The New York Knicks received another standout performance from a player at the end of the bench. Could that mean more rotation changes?
New York Knicks head coach David Fizdale has not shied from making lineup changes. With adjustments from the fifth game and on, players shuffled between starter and reserve. Others even lost all their playing time.
Once Kevin Knox returned, it put Fizdale’s rotation into a crunch. He tried to play everyone, sans Ron Baker, but on-court time disappeared for someone as the games went on.
Trey Burke was the first man down. He sat three of four games — returning after the Knicks lost by 25 points to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The result: consecutive games of 24, 31, 19, and 29 points. His production has tailed off in the three games since, but it was still an awe-inspiring performance for someone rarely used.
Of course, with Burke’s return to the rotation, another player dropped out.
Damyean Dotson, who opened the season out of the rotation, drifted to the bench’s end, again. Instead of sitting for two games, as he did in October, Fizdale sat him for four straight games.
A 10-point game on 4-for-8 shooting won over the coaching staff beforehand, and Dotson played 14 games afterward — scoring double-digit points nine times in 11 appearances. However, a six-game stretch of just 5.3 points on 36.8 percent shooting yanked him from the rotation.
Meanwhile, great reporting from @RebeccaHaarlow confirming that, no, Damyean Dotson didn’t piss anyone off, that he and Fiz are on the same page, and that it’s just a matter of other Knicks getting a look right now. Good stuff.
— Jonathan Macri (@JCMacriNBA) November 28, 2018
(#FreeDot forever)
Well, in Tuesday’s loss to the Detroit Pistons, Dotson came off the bench somewhat early in the game. Like the first return, he delivered a standout performance, with 17 points on 6-for-8 shooting. Knicks Film School broke down what he did well.
A lot of role players talk about the importance of preparing every day like you’re going to play even if you’re out of the rotation. It sounds cliche, but Damyean Dotson does it & it showed Tuesday. After 4 straight DNPs, he had 17 points on 6-for-8 shooting in a loss to Detroit.
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) November 28, 2018
Fizdale didn’t leave anyone new at the end of the bench. but it’s fair to assume he won’t play 11 players every night. Especially with Courtney Lee‘s impending return, it’s inevitable for someone to lose playing time.
.@wholeteamDot with the spark...
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) November 28, 2018
8 points in 9 min 💥 pic.twitter.com/rLOsa4Hq7L
So, if Dotson plays Wednesday against the Philadelphia 76ers, who sits?
It starts with Mario Hezonja, who has started the past five games. His defense improved, but the offense once expected from him doesn’t exist, for now, on 3.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, 25 percent shooting and 16.7 percent from behind the arc.
Against Detroit, Hezonja had five points on 1-for-3 shooting in 15 minutes.
The Croatian forward was the player who sat between Burke and Dotson, but it lasted for just two games due to illness.
Hezonja owns athletic and physical talent, but shooting struggles, tentativeness, and turnovers have been apparent through the season’s first quarter. Could time away recover this?
Fizdale could rest Frank Ntilikina or Kevin Knox for a game. Both have struggled mightily on offense, but players this early into their careers can lose confidence with a benching.
Since leaving the starting lineup, Ntilikina has 4.1 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists on 34.2 percent shooting. Knox has 4.3 points on 29 percent shooting in his past six games.
Who, if anyone, leaves the rotation at Dotson’s benefit? There’s potentially a decision to make for the New York Knicks ahead of the 7:30 p.m. ET game in Philadelphia.