The Knicks are your NBA Cup champs but they will not be hanging a banner. An undisclosed celebration ceremony will happen before a future game, but that is the extent of both the Pomp and Circumstance. Doesn’t move my needle!

Adam Silver teased hosting games at select college stadiums. Bomani Jones hates the idea. Good. Good to get Bomani out of the way. The NBA wants people to show up for these games. Crazy idea. Giving this to students/college towns would guarantee attendance.

Staying in NY, the Mets signed former Yankee reliever Luke Weaver. Weaver joins former Yankees Devin Williams, Clay Holmes, Juan Soto, and perhaps…Cody Bellinger. What is this strategy?

I’ll level with you: the news cycle is LIGHT right now. Could be the holidays. Could be the good tidings coursing through the nation’s sporting collective. IDK. But that’s all about to change. The College Football Playoff starts Friday, so take a deep breath now, connect with family, then glue yourself to the tube till Monday. Oh, and the Bears are considering stadium locations in Northwest Indiana (that’s a place?) because the Illinois legislature tabled their development plans in Arlington Heights.

It’s time, my friends, to check in on the NBA. A post-football existence is rapidly approaching, so let’s tease the goings on in the….Eastern Conference. The Conference without the Thunder, Rockets, Lakers, Steph, Jokic, Wemby, Wolves, you get the point.

Can I pause for a second? Close your eyes. Picture yourself in an Eastern Seaboard or Rust Belt city. It’s frigid out, damp, snow piling up that won’t leave for months. The sun set shortly after 4pm and you’re layered: gloves, scarf, beanie, Timbs. You don’t have NBA tickets tonight. No. You duck in a warm, bright, dry high school gym. Shoes chirping on the hardwood. The dribble echoing through the rafters. This is the light in Winter. Basketball is the Bridge. It brings you shelter from December to Spring. That’s the Eastern Conference. That’s pure baby. Look at the leaderboard:

1. Detroit Pistons

2. New York Knicks

3. Toronto Raptors

4. Boston Celtics

Physicality. Timbs (again). This is Say It With Your Chest ball. If that doesn’t move you, you’re spending time much time at the beach buddy. Keep the glamour ball out West. Tonight, we highlight one Nails Guy from each contender:

- Jalen Duran, C, Pistons: Duran took the leap this year and he’s not looking back. Averaging 18pts and 11 rebounds a night, the 6’10’’ 250lb prototype is only 22, but playing Grown Man ball. Duran anchors a defensive identity in Detroit built around length, positioning, and scrap. He’s an auto manufacturer in a center’s body.

- Mitchell Robinson, C, Knicks: The Glass Cleaner. Robinson is offensive rebounding 32% of his team’s misses. If the Knicks miss 100 shots, Mitch gets 32 rebounds. Robinson is averaging a Rodman-esque 4pts and 8 rebounds a game. He’s on the floor to hunt bricks.

- Jakob Poeltl, C, Raptors: Story time. I’ve lived the life described above. I saw Poeltl at Madison Square Garden when he was an undergrad at Utah. Young KMARK bought Saturday, December 19th (cold) matinee Garden tix to watch the Utes take on Duke. And Poeltl dunked all over the Devils. 19pts/14rebs later and KMARK slunk back to the Upper East Side a LOSER (77-75 Utes in a game featuring Kyle Kuzma, Grayson Allen, a Plumlee, Luke Kennard, and Brandon Ingram).

- Neemias Queta, C, Celtics: How did the Kings let this guy go! Queta’s forced into action in Boston through the loss of Porzingis and Al Horford. He’s virtually the only true Big in Boston and he’s more than filling the space. Queta is the raw big called up from JV when the varsity star gets suspended for poor grades. But he’s flashing talent and the Celtics have a keeper. Mr. Basketball might not get his spot back if Queta’s in town.

To close, and keeping it East Coast, Queta reminds me of Dikembe Mutombo’s origin story. Mutombo was a lean, raw, unheard of backup big to Alonzo Mourning at Georgetown. Mutombo sat out his entire freshman year. When Mourning got into early foul trouble against rival St. Johns, Mutombo got his first real crack. He went on to record 12 blocks in that debut on a freezing, January afternoon. 12 blocks off the bench. That’s East Coast basketball. And that makes my heart warm.