In an otherwise strong offseason, the New York Knicks have one glaring weakness at center that could interfere with winning a title in 2024. Losing Isaiah Hartenstein was a bitter blow, and not replacing him at this stage is curious. It felt odd that they didn’t use one of their two first-round picks in this year’s draft on a center for instance. Nevertheless, there have been rumors that they’ve engaged with the Utah Jazz for Walker Kessler, which is a no-brainer move.
Yet as of right now, their center depth consists of the perennially injured Mitchell Robinson coming off ankle surgery. Backing up Robinson is the undersized Precious Achiuwa, and Jericho Sims, whose athleticism doesn’t make up for his lack of any tangible signs of defensive IQ. The Knicks need to show a sense of urgency in this position, as their depth at center is underwhelming heading into camp.
The Knicks One Glaring Weakness At Center
Hartenstein Is A Big Loss
The one glaring weakness for the Knicks is at center because Hartenstein ended up signing with the Oklahoma City Thunder. He left for close to double the amount that the Knicks could offer. OKC’s gain is unquestionably the Knicks loss. He was durable for one, a beast on the offensive glass, and a vital pick -and-roll partner for Jalen Brunson. Not to mention that his relentless energy and determination were all fundamental to the culture of last year’s team.
Now, is he irreplaceable? No. He struggled against bigger and better centers, especially in the playoffs. The hobbled 2022-23 MVP Joel Embiid and Myles Turner dominated him in the playoffs. Despite that, he may be missed more than many are talking about. His work on both ends of the court will be sacrificed now that Robinson is due to garner his minutes as Hartenstein was the superior offensive player.
His high screens at the top of the key allowed Brunson the space to do a lot of his best work. Indeed, as a pick-and-roll pairing, they averaged 1.25 points per possession. That was the third-most efficient pick-and-roll pairing in the league last season.
He broke up the opposition’s attempts at sending two defenders at Brunson by setting hard screens. Brunson could play off of him, or feed the rock to him in the paint. Hartenstein could dish it out to the perimeter, or finish himself with his patented floater. Furthermore, at the other end, he had the third-best defensive box plus-minus in the NBA. They lose those options with Robinson. He doesn’t have Hartenstein’s skillset on the offensive end. He doesn’t have adequate hands, isn’t a passer, and only shot 40% from the free-throw line.
Robinson Is A Question Mark
Robinson was elite in 2022-23 at his skillset. He was sixth in the NBA in blocks in 2022-23, and the top offensive rebounder in the league that season. There is no question that when healthy, he’s an elite center protecting the rim and on the offensive glass. He is also a lob threat. The key component with him is health.
At this stage, unfortunately, it seems he’s an awkward landing from a long spell on the sidelines. For example, Robinson broke his foot in 2021. Then, ankle surgery last season cost him 49 games. Unfortunately for him, he came back in the playoffs just to pick up a stress injury to that same ankle. Joel Embiid exacerbated that injury by yanking at his ankle while Robinson was mid-air. Nevertheless, his absence likely denied the Knicks a deep playoff run. How many more years will the Knicks carry this injury risk?
It’s hard to envisage how the Knicks can plan for him to play many games this year as his entire career he’s been hit with injuries apart from 2021-22. Even when on the court, he’s only averaging 24.5 minutes per game for his career. If the Knicks don’t trade him, they’ll need to cover the rest of these minutes. Is Precious Achiuwa enough cover? He excelled since arriving as part of the Anunoby deal and he’s an adequate backup, but he’s more comfortable as a backup four.
Randle Small-Ball Five?
If Robinson goes down, the Knicks would be looking at Achiuwa and Sims at the five. Sims doesn’t have the skill to be a regular rotation piece in the NBA, especially not for a contender.
Therefore, It would make sense for Julius Randle to be used in a small-ball lineup. Court spacing is affected when he’s partnered beside Robinson, as they tend to occupy similar space in the paint when Randle’s driving to the hole. Thus, offensively the Knicks would benefit from OG Anunoby playing the 4 and Randle as a small-ball five. The spacing would be excellent as Randle has the paint to himself to do his most efficient scoring work, and Anunoby can be a stretch four. Plus, he’s one of the most versatile defenders in the league. Randle is an excellent defensive rebounder.
However, head coach Tom Thibodeau’s system is predicated on having a rim protector on the court at all-times. This means, that the Knicks would need another option at center. The best option is Kessler of the Jazz. He doesn’t figure to be part of the Jazz’s long-term plans, and the Knicks have a glaring need for his skill-set.
The Knicks need to be aggressive to make it happen. Achiuwa can’t be traded until December, so the Knicks would likely have to make Miles McBride available to deal before then, as there aren’t many firsr round draft picks available to be traded, after they pushed their chips in to acquire Mikal Bridges.
It would be a sore one to lose McBride, a terrific young guard on a steal of a contract. Unless they plan on using small ball lineups, they may need to bite the bullet as Danny Ainge is a notoriously difficult negotiator. Heading into camp, it will be interesting to see their plans for the center position, because as it stands, it’s the Knicks glaring weakness.
