Minutes cuts are coming, and roles are set to be redefined — especially if Tom Thibodeau isn’t planning to expand his regular rotation.
Thibodeau traditionally whittles his 15-man roster down to just a nine-man lineup by the end of the regular season into the playoffs.
The Knicks, however, have 13 players who can leave an imprint on a game if you include backup guard and late-season pickup Shake Milton.
Which means more than one capable player will be on the outside looking into a rotation attempting to one-up its second-round playoff appearance last season.
It’s a good problem to have at Madison Square Garden.
After all, the Knicks had the second-worst scoring bench in all of basketball after trading RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley to the Toronto Raptors for OG Anunoby and Precious Achiuwa on Dec. 31.
They addressed those second-unit offensive struggles by trading for Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks at the Feb. 8 NBA Trade Deadline.
And while legitimate depth is no longer an issue, managing minutes and editing a playoff-bound rotation is on the table for a team expecting its horses to return to the floor.
The first workhorse, OG Anunoby, returned to action in Tuesday’s win over the 76ers after missing more than a month following surgery on his right, shooting elbow.
Both Anunoby and Julius Randle (dislocated right shoulder) left the rotation on Jan. 27. As a result, Thibodeau thrust both Achiuwa and Josh Hart into the starting lineup.
Hart averaged a league-leading 40.8 minutes per game from the moment Anunoby left the rotation to his injury return on Tuesday.
He happily welcomed the star forward back to the lineup ahead of tipoff against the Sixers.
“Our savior is back,” said Hart. “Ain’t expecting a 40 [minute workload] today. So we gonna see [Anunoby] get 40. Ain’t letting him get out of the game.”
Here’s how it shakes out on paper.
— Isaiah Hartenstein replaced Mitchell Robinson in the starting lineup after Robinson left the rotation due to a stress fracture in his left ankle on Dec. 8. Thibodeau gave a status update on Robinson on Tuesday: “He’s on the court, he can run, jump, no contact yet,” he said ahead of tipoff. “But that should be coming soon. So he’s making really good, steady progress.” Thibodeau may not throw Robinson directly into the starting lineup, but he would in all likelihood be the first big man off the bench, moving Achiuwa and Jericho Sims down a rotation spot.
— Randle’s return would move Hart back to the bench, an idea Hart welcomed on Tuesday: “S–t, I’m good with it, man. Really, I’m at the point where I really don’t care,” he said. “I just want to win. Whether I play 40 or I play 25, I’m good.” It would also mean fewer minutes for Achiuwa — provided Randle can play his normal minutes workload — because Thibodeau has enjoyed the versatility Achiuwa brings being able to play both the four and five. Thibodeau also appreciates Hart’s ability to function with both the starters and the reserves: “That’s what I love about Josh. You can start him, play him off the bench. He’s going to play about the same amount of time regardless,” he said. “Again, in many ways [he is] similar to OG in that he fits with everyone. He can play multiple positions. When you downsize with him, you’re not losing the rebounding piece and it adds speed to the group.”
— Anunoby’s return doesn’t just mean fewer minutes for Hart: It also could mean fewer opportunities for Bogdanovic, who plays the three and small-ball four in New York. Thibodeau could also use Bogdanovic as a backup two if Hart, Achiuwa and one of Hartenstein or Robinson are coming off the bench. Bogdanovic minutes at the backup two means fewer minutes for Burks, unless Burks takes some of Miles “Deuce” McBride’s minutes, which feels unlikely given McBride’s defensive chops and three-point shooting.
— To sum, the Knicks could be playing Anunoby, Randle and Brunson 32 to 35 minutes each. When Robinson returns, the Knicks will have four centers who can each make an impact on the roster. Donte DiVincenzo is a likely lock to retain his status as the starting two and play big minutes for the rest of the season, which leaves Bogdanovic, Burks, McBride, Achiuwa, Sims and, to a lesser extent, Milton, vying for the final three spots in Thibodeau’s nine-man playoff rotation.
Asked if he would keep a nine-man rotation with Anunoby back in the rotation, Thibodeau said: “We’ll see how it unfolds.”
For now, Thibodeau intends to continue tinkering with rotations.
Bogdanovic and Burks are just over a month into their trade to New York. Anunoby arrived on Dec. 31 but missed more than a month due to injury. Randle and Robinson will eventually need to be re-incorporated into the rotation, too, and they’ll need to learn the tendencies of the new guys the Knicks acquired while they were out due to injury.
“That [experimenting with lineups] is what you do find out when you do have players out. Who can play with whom? What’s effective? How do they function together? Can they execute the things your asking them to execute?” Thibodeau said ahead of tipoff on Tuesday. “And then developing an understanding of what everyone’s strengths are — and to have the ability to do it in a game. It‘s how the group works together, it’s not just an individual playing.”
Again, these are all so-called first-world problems: Hurdles a playoff-bound team must overcome if it is to out-do itself this season.
The Knicks kept themselves afloat while their entire starting frontcourt was out due to injury. And now that players are beginning to return to the floor, decisions will have to be made at The Garden.
“It’s been an unusual season in terms of injuries,” said Thibodeau. “Mitch going out first. Your front line is out. Then losing Isaiah, now you lose your backup. So you’re deep in that position. I think Precious has come in and given us good minutes. I like the way Jericho’s responded. A lot of guys have stepped in and played really well. What Josh has done, what Donte’s done. Their rolls were expanded and they responded well to that. And then Jalen’s been Jalen all throughout.”
