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Back and Forth November Continues for Johnnies

BQE Admin on November 26, 2025

SJU Blows out Bucknell but falls to #18 Iowa St. in Las Vegas

By Noah Zimmerman

noah@queensledger.com

The St. John’s Red Storm were 48-point winners in Queens last Thursday, dominating the Bucknell Bison. It was an impressive showing on both sides for the Johnnies, who looked to build momentum ahead of their second ranked matchup of the season. Unfortunately, just as they did against the Alabama Crimson Tide, St. John’s fell just short against top-20 opposition, losing to the Iowa State Cyclones in a narrow contest.

The Bucknell battle was never particularly close despite the Bison opening with a 8-2 lead. Head coach Rick Pitino pulled all his starters to have a conversation with them as the bench unit recaptured the lead and positioned the squad for their runaway performance.

In the second half, the Johnnies came out with a vengeance. Pitino’s halftime words clearly sparked a fervent defense that was all over Bucknell in the final 20 minutes. Offensively the Red Storm went to work, finishing just 3 points shy of the triple-digit mark.

Ian Jackson and Bryce Hopkins both recorded their best games for the Red Storm with 20 points apiece. Jackson also broke his turnover curse, something Pitino had remarked on a few times earlier this season.

The second ranked battle of the season came down to the wire in Las Vegas as the Red Storm and Iowa State Cyclones went after each other in a wild, physical battle. With both teams holding a lead in the final minutes, it was a tight 83-82 win for the Cyclones.

Pitino kept the final Red Storm timeout in his pocket for the final few St. John’s possessions, none of which were particularly threatening. Down 83-80, a frantic final 29 seconds led to a rushed three-point attempt by Zuby Ejiofor, and the rebound was put back for an ultimately inconsequential layup as time expired.

“We played a terrific basketball team, and with the game on the line, we couldn’t come up with the rebound,” said Pitino postgame. “You’ve got to create rebounding space and we were not doing that.”

The Cyclones narrowly out-rebounded the Red Storm 38-36, with the edge coming on the offensive glass, 17-15. The Johnnies also missed 7 free throws, another struggle that will hurt them down the line if trends continue.

The Red Storm were in action on Tuesday afternoon against Baylor, and the results from the first two games dictated the rest of their week in Las Vegas. The Johnnies will return to New York with Madison Square Garden matchups against the Ole Miss Rebels on December 6 at 8pm and the Iona Gaels (Pitino’s former team) on December 13 at noon.

Legendary Player, Coach Lenny Wilkens Dies at Age 88

BQE Admin on November 13, 2025

By Noah Zimmerman

noah@queensledger.com

The basketball world mourned the passing of Brooklyn native and legendary player/coach Lenny Wilkens, who died on Sunday. Dubbed the “Godfather of Seattle Basketball,” Wilkens was inducted into the basketball Hall of Fame three different times. He was honored as a 9-time All-Star point guard, again as one of the winningest coaches in league history, and once more for helping coach the USA in the 1992 Olympic Games.

Wilkens was a legendary playmaker, adding tremendous flair in the 1960’s and early 70’s. In the 1967-68 season he averaged 8.3 assists and 20 points per game, finishing 2nd in MVP voting to the legendary Wilt Chamberlain.

“He influenced the lives of countless young people as well as generations of players and coaches who considered Lenny not only a great teammate or coach but also an extraordinary mentor who led with integrity and true class,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.

“Even more impressive than Lenny’s basketball accomplishments, which included two Olympic gold medals and an NBA championship, was his commitment to service – especially in his beloved community of Seattle where a statue stands in his honor.”

The illustrious career was forged on the playgrounds and asphalt courts of Brooklyn. While he didn’t play until his senior year Wilkens was able to impress at Boys High School after drawing attention outdoors. He went on to dominate at Providence College. Wilkens became one of the greatest to grace the floor for the Friars, leading them to the NIT Tournament as a junior and senior. He was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player in 1960, also claiming All-American honors that year and the season prior.

After his time in Rhode Island, Wilkens was selected in the first round of the NBA Draft by the St. Louis Hawks. He spent the first 8 years of his career there before joining the Supersonics in the Pacific Northwest. He was an All-Star in three out of four seasons in Seattle, also setting career highs in assists and points per game.

Less than a decade later Wilkens was back on the floor as a coach, helping lead the Supersonics to their lone NBA title in 1979. In his coaching career he became the all-time leader in games coached, as well as the first of now 10 to pass the 1,000-win mark. He remains the coach with the most games in charge in NBA history, leading his teams in 2,487 contests.

