Tom Thibodeau has rarely played small lineups as head coach of the New York Knicks, but that could be changing this season.
Thibodeau has preferred to have a traditional rim-protecting center on the court at all times. But after the Mikal Bridges trade and the departure of Isaiah Hartenstein as a free agent, the Knicks’ roster is now better prepared (and perhaps could demand) that the Knicks go “small.”
With a roster that now includes OG Anunoby, Donte DiVincenzo, Josh Hart, Julius Randle and Bridges, it will be difficult to find minutes for all those forwards and wings if Thibodeau insists on playing a traditional center (and a point guard).
The Knicks currently have a glaring void at the backup center position. Barring a blockbuster trade for another center, their best option might be to re-sign Precious Achiuwa as a backup. Even then, Achiuwa is a player who can provide a solid 10-15 minutes off the bench. If Mitchell Robinson, the presumed starter, plays 25-30 minutes per game, that could leave the Knicks with about five minutes per game to experiment with small lineups.
For example, the Knicks could use Randle and Anunoby as the nominal centers on the court. Anunoby has defended centers in the past, including guarding Joel Embiid in Game 4 of the first round of the playoffs (and doing well). Randle has the size and strength to match up against most centers. And if the Knicks played a combination of Bridges, Hart, and DiVincenzo with Randle and Anunoby, they’d have fierce perimeter defenders who can rebound and reduce the need for traditional rim protection.
Or, put more simply, the Knicks might not need a big man protecting the rim if the other team can’t get to the rim.
There is growing buzz that this is an option the Knicks are considering. Steve Popper of Newsday suggested He could be an option for the Knicks and quoted an NBA scout who said the Knicks have the personnel to do it, for short periods.
“I think they can,” the scout told Popper of the small-team option, adding, “The argument for it to work is that, yes, it should work when OG plays because he’s so versatile and he plays defense everywhere. And there should be a spot where you can put Randle.”
Fred Katz of The Athletic said on the “Knicks Film School” podcast: who believes Thibodeau wanted to play Anunoby more often last year but couldn’t do so.
“I think during the regular season, [Thibodeau] “I wanted to use OG as a reserve player, more than five, in small lineups,” Katz said. “And the reason I didn’t do it that often is because I wanted to integrate OG into that role. I wanted to get him used to a more normal role, a more regular role, and then I wanted to integrate him into that. And then OG got hurt, and then he came back, and then he got hurt again, and then he came back, and then he got hurt again in the playoffs.”
Katz added: “I don’t think OG will be their backup five or anything heading into the year, but I can see a world where that’s something they implement with much more regularity than they ever implemented a non-conventional five in the Thibs era.”
He might even be the Knicks’ best option for closing out games (though Thibodeau probably wouldn’t try that until it’s proven to be an effective lineup for the Knicks). A lineup featuring, say, Jalen Brunson, DiVincenzo, Bridges, Anunoby and Randle could be devastating offensively and have enough length and size to hold up defensively.
Of course, the Knicks’ roster is incomplete and it’s possible they’ll add another big man who will demand minutes. If they do, there will be a general shortage of minutes that players will simply have to accept.
But with a power forward rotation that is now among the best in the league, the Knicks now have the option to go with a different look than the one they’ve used for the past four years.
