3 Knicks rotation changes that Tom Thibodeau needs to consider

1: Increase Immanuel Quickley's usage

Whether he's a starter or a bench option, Immanuel Quickley needs more playing time. Through his first 26 appearances of the season, the former first-round pick is recording just 24.0 minutes per game compared to the 28.9 he averaged last season. This is despite averaging 15.0 points and 2.7 assists per game while posting a 58.3 true shooting percentage, the highest mark of his career.

While Hart owns the second-highest net rating on the roster, Quickley holds the top spot. He's continued to dominate opposing bench units while remaining effective against starting backcourts as well. However, the 24-year-old has mostly been used as Brunson's backup to begin games, rarely giving him a small chance to find his rhythm on offense before he inevitably heads back to the bench before the end of each half.

Quickley is recording just 11.4 minutes per game in the first half, the seventh-highest average on the team. It's an absurdly low mark for a player who is a few months removed from finishing second in the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year voting.

While Thibodeau likely prefers having one of the team's two point guards on the floor at any given time, there are more than enough ways to stagger Brunson and Quickley's minutes so that they can play together and apart for each half. After all, the two of them currently own the highest net rating of any duo on the team. It makes sense to keep them on the floor together.

Although the Knicks' shooting guard rotation leaves fewer available minutes for Quickley, there are ways to work around that as well. At 6'5", Quentin Grimes has shown that he can be capable of playing the small forward position. However, he's spent just 15% of his minutes at the three this year compared to 35% last season.

When Quickley has played more than 22 minutes this season, the Knicks have a record of 12-5. He's one of New York's most important players, and his playing time should start to reflect that.