Knicks Could Expand Their Lineup

The New York Knicks have a lot of questions surrounding the team going into the season.

One of those questions is about new head coach Mike Brown's rotation and how he will round that out. The Athletic insider James Edwards III looked into what Brown will do off the bench.

"Here is the players on the roster currently who will certainly play every night if healthy: Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, Bridges, Miles McBride, Mitchell Robinson, Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele," Edwards wrote.

"I feel confident in saying Brown will, at the very least, use a nine-man rotation to begin the season. It’s possible he extends it to 10, and that may depend on who the Knicks sign with the veteran-minimum contract they have available to use. The team could still use a more traditional, veteran backup point guard. It’s also possible that Brown gives a youngster like Pacôme Dadiet some of the spot minutes like he gave to Alex Len while in Sacramento."

New York Knicks guard Pacome Dadiet warms up before a game against the Orlando Magic. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Whether the Knicks go with nine players or 10, it's an upgrade either way. The Knicks fired head coach Tom Thibodeau and brought in Brown because they weren't a fan of the latter's extremely tight playoff rotations.

Thibodeau would only play seven or eight players during the playoffs and that proved to be an issue when it came to stamina down the line. The league is getting deeper, so the Knicks need to follow suit with how the rest of their opponents are moving.

The Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers, the 2025 NBA Finals participants, were playing with 10 players in their rotation during the end of the playoffs, so the Knicks need to try and compete with that.

Brown has the players capable of competing with the top teams in the league, but he will have to figure out which lineups work best and which buttons need to be pressed before the Knicks get to the playoffs.

Knicks training camp is set to begin late next month with the preseason starting in early October.

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