The double big lineup could be the X-factor in the playoffs

Mitchell Robinson and Karl-Anthony Towns playing together could pose a problem for the Pistons.

Many questions were posed about the 2024-25 Knicks entering Opening Night in October.

Many of them were answered quickly, but one stayed in the back of everyone’s minds for four months as the Knicks looked to become whole.

“Could KAT and Mitch play together?”

Mitchell Robinson, the longest-tenured Knick, didn’t make his season debut until February 28th. His unavailability, coupled with the departure of Isaiah Hartenstein, likely led to the Knicks’ brass pulling the trigger on a longtime trade target in Karl-Anthony Towns to start at center.

However, the big question was whether KAT would revert to playing center full time or eventually return to his role in Minnesota, where he played as a stretch four next to an elite rim protector to compensate for his shortcomings.

So far, the answer has been the former. Robinson’s lone three starts have come with Towns out, and due to his reconditioning from a ten-month layoff, he’s only played 20 minutes three times. Despite the limited number of times they were available in the same game, we saw the two seven-footers share the floor at the same time ten times.

In those ten games, the KAT-Mitch lineup logged 47 total minutes and had a great plus-9.2 net rating, thanks to a sterling offensive rating of 128.0. That offensive rating was buoyed by a stellar 39.5 OREB%, which generated second chance after second chance and created hyper-efficient offense.

Although the sample remains extremely small, there is a lot that the Knicks can learn from these minutes, and they’ve been great enough together to have it deployed starting tonight in Madison Square Garden for Game 1 of the first round of the NBA Playoffs.

Let’s tell the tale of the tape. Robinson and Towns are the two tallest players on the roster, but their play styles could not be more different. Robinson is a defense-first rim protector with a non-existent offensive game, who has not made a jumpshot in several years. Towns is one of the most gifted offensive big men in NBA history, who can make a shot from the parking lot, but has big issues defensively.

In a vacuum, they’re the yin to each other’s yang. Mitch’s weaknesses and KAT’s strengths, KAT’s weaknesses are Mitch’s strengths. They can mask each other’s issues.

The issue with playing them together is two-fold. For one, Robinson is not a floor spacer, and KAT thrives the most in a five-out offense that allows him to open fire from deep often. The second issue arises with the lack of a solidified backup if both were to start together, as Precious Achiuwa’s lack of size makes him a subpar five in the playoffs.

But the upside is tremendous.

KAT has worked well as a four in the past next to Rudy Gobert in Minnesota, and many would argue that is his true position due to his well-known struggles on defense. With Robinson being a smarter defender in all facets, he could mask KAT’s shortcomings and keep KAT out of drop coverage, which he has struggled mightily with when put into action as the team’s big man.

What lineups do the double bigs thrive in the most? Their most common lineup (12 minutes) was paired with Payne, Shamet, and Anunoby to the tune of a plus-20.5 net rating. Unfortunately, the samples get too small from there, but they do appear to thrive when the Brunsons and Bridgeses of the world are off the floor, which gives you something to think about.

But how could they work together in the playoffs?

The Pistons’ likely starting lineup stands out for one reason. Tell me if you notice anything.

6’6” Cade Cunningham

6’5” Tim Hardaway Jr.

6’7” Ausar Thompson

6’8” Tobias Harris

6’10” Jalen Duren

That’s a pretty big lineup. Compare that to the likely Knicks’ starting five that contains a 6’1” Jalen Brunson and 6’4” Josh Hart, and you might see a rare instance in the last half-decade where the Knicks look small in a playoff matchup.

However, when you look at their bench, something interesting creeps through the cracks:

6’1” Dennis Schroder

6’4” Malik Beasley

6’8” Ron Holland II

6’8” Simone Fontecchio

6’8” Isaiah Stewart

That’s… pretty small.

The Pistons have one rotation player over 6’8”. While that could be a problem, the Knicks will most likely only have two, so what’s my point in this?

How exactly will the Pistons counter the double-big lineup?

The Knicks will fall into struggles on offense. It’ll happen. It’ll be incredibly frustrating.

But, as we remember from last year against Philly and 2023 against Cleveland, you don’t need to shoot well to excel on offense.

A lineup of two seven-footers against a team with Jalen Duren as their only viable big man could dominate the possession battle. While Duren’s backup, Isaiah Stewart, plays a tough, physical game that plays taller than his actual height, that doesn’t mean they’ll play together.

In the regular season, Duren and Stewart were both available in 68 games. They played eight total minutes together. In those eight minutes, they had a ghastly 78 offensive rating. Compare that to the 14 games and 47 minutes that Towns and Robinson played together? You see one coach more willing to play big.

But, how often will Tom Thibodeau deploy the pair? He appeared to be open to playing them (and he will at some point), but the question is if he’d close with the lineup or ride it if it’s working with his previous rotations. Although he mentioned Precious Achiuwa as a guy who could contribute in spot minutes if they play more together, his size might be concerning.

It’s a good thing that the other seven-footer on the roster finally practiced for the first time on Friday and is questionable for tomorrow. Just some food for thought.

The Pistons already have a clear disadvantage in talent, but their grit and ability to make big shots can let them hang around in this series. By adding the height mismatch, the Knicks could add another component to be able to get past a feisty Pistons team in this series.

The Knicks have everything they need to win this series, but using these two together could not only elevate them past Detroit but also raise their ceiling going forward.