With the roster of the Knicks seemingly decided prior to the season, it is time to look at what the starting lineup could potentially look like. While there are probably two to three starters that are set in stone, it is still fun to look at the potential lineups head coach Tom Thibodeau could run.
This year’s Knicks squad is a good bit different than last season, with many staple veterans being traded in favor of giving key minutes to some of the younger players. While this could be true, it is still unknown as to just how many minutes Thibodeau will give these young guns.
Regardless, it should be a fun season to watch, as we have been gifted with many talented and exciting players to watch like Jalen Brunson, RJ Barrett, Obi Toppin, etc.
Here are 3 possible starting lineups for the Knicks in 2022-23
Starting lineup #3
PG: Jalen Brunson SG: Evan Fournier SF: RJ Barrett PF: Julius Randle C: Mitchell Robinson
Knowing how Thibs likes his rotation, this is the most likely starting lineup for the Knicks. Personally, this is not my favorite in terms of defense, as outside of RJ Barrett and Mitchell Robinson, the Knicks would not have any good defenders.
Outside of defense, I think this lineup meshes rather well offensively because of the lineup’s ability to space the floor.
While Julius Randle and Robinson may be negatives in terms of spacing, we have seen Randle go on hot streaks from three, so there is a chance we could see him become a positive yet again. For Robinson, though, there is likely no way he begins to shoot the ball this season, period, let alone at an efficient rate.
I still believe heavily in a comeback season for Randle, just not in the sense that he is going to return to his All-Star season form. I would much rather see Randle be put into the role he had before he joined the Knicks, with him being used more as an off-ball slasher and secondary playmaker behind Brunson. Basically, take the ball out of Randle’s hands a little more in order to make the offense a little smoother.
All in all, while I am not the biggest fan of this lineup due to its lack of defense, I believe it could work well simply due to the shooting it brings. The Knicks ranked 13th last season in three-point percentage. Obviously, this is not a bad thing, but if we could see this number increase even more, it would be fantastic for New York’s odds of making the playoffs.
Starting lineup #2
PG: Jalen Brunson SG: Quentin Grimes SF: RJ Barrett PF: Julius Randle C: Mitchell Robinson
This lineup is very similar to the first, but with one exception, and that being Quentin Grimes taking the mantle of starting shooting guard over Evan Fournier.
The reasoning for Grimes to start over Fournier is rather simple — defense. Grimes has already shown to be a pretty good defender with plenty of upside, with Fournier on the other hand being quite a negative on that side of the ball.
In addition to this, Grimes is already a fantastic three-point shooter, shooting 38.1% from three on a heavy 4.1 attempts per game. To put it into context, Fournier shot 38.9% from three on 7.7 attempts per game.
Obviously, Fournier is the better player and shooter right now. However, I believe the gap between the two defensively is large enough that you can make the argument to start Grimes. Even when his three-pointers are not falling, you can still rely on him to be a good defender.
Also, it is just better to focus on developing a young player like Grimes as opposed to focusing on 29-year-old Fournier, who I believe can provide a huge role off the bench in this scenario. He could become the Knicks’ sixth man while providing elite shooting next to players like Immanuel Quickley and Obi Toppin.
It would be very nice to see Thibs go in this direction, as we have seen just how hesitant he is to give the young players big-time minutes.
Starting lineup #1
PG: Jalen Brunson SG: Quentin Grimes SF: RJ Barrett PF: Obi Toppin C: Mitchell Robinson
This lineup would only be considered in the scenario in which Julius Randle is traded, which would open the door for Obi Toppin to become the starter. While I do not want this to happen, it is something to take into consideration. If the Knicks are disappointing yet again, we could see a complete overhaul of veterans like Randle, and Evan Fournier, with maybe even Thibodeau getting fired as well.
Regardless, I believe that if New York wants a smooth-flowing offense, this is the way to go. Not only is there a decent combination of shooting, but there are only two primary ball handlers in the form of Brunson and Barrett.
If Brunson and Barrett are able to feed Toppin, Grimes, and Robinson properly, while also scoring well on their own, this lineup could be very fun to watch. It may not win many games, but I believe in the situation in which the Knicks trade their veterans and decide to tank, this would be the best possible lineup to throw out on the floor.
We have seen what Toppin is capable of in big minutes. If this is something that becomes sustainable, we could see the 24-year-old take a massive leap regardless of whether he starts or not.
At the end of the day, this is obviously the least likely scenario, but it is also fun to think about what this lineup could do on the floor. Three solid-to-good shooters, three good or better defenders, and two great lob threats. This lineup could be very fun regardless of how many games they win.
Hopefully, things do not get so bad to the point where we see the vets traded and this lineup put on the floor to tank. However, it is a scenario we must think about, as it is still very possible.
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