In Sunday’s 112-98 victory over the slumping Phoenix Suns, the New York Knicks experienced something they had just twice all season. The Knicks entire 11-man rotation is healthy after Jalen Brunson returned to the lineup. Although New York has been one of the healthiest teams in the league this year (despite all the Thibodeau minutes criticisms), they’ve rarely had their full group at. Mitchell Robinson returned on February 28th in Memphis, but Brunson was injured six days later. The common wisdom in the NBA is that you want to be healthy, rested, and playing your best basketball going into the playoffs. Well, New York is whole, and they’ve won five of six as we enter the final week of regular season play. Tom Thibodeau has some choices to make during an important last four games.
Knicks’ Options With Fully Healthy Rotation
This week, NY matches up with Boston, Detroit, Cleveland, and Brooklyn to close out the season. After that, they’ll almost certainly be the three seed for Game 1 at Madison Square Garden on April 19th or 20th. This last stretch of games gives the Knicks a good chance to see where they stack up against what is likely their first, second, and third-round opponents. It also allows Thibodeau to decide who will enter the playoffs firmly in the rotation, who will play situationally, and who will ride the pine.
NY’s Top-Seven Is Set, But Lineups Are Unclear
The Knicks’ seven-man rotation is completely set with four games to go. It will consist of Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, Miles McBride, and Robinson. It’s a miracle, but it appears NY will reach the playoffs with all of their top seven players fully healthy. In do-or-die playoff series, Thibodeau typically brings his rotation down to mostly seven guys. These seven players will define the destiny of this Knicks team.
However, some corners of the fanbase are begging for one lineup change: inserting McBride into the starting group for Hart. Although super unlikely, it would be a smart move. McBride would improve New York’s spacing, shooting, and perimeter defense, which are all areas Hart doesn’t excel at and are crucial in postseason play. Opponents can hone in on NY’s weaknesses over a seven-game series, and leaving Hart wide open on the perimeter hamstrings their offense. Conversely, he would thrive running NY’s bench units and could play with even more energy in reduced minutes.
McBride has been featured in many of New York’s best five-man lineups this season. Meanwhile, Hart has concerning on/off numbers (-1.8) despite his excellent statistical year.
Who Else Gets Minutes?
Backup PG
Beyond the top seven, four players could receive varying levels of run off the bench. These four guys are Cameron Payne, Landry Shamet, Delon Wright, and Precious Achiuwa. They are listed in order of their likelihood to play serious minutes during the postseason. With Brunson and McBride back healthy, there won’t be many point guard minutes available, so Payne and Wright might struggle to see the floor. Nonetheless, Payne has been a sparkplug who can create his own shot off the bench, which is sorely needed for this Knicks roster. Expect him to get shifts at the end of the first and third quarters to provide energy. Regardless, he will have a very short leash.
Wright’s elite on-ball defense is tantalizing in a playoff run against the league’s best ball-handlers. The defensive-minded Thibodeau will likely tempted to play him situationally to help NY’s weak defense. I definitely would. NY likely has to deal with Cade Cunningham, Derrick White, Donovan Mitchell, and Darius Garland on their way to a possible Finals. Wright could see the floor to slow those guys down, but Payne still leads him in the PG pecking order.
Shamet/Achiuwa
Shamet is New York’s fourth wing player and should play a bit in the playoffs. He’s been playing his best basketball lately, tallying double figures in five of the last eight games, albeit against weak competition. I’d expect Bridges/Hart/Anunoby to soak up almost all of the wing minutes, but Shamet is likely to get small bench opportunities. As for Achiuwa, he seems to have fallen out of the rotation when the team is fully healthy. He received a DNP-coaches decision on Sunday and has struggled mightily recently. Although he’s an excellent, versatile defender, his presence damages NY’s floor spacing too much to justify playing him. Thibodeau cannot make the mistake of playing Achiuwa next to Robinson or Hart for a single second.
Photo credit: © Brad Penner-Imagn Images
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