“The thing that I’ll always remember, he was such a great gentleman, and such an eloquent human being, along with being a super competitive coach. He is still way up there in all-time victories. Very, very special man. He’ll be missed but he’ll be remembered,” Indiana Pacers Head Coach Carlisle said. “I ended up following him as president (of the NBCA), he did a lot of things to further the profession; the pension, benefits, coaching salaries rose significantly during his time. He was a great representative to the league office.”

Nets and Cam Thomas at Standstill Over New Contract

BQE Admin on August 12, 2025

By Noah Zimmerman

noah@queensledger.com

The dust has largely settled across the NBA, but one big question still looms for the Brooklyn Nets. Young starlet Cam Thomas is due for his next contract, but a difference in valuation has led to a standstill.

The 23-year-old is reportedly seeking a deal worth well over $30M, hoping to outearn players like Immanuel Quickley, Jalen Green, and Tyler Herro. A lack of landing spots make a deal that large doubtful this offseason, as Thomas is increasingly likely to take the qualifying offer and seek a long-term deal as an unrestricted free agent after the 2025-26 season.

Thomas remains one of the best pure scorers from the 2021 draft, where he was selected with the 27th pick. Back in 2023-24, Thomas set a NBA record with three consecutive 40-point games before the age of 22. In November against the Knicks, he dropped 43 points at The Garden. It was his 9th career 40-point showing, a hallmark of his young career. 

His immense scoring ability has made him a fascinating player despite shortcomings on defense and ball movement. Despite injuries cutting his last season short, Thomas set career highs in points, assists, and rebounds per game.

If the Nets look beyond Thomas, there are a number of interesting Free Agents who could land in King’s County. Among them are former Thunder and Bulls guard Josh Giddey and Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga, both drafted before Thomas in 2021.

Chicago and Golden State can’t match a contract offer in ranges either player is seeking, as Brooklyn is the only team in the league capable of offering a $30M deal to the restricted Free Agents.

Brooklyn holds the most cap space in the NBA entering the 2025-26 season, and are poised to lead the league again in 2026-27. Regardless how the offseason ends, it should be an interesting season in Brooklyn as the Nets continue to rebuild.

JJ: “Welcome to New York, Mike Brown”

BQE Admin on July 14, 2025

It’s Now NBA Finals Or Bust…

By John Jastremski

Last week, the Knicks finally concluded their head coaching search and decided former Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown will be their guy.

My first reaction to the news was that as a Knicks fan, I felt uninspired.

Look, Mike Brown on paper fits the bill of the sort of coach you’d want leading your team.

There’s no sense of the unknown for a franchise that will have sky high expectations going into next season.

You know what you’re getting with Mike Brown.

He ran a tremendous offense in Sacramento that was as modern as it gets.

He’s taken a team to the NBA Finals before, albeit a team that had LeBron James, but an accomplishment none the less.

In addition, he seems like a tremendous guy. I expect he will do a fantastic job in handling the NY media and what comes with that.

So, you might ask. After what I just detailed, why is the hire uninspiring.

Well, it’s pretty simple to me.

After the Knicks fired Tom Thibodeau, I was expecting the sort of hire that would put me in a position where I feel the team clearly upgraded with their head coach.

No disrespect to Mike Brown, but I for one am not convinced the Knicks hired a better head coach than Thibs.

Thats why I cant share a feeling of elation and excitement when it comes to the hire.

However, the goal is pretty simple for Mike Brown next season.

It’s time to get the Knicks back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.

Are those unfair expectations to a first year head coach?

In most circumstances, yes. Not with this current Knicks group.

The roster is there, the East is weak and if not now, then when.

Talk about walking into a pressure cooker!

You can listen to my podcast New York, New York on The Ringer Podcast Network every Tuesday & Friday on Spotify/Apple Podcasts. You can watch me nightly on Honda Sports Nite following Mets postgame on SNY.

Nets Set NBA Record With Five First Round Picks

webadmin on July 3, 2025

Cam Johnson traded to Denver for 2032 pick

Noah Zimmerman | noah@queensledger.com

The Brooklyn Nets held onto all five of their first round draft picks in last week’s 2025 NBA Draft, setting a league record at the Barclays Center on Wednesday. Their top pick was BYU playmaker Egor Demin at #8, followed by French guard Nolan Traore, UNC wing Drake Powell, Israeli guard Ben Saraf, and Michigan big man Danny Wolf.

General Manager Sean Marks and Head Coach Jordi Fernandez have made their vision clear. They want a fast-flowing offense with playmakers who can slot into different positions and set up scorers. 

