Yahoo Sports Knicks’ projected depth chart with Jalen Brunson
The Knicks had one nightmare of a season last year in Tom Thibodeau’s second campaign as coach in New York. After exceeding expectations and grabbing a first-round bye in 2020-21, the Knicks regressed and found themselves finishing in the basement of their division last season.
The Knicks signed Jalen Brunson to a four-year, $104 million deal to be their starting point guard. Brunson comes in to improve their stagnant offense and could have more help in the way with the team aggressively trying to acquire Donovan Mitchell.
This third season for Thibodeau in New York will be crucial and should give the front office a good idea if he will be the coach of the future, or if they will need to make a change.
Let’s take a look at the likely rotation for the team.
Point Guard
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STARTER: Jalen Brunson
DEPTH: Derrick Rose, Miles McBride
Whether or not the Knicks get penalized for accusations of tampering with Jalen Brunson, he will give them a significant boost in the backcourt. He should give the Knicks a guard that can be the primary ball handler. His per-36 minutes turnover rate sits at an impressive 1.9 and should help Julius Randle cut down on his turnovers.
Derrick Rose should solidify the bench as the primary backup with the ability to play more minutes when he is doing well. Miles McBride is unlikely to see much playing time, especially with Thibodeau’s propensity to log heavy minutes to his starters.
Shooting Guard
Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
STARTER: RJ Barrett
DEPTH: Immanuel Quickley, Trevor Keels
RJ Barrett’s game has improved in his first three years in the league, seeing his scoring average climb three points each season, and finishing with 20 points per contest in 2021-22. He still can be inconsistent with his shots, but that should improve with more experience.
Immanuel Quickley will likely continue his role as a combo guard off the bench and should provide the Knicks instant offense. As he enters his third year, he will need to improve on his 39.3 percent career field goal shooting.
Trevor Keels adds intrigue as a solid on-ball defender and a capable perimeter shooter.
Small Forward
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STARTER: Evan Fournier
DEPTH: Quentin Grimes, Cam Reddish
Evan Fournier heard constant boos from the Knicks crowd throughout his first season in New York and his lack of defensive awareness caused Thibodeau to bench him. He is likely a placeholder for talented wing Quentin Grimes.
Grimes is rumored to be valued higher than Barrett around the NBA because of his ability to defend and shoot the three better. For what it’s worth, the Knicks will likely have to part with Grimes if they do want Mitchell, but it remains to be seen if that trade will materialize.
The Knicks acquired Cam Reddish last season but did not give him much of a chance on the court. He can catch fire from the perimeter, but his lack of defensive IQ is probably what’s holding him back from seeing more playing time. With his 7-foot-1 wingspan and athleticism, Reddish can be a better defender, but we have yet to see it.
Power Forward
AP Photo-Matt York
STARTER: Julius Randle
DEPTH: Obi Toppin, Feron Hunt
Julius Randle regressed from an All-Star season in 2020-21 and saw his field goal percentage go from 47.2 percent to 41.1 percent. His 41.1 percent from three two seasons ago was not sustainable, but seeing his numbers across the board drop down so drastically left fans booing him on the regular at Madison Square Garden. Randle’s production next season likely falls in between the last two years. If he can somehow get back to shooting in the high 30s from the perimeter, his efficiency would shoot up.
Now entering his third season, many expect Obi Toppin to take his game to the next level. However, the coach hasn’t given him minutes to thrive in that role. He still needs to work on being a better interior defender to allow him more minutes.
Center
AP Photo-Marcio Jose Sanchez
STARTER: Mitchell Robinson
DEPTH: Isaiah Hartenstein, Jericho Sims
Mitchell Robinson is the prototypical big man in today’s league with elite protection around the rim and ability to guard wings on the perimeter. The key to Robinson’s success is staying on the court, and it is a good sign his foul rate has steadily declined in his four seasons from 3.3 fouls a game in his rookie year to 2.7 just last season.
The addition of Isaiah Hartenstein upgrades the Knicks bench. Hartenstein’s offensive skillset should give New York another dimension around the rim, and his ability to stretch the floor with his shooting should provide better spacing for Randle to attack the rim.
Despite impressive play towards the end of last season and summer league, it is difficult to see Jericho Sims getting many minutes playing behind Robinson and Hartenstein.
