Obsessing over what the New York Knicks rotation will look like to start the regular season? Don’t worry. Mike Brown sounds like he’s planning to reveal his planned nine- or 10-man rotation when the Knicks open up the preseason against the Philadelphia 76ers in Abu Dhabi.
New York’s head coach seemingly tipped his hand while telling reporters that he wants to make sure every member of the 20-plus man roster gets on the court Thursday.
“Which means most likely that the starters and the top nine or 10 guys may just play the first half,” Brown explained, via Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. “Because we gotta make sure everybody gets on the court, and I can’t play everybody in the first half.”
Mike Brown could unveil the Knicks’ likely starting five
Brown mentioning the starters, specifically, piques a mountain of curiosity. Everybody is wondering who will get the nod beside Jalen Brunson, Mikal Brunson, OG Anunoby, and Karl-Anthony Towns.
Mitchell Robinson currently profiles as the odds-on favorite to start. Then again, Brown’s desire to get up a bunch of threes lays the groundwork for Deuce McBride to swoop in. And yet, Josh Hart was seen playing with the starting unit in the practice right before the preseason opener.
This logistical tug-of-war begs us to treat Thursday’s starting lineup with a metric ton of salt. Brown could experiment with different opening-tip variations through the end of the preseason.
Still, his initial inclination may say a great deal about which way he’s leaning. Failing that, the amount of time McBride, Robinson, and Hart each log alongside the four entrenched starters should at least clue us into which one has the inside track entering the regular season.
New York is going to give us plenty of other answers
Playing the top-nine or -10 guys in the first half will also give fans a larger glimpse into who actually cracks the rotation in the regular season. In doing so, it will also tell us who’s most in danger of receiving their walking papers.
Rumors are swirling about the Knicks’ intention to guarantee contracts for Malcolm Brogdon, and Landry Shamet. If they both get minutes in the first half, we can go ahead and Sharpie them into the regular-season plans.
Their minutes, meanwhile, will directly inform the future of someone else. If Tyler Kolek or Pacome Dadiet isn’t dusted off until the second half, not only are they outside the planned rotation, but they may not be in the team’s plans, period. Speculation will reach a fever pitch for whomever logs fewer minutes between the two.
What’s more, Brogdon is talking like someone who will both make the roster, and play a bunch of minutes. The amount of time he spends on the floor will help us understand where he stands in the backcourt pecking order relative to McBride, Shamet, and even Jordan Clarkson.
Preseason basketball is nothing if not an experimental ground. Not everything Brown shows will be etched in stone. But it also sounds like we’ll learn a great deal about the Knicks’ regular-season rotation right away.