The Knicks have positioned themselves well to potentially advance from Group B of the East bracket during the NBA in-season tournament. They’ve posted a 2–1 record thus far, and face the Hornets on Tuesday night.
While there are a few scenarios in which they can advance either as the winner of Group B or secure a wild card spot, a few players were asked about their feelings on the tournament. Although some haven’t been as open or candid about the topic of the new in-season tournament, guard RJ Barrett may have responded best to whether players really want to take part.
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“If someone said you can go to Vegas and win $500K, would you wanna do that?” Barrett told The Athletic’s Fred Katz.
It’s tough to argue with that mindset, but Josh Hart’s focus appears to be on advancing out of the group stage, specifically so that he can “get a new watch,” as he told Katz.
In order for the Knicks to advance on Tuesday night when they face the Hornets, it would require a victory over Charlotte, a Bucks loss, and tiebreaker wins over Milwaukee and the Heat. The wild card will remain in play even if the Bucks win, but things get messy if New York falls to Charlotte.
