Projecting Knicks’ rotation for the 2024-25 NBA season

With two preseason games in the books, Knicks fans got a promising first look at their new squad following the shocking trade for All-Star big man Karl-Anthony Towns.

While we’ve yet to see regular season play, which comes with further questions and adjustments, their expected opening night rotation is starting to take shape.

With that in mind, let’s project the lineups and players head coach Tom Thibodeau is expected to run with to start this new season.

The starting five appears set in stone. Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart and Towns started the first two preseason games and will likely be the opening unit in Boston.

There are plenty of reasons to back these five. It arguably includes New York’s five best players, allows for seamless, stifling switching between the two and four spots, and pairs Brunson with two of his former Villanova teammates and Towns at center, spacing the floor.

Still, there could be modifications made down the line to watch out for if things don’t click like they’re supposed to. Miles McBride is the current sixth man, but he certainly has a case for taking Hart’s spot given his superior three-point shooting.

McBride can be switched around defensively, but inserting him could hurt the Knicks on the defensive boards — and takes a primary screener out of the lineup. While some fans are calling for this change now after two quiet offensive outings from Hart, they shouldn’t expect one until a solid 10+ games into the regular season.

Another look could be sliding Towns to the four and putting a traditional rim-protector at center. But with Mitchell Robinson out until December or January and their next choices being Jericho Sims and Ariel Hukporti, this will likely remain a situational look more than any kind of permanent solution.

So with the first five in tow, McBride will be first off the bench after a breakout year and playoffs, which carried into a 22-point opener in the preseason. While he subbed in for Bridges the first game, Brunson was the first seated on Wednesday night. But with McBride sidelined due to an illness it was Cameron Payne who took his place.

It…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/projecting-knicks-rotation-2024-25-180000115.html

Author : SNY

Publish date : 2024-10-11 18:00:00

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