While they may have been hoping for Ace Bailey or Jeremiah Fears to drop to the 8th pick, Brooklyn seems quite pleased with their selection of Demin. His size and passing ability made him one of the top playmakers of the draft class, and although players like Khaman Maluach, Noa Essengue, and Derek Queen were available, Brooklyn stuck with their gut.

Brooklyn followed up their pick with the selection of Nolan Traore, another foreign-born, playmaking guard. With Saraf and Wolf also prominent playmakers, many wonder if these selections could be a bit redundant.

Only Drake Powell breaks Brooklyn’s 1st round mold, with North Carolina standout bringing athleticism and “3&D” potential at the #22 pick. In addition, Brooklyn added Alabama big Grant Nelson to a training camp deal to compete for a two-way contract.

With the start of the NBA offseason, the Nets also made a few big moves. On Monday Brooklyn dealt top trade asset Cameron Johnson to the Denver Nuggets for a 2032 unprotected first rounder and sharpshooter Michael Porter Jr. The move lands a valuable future pick and a young star scorer while giving Johnson a chance to contend for a ring with three-time MVP Nikola Jokic. Former Net Bruce Brown previously won a championship with Jokic and Denver in 2023.

Brooklyn also retained wing Ziaire Williams and center Day’ron Sharpe on two-year deals. Both provided valuable depth despite a difficult season and will return as the Nets continue crafting their team for the future. Young guard Cam Thomas was also extended a qualifying offer, with Brooklyn hoping to bring him back on a miulti-year deal.



Haliburton Hurt as Thunder Win First Ring of OKC Era

webadmin on July 3, 2025

NBA Offseason and Draft Officially Underway!

By Noah Zimmerman | noah@queensledger.com

The Larry O’Brien Trophy is heading to Oklahoma City for the first time, as the Thunder fended off the Indiana Pacers 103-91 in Game 7. It was the 20th Game 7 in Finals history and first since 2016, capping an all time classic series. 

Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won a triple-crown with the regular season MVP, scoring title, and Finals MVP. Across the court, Tyrese Haliburton put on a postseason for the ages, with last-second game-tying or winning shots in every round of the playoffs. 

Unfortunately Haliburton’s dream was cut short, as a torn Achilles tendon cut his night short, likely sidelining him for the entire 2025-26 season. Without him the Pacers were unable to get past Chet Holmgren and Alex Caruso, both with terrific defensive nights for the Thunder.

In the wake of the dramatic season finale, attention shifts to the offseason and Draft. Moves have already started, with Kevin Durant traded to Houston. The Rockets now hold Durant and the picks Phoenix originally traded Brooklyn for him, but gave up the #10 pick in the deal. Phoenix will likely continue to be aggressive in trades, though it’s unclear what direction they’ll choose.

Brooklyn’s four first round selections gave them the most in the draft, also holding the 6th pick in Thursday’s second round. The Nets will also look to the trade market, as they are a probable dumping ground for bloated expiring contracts.

Across town, the Knicks didn’t have much to do in the draft. After parting with most of their picks in trades, New York only held the 50th overall pick in Round 2. The Knicks have their work cut out for them, as they still have a head coach to hire following their firing of Tom Thibodeau.

Next season is sure to be a fascinating one, especially in the East. With Achilles injuries to Damian Lillard and Jayson Tatum, the Bucks, Celtics, and Pacers will all be missing their first guard option, likely for the whole year. It’s a perfect opportunity for the Knicks to go all-in, as most contenders will be hailing from the Western Conference.



JJ: “Will The Garden Party Continue In The Eastern Conference Finals?”

BQE Admin on May 20, 2025

By John Jastremski

For the first time in 25 years, the New York Knicks are playing in the Eastern Conference Finals. 

Last Friday night, the Knicks sent the Celtics packing for Cancun with a performance that will live forever in Knicks lure. 

The Knicks finished off the Celtics in a wire to wire, resounding 119-81 victory and to be honest the final score doesn’t even do the beatdown justice. 

The Knicks finished off the defending champs, who lost star Jayson Tatum after Game 4 due to a devastating achilles injury, but that said, don’t let the Tatum injury take away from the Knicks vibes of the past series. 

The Knicks were cruising to a 3-1 series lead advantage before the injury took place late in the 4th quarter. 

They were the better team in the series and that was obvious in almost every single 4th quarter of the series. 

Now, the Knicks are four wins away from a place they have not been since 1999. The NBA Finals. 

