Tom Thibodeau's infamous nine-man rotation has dwindled to an eight-man rotation with the New York Knicks' injuries. Precious Achiuwa hasn't played in a game yet this season, Cam Payne missed the past two games with a hamstring injury, and Mitchell Robinson won't return until January at the earliest.
The Knicks needed to sign two players to standard deals by Nov. 5, so the team converted Ariel Hukporti's two-way contract and signed Matt Ryan. Hukporti isn't a regular face in the rotation, but he played meaningful minutes against the Cavaliers. Ryan is a newcomer after the Pelicans waived him at the beginning of October.
New York's depth is thin, and fans are already concerned about the heavy minutes that the starters have played. Mikal Bridges leads the starters with an average of 37.4 minutes per game, followed by OG Anunoby (36.6), Josh Hart (36.3), Jalen Brunson (34), and Karl-Anthony Towns (32.1).
Miles McBride led the bench with 28 minutes on Wednesday's loss to Atlanta. Jericho Sims added 10, and Tyler Kolek played nine minutes. Ryan was a healthy DNP, which wasn't surprising after Tom Thibodeau made it clear pregame that he wouldn't be in the rotation immediately.
Tom Thibodeau said Matt Ryan will be “situational” to start, meaning he won’t be in the rotation.
— Stefan Bondy (@SbondyNBA) November 6, 2024
“But the opportunity may come.”
Thibs says "opportunity may come" for Matt Ryan to be in Knicks rotation
Ryan continued to work out after being waived by New Orleans. He participated in training camp with Westchester last week after being selected in the G League draft, and he said that doing so helped him get in "even better" shape.
Matt Ryan on joining Knicks, familiarity with roster and more pic.twitter.com/kHg4x4LA2S
— James L. Edwards III (@JLEdwardsIII) November 6, 2024
It's understandable why Ryan didn't play against the Hawks, considering he just joined the Knicks. Maybe Thibodeau will play Ryan a few minutes against the Bucks on Friday. It's not sustainable for New York to continue to run an eight-man rotation and play the starters heavy minutes.
The Knicks now have another shooter on the bench, so why not use him? Donte DiVincenzo is gone, and Landry Shamet is hurt. New York signed Ryan for a reason. He's a career 41.4% shooter from three. The Knicks have a league-high 42.4% three-point percentage, but that's on 34.4 attempts per game, which sits them in the lower half of the NBA.
It will benefit New York to see what Ryan can provide and for Ryan to get in-game experience with his new team. Based on what he said, he's ready to play. Let's see what he's got.