The burning question for the Knicks heading into the season is what the starting lineup will be. According to James Edwards III of The Athletic, Josh Hart may be shifting to the bench in favor of Mitchell Robinson, in a move that aims to buff up the Knicks' defense.
Hart was a key cog in the Knicks' rotation last season, starting in all 77 games he appeared in and playing the second-most total minutes in the entire league. However, Edwards III predicts he will shift to the bench to start the year, in a move he claims has less to do with Hart and more to do with optimizing the Knicks' defensive firepower.
Edwards III writes, "I think it says more about the Knicks and Brown wanting to improve the defense than it does Hart. Having Mitchell Robinson as the anchor of the frontline will help do that. Furthermore, if there were to be a starting lineup change, Hart would handle it the best of anyone in last season’s starting lineup."
A switch to the starting lineup makes sense
A change to the starting lineup makes sense, after it was underwhelming in a huge sample size last season. What the change is remains to be seen, but if the Knicks and Brown want their best defensive lineup on the floor, it does make sense to go with Robinson.
Robinson was arguably the Knicks' most important player in the playoffs last season, not only anchoring their interior defense but also showing an ability to switch on the perimeter and close out with impressive athleticism.
He ranked in the 94th percentile in Defensive Estimated Plus-Minus, the highest of any Knicks player, and was constantly making things difficult for opposing offensive players. Going double big with Robinson and Karl-Anthony Towns will also help to insulate some of the glaring weaknesses that Towns showed on that end of the court last season and over the course of his career as a whole.
Finally, it could help elevate OG Anunoby's defensive excellence even further. Having a true rim protector playing behind him would give Anunoby a level of help that he hasn't experienced so far with the Knicks.
There are also drawbacks to starting Robinson
While the move should certainly bolster their defense, it does not come without potential drawbacks as well. For starters, a bigger role for Robinson comes with an increased chance of injury, something he has experienced plenty of throughout his career.
An argument can be made that it would be safer to limit Robinson's minutes and save his body for the playoffs, when New York will need him the most. Another drawback is that it leaves Mikal Bridges as the Knicks' point of attack defender in the starting lineup, something he didn't seem equipped to handle last season.