How appropriate is it that the team that’s standing in their way of an Eastern Conference Crown is the same team that knocked out the Knicks a year ago. 

The Indiana Pacers. 

Make no mistake, the Pacers are a very dangerous team. 

They are 9 plus deep in their rotation, they place a ridiculously fast pace that is tough to contend with and Rick Carlisle is one of the best coaches in the NBA. 

In addition, Tyrese Haliburton has emerged as one of the game’s biggest stars and has been lights out this entire postseason despite some of the “overrated” criticism that was thrown his way earlier in the season. 

The Knicks will have their hands full with the Pacers, but there’s a lot to like coming into the series. 

The Knicks toughness and defensive intensity is an element that the Pacers have not matched up with quite yet this postseason run. 

In addition, the Knicks did not have Karl Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges in their series a year ago.

Both Towns and Bridges had brilliant regular season games against the Pacers in the regular season.

I expect both to pay major dividends in this series.

The Pacers will be a formidable opponent in the Eastern Conference Finals. However, with the grit and toughness of this Knicks group combined with the fact that they have Jalen Brunson who is the best player in the series, it’s impossible for me to go against the wave. 

Knicks in a hard fought 7 games.

And if that happens, oh baby what a party on 7th avenue will it be.

You can listen to my podcast New York, New York on The Ringer Podcast Network on Spotify/Apple Podcasts following every Knicks ECF Game. You can watch me nightly on Honda Sports Nite following the Mets postgame on SNY.

Brutal Lottery for Brooklyn as Nets fall to 8th

BQE Admin on May 14, 2025

Mavs climb 10 spots, earn rights to Cooper Flagg

By Noah Zimmerman

Noah@queensledger.com

It was a rough NBA Draft Lottery for the Brooklyn Nets on Monday, as they fell to the 8th overall pick. After holding the 6th worst record in the league, Brooklyn wasnít rewarded for a lackluster season that is best described as tank-adjacent.

To add insult to injury, the Nets will be selecting behind the Philadelphia 76ers, who were unpunished despite their blatant descent into the draft lottery.

Philly is guaranteed a chance for one of Cooper Flagg,  Dylan Harper, VJ Edgecombe, or Ace Bailey, the consensus top four in the class.

The outright winners of the lottery were surprising. Aside from the 76ers, the only other teams to move up in the lottery were the San Antonio Spurs (+6 spots) and the Dallas Mavericks (+10).

Conspiracy theorists can rejoice with Dallas landing the top overall pick, as they are just a few months removed from arguably the worst trade in NBA history. After moving Luka Doncic to the Lakers, the Mavs set a record for the highest jump in the lottery and can replace him with Flagg, the Duke standout.

Brooklyn will still be able to select plenty of talent, as they hold four first round picks (#8, #19, #26, and #27). Plenty of teams will also be calling, looking to offload albatross contracts in exchange for more picks and prospects.

For next season, the question turns back to the tank. The last two lottery winners finished with the 10th and 11th worst records, so is it wise for the Nets to hunt a top pick in 2026 even after recent lottery trends?

NBA DRAFT LOTTERY RESULTS

  1. Dallas Mavericks (+10 from 11)
  2. San Antonio Spurs (+6 from 8)
  3. Philadelphia 76ers (+2 from 5)
  4. Charlotte Hornets (-1 from 3)
  5. Utah Jazz (-4 from 1)
  6. Washington Wizards (-4 from 2)
  7. New Orleans Pelicans (-3 from 4)
  8. Brooklyn Nets (-2 from 6)
  9. Toronto Raptors (-2 from 7)
  10. Houston Rockets (-1 from 9)
  11. Portland Trail Blazers (-1 from 10)
  12. Chicago Bulls
  13. Atlanta Hawks
  14. San Antonio Spurs

JJ: A Game 1 Shock To The System

BQE Admin on May 6, 2025

By John Jastremski

 

I won’t beat around the bush.

I went into the Eastern Conference Semifinals with zero expectations for New York Knicks success.

After all, could you blame me?

The Celtics are reigning NBA Champions and have dominated the Knicks for the last two seasons.

Boston was 4-0 against the Knicks and three of the games were non competitive. 

The oddsmakers shared my sense of pessimism for the series.

Game 1 was following the same path.

The Knicks were down 20 points in the 3rd quarter despite hideous Celtics 3 point shooting.

It looked like another lost night until it wasn’t… The Knicks responded with incredible grit, toughness and resilience.

OG Anunoby sparked the team in the 3rd quarter and got them back in the game on both ends of the floor.

