Something good has happened for the New York Knicks that’s flying under the radar amid their rampant struggles. It isn’t even receiving enough attention following their butt-kicking of the Brooklyn Nets. This needs to change, because it’s a huge deal—a modest development, to be sure, but one with massive implications.
Now that the Knicks are finally, mercifully, at full strength again, Mike Brown has the ability to lean on one of his most effective lineup combinations: the trio of Mitchell Robinson, Deuce McBride, and Landry Shamet.
These three logged just over six minutes together during New York’s Wednesday night shellacking of Brooklyn. The Knicks were a plus-12 in that time, and dominated at both ends of the floor.
Beating the Nets, of course, isn’t worth throwing a parade. Not even for a Knicks squad in desperate need of a win, any type of win, over any type of team.
Still, this isn’t just about a one-game sample size. The Deuce-Shamet-Robinson minutes have been a silent superhero virtually every time they’re available. And the trickle-down effects of having this group together again cannot be understated.
The Knicks just unlocked a cheat-code lineup…and depth
Absences from all three players have limited the McBride-Shamet-Robinson trio to just 10 appearances on the season. That’s a bummer. But New York is outsourcing opponents by roughly 17.2 points per 100 possessions when they do play together, while posting top-tier offensive and defensive ratings.
Minor doses of small-sample theater are at play here. Opponents are shooting under 31 percent from three during the Deuce-Landry-Mitch minutes. That won’t hold forever. But this trio still won their reps when the Knicks were blown out of the building by the Dallas Mavericks for crying out loud.
If their success is not yet backed by enough volume, it’s at least supported by logic. After a somewhat turbulent start on the less-glamorous end this year, Robinson’s defense is back to being transformative, both around the basket and away from it. Yet, when he’s on the floor with McBride and Shamet, he doesn’t have to rely as much on his perimeter mobility. Deuce and Landry have probably been New York’s two best point-of-attack defenders this season. For real.
The degree to which they complement one another on defense isn’t even the biggest benefit. This entire trio can be mixed and matched with any of the Knicks’ primary names. Most notably, they can be used to insulate one or both of Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson on the defensive end, without torpedoing the half-court floor balance.
What’s more, the McBride-Shamet-Robinson trio promises a safety net independent of OG Anunoby, who is both overtaxed, and predominantly tethered to KAT’s minutes. If the Knicks can buy time for Towns on defense without OG, it allows them to use him alongside Brunson, and unlock different combinations that way, too.
New York has seen this trio work before
Oh, and as for not having enough preexisting evidence, that isn’t necessarily true. In the limited sample McBride, Shamet, and Robinson logged last year, across both the playoffs and regular season, the Knicks outpaced opponents by over 28.7 points per 100 possessions.
Having these three available at the same time is this team’s secret weapon. Their effectiveness is not ephemeral. Granted, it doesn’t preclude the front office from making a move at the trade deadline. Availability for Shamet and Robinson is always finicky.
When the Knicks do have these three, though, they are equal parts deep enough, flexible enough, and most critically of all, good enough to paper over their biggest concerns.