When the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets officially finalized the Mikal Bridges trade, the Knicks’ inclusion of Keita Bates-Diop wasn’t one of the highlights.
That’s understandable. Bates-Diop is a 28-year-old forward who has never averaged more than 9.7 points per game, is shooting 33 percent from three-point range in his career and is a solid but not elite defender who is now joining his sixth team in seven years.
And while Bates-Diop isn’t expected to be part of the Knicks’ rotation, there’s a world where he could carve out an interesting and potentially important new role.
Keita Bates-Diop: small-ball pivot?
The biggest weakness on the Knicks roster is their center rotation, which currently consists of the talented but oft-injured Mitchell Robinson, the slightly undersized and still-developing Precious Achiuwa and the rarely used Jericho Sims.
While the Knicks appear to be looking to address this issue, in the meantime, a common belief is that Tom Thibodeau will finally experiment with more small-sided rosters.
That likely means using Julius Randle and OG Anunoby as the de facto big men and surrounding them with the Knicks’ slew of guards and wings. While Thibodeau typically prefers a traditional rim protector on the floor, the Knicks could put multiple long, strong wing defenders in place and reap the benefits on offense with all the shooting and ball handling on the floor.
It’s interesting to wonder if Bates-Diop could find his way onto the field as a small-ball center option in those lineups.
Although Bates-Diop has primarily played small forward in the NBA, he is nearly identical to Achiuwa in terms of size. Achiuwa is 6’4″, 240 lbs, and has a 7’5″ wingspan. Bates-Diop is 6’4″, 220 lbs, and has a 7’5″ wingspan.
According to Basketball-Reference’s position distributionBates-Diop has occasionally played center, logging 4% of his minutes in 2021-22.
It’s worth noting that under three different coaches since 2021-22, Bates-Diop hasn’t gotten more playing time at center, a sign that coaches may not have seen much potential there.
But one of Thibodeau’s strengths as a coach is making the game easier for big players. We’ve seen several centers have good years or careers under Thibodeau, whether it’s Robinson, Achiuwa, Nerlens Noel or Isaiah Hartenstein. Maybe Bates-Diop can adapt to a new role under Thibodeau.
This is a look worth exploring for several reasons.
1. If defensive versatility is the goal for a small-ball team, Bates-Diop offers it. Although he has primarily played wing defense, Bates-Diop can switch all five positions and hold his own. With his relatively quick feet and long wingspan, Bates-Diop is capable of staying with the ball handlers on drives or defending post-ups.
KBD. CLUTCH. DEFENSE. pic.twitter.com/mKaiEeBzzl
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) November 18, 2023
On Keita Bates-Diop’s defensive versatility, elite finishing ability and whether that 3-point shot will hold up against the Suns: https://t.co/I2Kw0iNTEl pic.twitter.com/jyoZbEW4rh
— Gérald Bourguet (@GeraldBourguet) July 26, 2023
If Bates-Diop were paired with Anunoby, it’s easy to imagine their length making it difficult for opponents near the basket, even if neither is a traditional big man.
According to NBA.com’s defensive scoreboardLast year, opponents shot 57.7 percent from inside six feet when defended by Bates-Diop. Defensive field goal percentage can be noisy and misleading, but it does provide insight into how effective certain players are at contesting shots. Players with similar defensive field goal percentages inside six feet last year included Bismack Biyombo (57.6 percent), Dwight Powell (57.7 percent), Jakob Poeltl (58 percent), Bam Adebayo (58 percent), Anunoby (58 percent).
2. Bates-Diop is a better shooter than Achiuwa. While Achiuwa may be a more natural big man than Bates-Diop, he has a 30.7% three-point shooting percentage. He hasn’t shot over 30% from three-point range since 2021-22.
Bates-Diop isn’t exactly an elite shooter, but he could offer more space and the ability to attack a closeout and get to the basket.
30 PTS
11 of 11@spurs LA perfect shooting evening and at his best level in his career for Keita Bates-Diop (@KBD_33) leads San Antonio to victory ? pic.twitter.com/lEWoQrxhW4
— NBA (@NBA) December 24, 2021
3. Bates-Diop could also be an option in case of injury. Anunoby has played more than 60 games only once in the last four years; history suggests he will miss time again this season. While Bates-Diop is not the defender that Anunoby is, he could provide similar length in small-sided lineups if Anunoby gets hurt this year. Bates-Diop could also provide injury insurance for Randle.
As it stands, the Knicks’ rotation is overloaded and may not be able to accommodate another player. However, Thibodeau has already made room in the rotation for players who have earned it.
This does not mean that Bates-Diop should replace someone like Achiuwa — just that he could offer a different perspective.
On a roster loaded with versatile, big-bodied, two-way players, Bates-Diop is an intriguing end-of-the-bench option who could be worth considering in a new role.
