If New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau is to be believed, the team will make a significant schematic change this year.
Throughout the offseason, there has been talk of the Knicks playing smaller more often this season. Not only are the Knicks short at center, which may require some adjustments, but playing Julius Randle and OG Anunoby as the team’s big men would allow Thibodeau to play more of the Knicks’ two-way guards and wings, which are the strength of the roster.
It would be a significant change because Thibodeau has rarely played with “small” teams as the Knicks’ head coach. According to Basketball-Reference’s position distributionRandle has only played center for the Knicks 5 percent of the time — the Knicks almost always keep a traditional center on the court.
However, in an interview with Steve Aschburner of NBA.comThibodeau, who is reticent about his tactical plans, has said twice that the Knicks will rely on “smaller” looks more often this season.
First, Thibodeau noted that Anunoby’s defensive prowess could allow that to happen.
“I think we have versatility, where we can play smaller at times because of OG’s ability to defend big,” Thibodeau said. “Julius and [Josh] Hart can also defend big.
Fred Katz of The Athletic previously reported that Thibodeau wanted to use Anunoby as a small-five last season, but Anunoby’s repeated injuries prevented him from doing so.
Thibodeau later told Aschburner he planned to use Randle as a center, but only in small ways.
“We’re going to look at different things because we have versatility — we could see Julius more often at the five-man line,” Thibodeau said. “I don’t want to do that for long periods of time, it would cost him, but to have him do that for 10 or 15 minutes, I think he can do that well. He would also create a lot of [offensive] ” Benefits. “
SNY’s Ian Begley previously reported Randle is willing to take on any role he’s asked to play because he believes this Knicks team is capable of winning big. That likely includes playing center, which Thibodeau notes could take a physical toll after a while.
Still, the Knicks could field several different “small” lineups that would feature a lot of shooting, ball-handling, and playmaking. A lineup of, say, Jalen Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo, Mikal Bridges, Anunoby, and Randle could be dynamic on offense and good enough on defense to withstand the size mismatch. Think of it as the Knicks’ version of the Golden State Warriors’ “Death Squad.”
The Knicks could also rotate players like Josh Hart and Miles McBride into those lineups to add more rebounding or defense.
Of course, it’s only mid-September and there’s still a long way to go before there are any real games where Thibodeau could try out these lineups.
Still, it’s encouraging for Knicks fans that Thibodeau is already openly talking about some pretty significant adjustments.
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