Of course the captain Jalen Brunson was up to his usual late game tricks. However, in Game 1 the Knicks bailed their Captain out.

Brunson missed a layup that would’ve won the game in regulation, a missed layup that I thought for sure would doom the Knicks chances of winning Game 1. 

Thankfully for Knicks fans, the much maligned Mikal Bridges came to the rescue!

Bridges’ defense on the Celtics wings was off the charts and his 5 points in overtime ended up being the difference in the game. Not bad for a guy who played over 50 minutes!

All season, the toughness of this current Knicks team has been questioned, despite the regular season success.

So far this postseason, it has been up to the challenge.

The team has handled adversity and has answered the bell in tough situations.

Will it be enough to beat the Celtics? I for one am not quite ready to go that far, but I like the feel and look of this series a lot more than I did come Monday afternoon.

Unlike the first round series against Detroit, the Knicks are not expected to win. All of the pressure falls on Boston in this series.

The Celtics may be reigning champs, but their road to a title was an easy one last year.

Let’s see if the Knicks can make it rather bumpy…

 

You can listen to my podcast New York, New York on The Ringer Podcast Network after every Knicks Playoff game on Spotify/Apple Podcasts. You can watch me on Honda Sports Nite following Mets postgame.

Red Storm win First BIG EAST Tournament Since 2000!

BQE Admin on March 18, 2025

#2 Johnnies Head to Providence for 1st Round Matchup with #15 Omaha

By Noah Zimmerman

The St. John’s Red Storm are BIG EAST Tournament champions for the first time in 25 years. A 82-66 win over Creighton punctuated a stellar campaign, following up a regular season championship with a tournament title and sending the program to their 31st NCAA Tournament appearance as a #2 seed, just like in 2000.

The Red Storm weren’t tested by the Butler Bulldogs in their opener at Madison Square Garden as they won comfortably in the quarterfinals 78-57. In the semifinals it was a much tougher battle against nationally-ranked Marquette, hungry to best the Johnnies after two tight regular season losses.

Kai Jones was electric at the Garden as he looked to avenge his Senior Day defeat to St. John’s. The guard put up a strong 24 point, 7 rebound effort in the BIG EAST Semifinals, leading the Golden Eagles.

For the Red Storm it was Zuby Ejiofor dominating on New York’s hardwood. The junior put up a career best 33 points as St. John’s outscored Marquette 44-26 in the second half to complete a season sweep.

With the back-to-back champion UConn Huskies falling 71-62 to Creighton, the Red Storm would face the Bluejays in the BIG EAST final, the team that played them the best all season long.

St. John’s dug themselves into a typical early hole, but they quickly erased a 10-2 deficit as the game entered halftime 28-25 in favor of Creighton. In the second frame RJ Luis Jr. hit the jets as he finished off a 29-point, 10-rebound double-double.

After the Johnnies had opened a 70-55 lead with five minutes left, there was no path back into the game for Creighton, who finished a remarkable season with a 15-5 conference record and NCAA Tournament berth of their own.

On Selection Sunday, St. John’s were drawn into the West Region as the tournament’s best #2 seed, ranked 5th on both the AP Top-25 and Coaches Poll on Monday afternoon. They open the tournament on Thursday night in Providence, RI as they take on the #15 Omaha Mavericks.

The winner will take on either #7 Kansas or #10 Arkansas, meaning there may be another clash between Hall of Fame coaches after Bill Self’s Jayhawks and John Calipari’s Razorbacks face off in the first round.

For head coach Rick Pitino it’s a chance at a third national championship after he led Kentucky and Louisville to glory in 1996 and 2013 respectively. It’s a 20th appearance in the tournament for Pitino, who was named BIG EAST Coach of the Year last week. He also made history as the first BIG EAST coach to win the conference tournament at two schools, winning three times at Louisville.

RJ Luis Jr. continued to rake in national accolades as well, as the Red Storm star was named to the Associated Press 2nd Team All-America on Tuesday afternoon. The BIG EAST Player of the Year will have more to prove as his stage keeps getting bigger and bigger.

Three other BIG EAST teams qualified for the NCAAT, including UConn who were also drawn into the West as the #8 seed as they hunt a third straight title. They take on #9 Oklahoma in round 1 and have a chance to meet the Red Storm in the Elite 8 in San Francisco should both teams advance.

Creighton enter as the South’s #9 seed and Marquette the #7. They could also meet in the Elite 8. Xavier’s BIG EAST Tournament loss to Marquette put them on the verge of missing the NCAAT, but they will take on Texas in a First Four matchup to decide the #11 seed in the Midwest.

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