I began writing this right after the Knicks’ woeful buzzer-beater loss to the Chicago Bulls. With just four seconds left in the game, Josh Hart fouled Coby White, sending him to the line. Down by two, White sunk all three of his free throws, giving Chicago the lead, and eventually, the victory.
The Knicks’ record now stands at 6-6. In most seasons, that would put them on the edge of the play-in tournament or even out of playoff contention. But with so many Eastern Conference teams off to a rocky start, the Knicks are still fourth in the standings. While seeding isn’t critical this early, it could quickly become a concern. Sitting in second, the Boston Celtics hold a comfortable three-game lead over the third-seeded Orlando Magic. Meanwhile, the undefeated Cavaliers are leading the East at 14-0, with a solid three-game cushion over Boston. Even after defeating the Brooklyn Nets on Friday, the Knicks find themselves seven games behind the Cleveland Cavaliers, underscoring how much ground they’ll need to make up in the coming weeks.
Rotation Issues Plague the Knicks
Minutes Load
Mikal Bridges ranks third in minutes per game. Josh Hart ranks 10th. OG Anunoby ranks 12th. Other than Sacramento and Denver, no other team has three players in the top 30. The Knicks have just seven players averaging over 15 minutes. This heavy burden this early in the season has not resulted in winning games.
Additionally, this has impacted the Knicks’ in-game flow too. The Knicks rank fourth in the NBA in second-quarter net rating (14.2), and fourth in third-quarter rating (14.1). However, in the last 12 minutes of the game, the Knicks fall to 27th (-11.9). This drop in rating is magnified in the clutch. In the 2023-24 NBA season, the Knicks ranked seventh in the NBA in clutch rating (12.8), and went 17-16 in those games. This year? The Knicks are dead last in rating (-44.2), with a 2-5 record. It’s a small sample size, but that should not detract from this issue.
Even against the Nets on Friday, the Knicks were outscored 40-24 in the fourth quarter. OG, Hart, and Bridges, combined to play over 120 minutes, more than half the total minutes in an NBA game.
Solving the Issues
Now many will say (rightly), that this is an injuries issue. The Knicks are missing Precious Achiuwa, Landry Shamet, and Mitchell Robinson, key rotation pieces who will be a big part of the lineup down the stretch. However, such is life in the NBA. Injuries are a part of the game, and you need guys who can play at a high level even if others are out.
Ariel Hukporti has played just 62 minutes this season. 338 NBA players have seen the court more than him. Yes, he has had some struggles to start his career, but so do all rookies. His defensive numbers have looked very good this season, and playing him against worse teams will help build his confidence so that the Knicks can depend on him when needed.
Tyler Kolek has played even less than Hukporti. His playmaking skills would be a valuable addition to the second unit, but his relatively low usage rate has not allowed him to flash his skills. He has shot the ball well to start the season, and there’s no reason for him not to play.
The Last Word on Knicks’ Rotational Issues
Much of this will be solved if head coach Tom Thibodeau is willing to play his rookies more. Despite the rookies’ rough starts, the only way to grow is to learn from their mistakes in the game. The team has to be able to bank on these players if a similar scenario occurs later in the year, and it’s important to realize that building a rookie’s confidence can only happen by giving them playing time.
