay as he was active and consistently contested shots.
Knicks Looking To Trade Dadiet?
It has been rumored that the Knicks may attempt to trade Dadiet to open up a roster spot so that they could keep two of their three veteran free agent signings — Malcolm Brogdon, Landry Shamet, and Garrison Matthews. And according to The Athletic’s James L. Edwards III, the Knicks have indeed had trade conversations about the young Frenchman.
“Per multiple league sources, the Knicks have had conversations with teams about Dadiet,” Edwards III said yesterday. “The 20-year-old Frenchman is New York’s most intriguing prospect, even if he still has a way to go to be a regular contributor. For what it’s worth, I’ve also heard Dadiet has had a good summer behind the scenes and has made it harder for New York to potentially trade him.”
‘Dadiet is 6-foot-8, has had some good defensive glimpses in his very limited time, and while his 3-point shooting hasn’t yet translated in either the NBA or G League, the foundation for his jump shot is encouraging,” Edwards III continued. “If New York were going to move on from one of its youngsters, Dadiet would be the most likely to get a worthwhile return.”
Last year, Diadet missed 21 of his 31 shot attempts and 13 of 19 three-pointers in his 18 games with the Knicks. Dadiet wasn’t much better in the G-League though he averaged nearly 14 points with shooting splits of 40.0/29.6/82.6. He did show improvement in his two outings in the Vegas Summer League, although he was only 2 of 8 from the 3-point line.
Mitchell Robinson Leading Candidate For Fifth Starter?
Mitchell Robinson surprisingly got the start today. While it is not necessarily an indication that Robinson will be a starter when the Knicks open the regular season, the 7-footer looked extremely good. Josh Hart is Robinson’s main competition, though Miles McBride was mentioned as a possibility on the NBATV telecast.
Robinson showcased his athleticism, being highly active on both the offensive and defensive glass. He finished the game with seven points, on 3 of 6 shooting, 11 rebounds, one steal, and one blocked shot. As usual, the majority of Robinson’s points came close to the rim, recording five second-chance points.
Hart came off the bench today near the halfway point of the first quarter. However, Hart only saw eight minutes of action as he was ejected early in the second quarter for tossing the ball into the stands after injuring his back. He finished the game with two points, three rebounds, and one assist.
“The Knicks said that Josh Hart didn’t come back to the game because he was ejected. Not because he had the injury,” per ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.
McBride was excellent in Abu Dhabi today. Not only did the 25-year-old lead the Knicks in scoring, but he also knocked down 5 of 7 shots, including 2 of 3 from beyond the arc. McBride, NBATV’s Player of the Game, also grabbed five rebounds, doled out two assists, and came up with three steals.
McBride is coming off a career season last year. While the 6-2 guard has come off the bench for most of his career, he has been so much better as a starter. The biggest question is how Jalen Brunson and him would mesh defensively? However, he was arguably the best Knicks defender today.
Other Notes
Jalen Brunson
Brunson looked excellent after dropping some weight in the offseason. He got into the paint regularly and recorded four assists-to-just one turnover despite being hounded by the Sixers’ defenders.
Landry Shamet
Shamet, one of the players competing for the Knicks’ last roster spot, scored two points on 1 of 4 shooting and 0 of 2 from deep. Shamet saw the most minutes (16) and was a plus-12. He was outstanding on the defensive end.
Malcolm Brogdon
Brogdon was solid on both ends of the floor in his 13 minutes of action. He finished with three points, on 1 of 3 shooting, including 1 of 2 from the 3-point line, two assists, and two rebounds.
Garrison Matthews
Matthews appears to be on the outside looking in, in terms of the competition. But the 29-year-old guard gave the Knicks something to think about as he shot the ball exceptionally well. He knocked down three of his four attempts, all from beyond the arc, as he finished with nine points.
© Vincent Carchietta, Imagn Images
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