CHARLESTON, S.C. — Tom Thibodeau doesn’t typically oblige when asked to identify players who’ve stood out in camp, so the coach’s unsolicited praise of Jericho Sims was noteworthy.
“Jericho has really had a great camp. He’s the one guy,” Thibodeau said Saturday. “Obviously coming off the surgery, he had a great summer the way he worked. He’s really done a good job for us.”
A good impression is significant for Sims, whose last season was cut short because of a shoulder injury. The 24-year-old will have a tough time cracking the rotation but there are potential avenues as the third center or backup power forward.
After all, starting center Mitchell Robinson is neither durable nor adept at avoiding foul trouble.
Sims appeared in 52 games last season and works almost exclusively in the paint.
He’s only 6-foot-9 but possesses one of the NBA’s highest verticals.
Thibodeau also lauded the “seamless” transition of newcomer Donte DiVincenzo and Josh Hart as a power forward with the second unit.
Regular starters will play in three of the four preseason games, according to Thibodeau, who indicated the final contest will provide viewers the best glimpse of his real rotation.
The Knicks open Monday at home against the Celtics, and Thibodeau is likely to utilize his starters — although at reduced minutes.
“Usually the first game you’re going to get something and then you keep adding,” the coach said. “The last one will be closer to the normal rotation.”
The final preseason games are a back-to-back set in Boston (Oct. 17) and at home against the Wizards (Oct. 18). It’s a weird schedule that isn’t conducive to relaxed tune-ups.
Jalen Brunson, who has less rust to work off after playing for Team USA in the World Cup, said he was unaware of his expected workload in the preseason.
“That’s a great question. I should probably figure that out,” Brunson said. “I’m going to go with the flow. But I’ve never seen a back-to-back in preseason before.”
Told his coach planned for three appearances, Brunson responded, “He’s the boss.”
Nearly three years ago, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was signed by the Knicks and considered a favorite for a roster spot.
Still just 27 at the time, he was a former second overall pick and, most importantly to his future with the Knicks, a close family friend of team executive William Wesley.
But Kidd-Gilchrist was waived without logging a minute with the Knicks.
He never again resurfaced in the NBA.
According to a lawsuit filed Friday in a Charlotte court, the reason is a COVID-19-related heart condition that should’ve made Kidd-Gilchrist eligible for a massive insurance payout.
Kidd-Gilchrist sued London-based insurance company Lloyd’s Underwriters for $40 million for refusing to pay him after a diagnosis of “myopericarditis,” an inflammation of the heart muscle.
The suit claims the chronic heart issue followed two COVID-19 infections in 2020, and Kidd-Gilchrist was advised by a doctor to refrain from intense physical activity.
The insurance policy cost Kidd-Gilchrist roughly $130,0000, which he finished paying off less than four months before the myocarditis diagnosis, according to the suit.
A different doctor “found” by Lloyd’s Underwriters claimed Kidd-Gilchrist suffered from a different heart ailment and wasn’t “disabled under the policy,” the suit states.
Kidd-Gilchrist began feeling chest pains on Dec. 9, 2020, according to the suit. He was waived by the Knicks just 10 days later.