New York Knicks Player Preview 2023-24: Second Unit Can't Box Out Jericho Sims

The New York Knicks would be foolish to let Jericho Sims go down without a fight.

Autumn in New York ... from a basketball perspective, it's finally inviting.

The New York Knicks returned to action on Wednesday night against the Boston Celtics in a game that officially opened one of the more anticipated seasons in recent metropolitan memory. New York is coming off its most successful NBA season in a decade, winning 47 games and a playoff series for the first time since 2013.

With tip-off looming, All Knicks will analyze and preview what's to come for the major contributors on the blue-and-orange roster. Part XII will be the final solo player stint, center on reserve paint man Jericho Sims ...

Player Profile

Name: Jericho Sims
Position: Center/Forward
Height/Weight: 6-10, 245 lbs.
College: Texas
Experience: 3rd season

The Story So Far

Jericho Sims was two picks away from being the NBA's Mr. Irrelevant, chosen 58th overall in the 2021 draft. He made headlines in the pre-draft process for his massive wingspan at 7-3, accompanying it with a 44.5-inch max vertical jump at the Combine.

Sims' first couple of tours with the Knicks, however, have required a lot of patience. It was hard enough for Obi Toppin, chosen 50 picks before Sims' slot at the prior draft, to break through in the New York lineup thanks to Julius Randle's breakout. It was an even steeper uphill battle for Sims, who also had to deal with Taj Gibson and Nerlens Noel in the battle for minutes behind Mitchell Robinson. That battle only got tougher once New York brought Isaiah Hartenstein in on a two-year deal.

Last season saw Sims earn some extended opportunities after both Robinson and Toppin missed some over the early stretches of the season. Sims started to serve as a bit of a Robinson clone: hovering within the vicinity of the basket, Sims made the most of his time through conventional stats (6.3 rebounds in just under 25 minutes a game in 16 starts) while sinking 79.5 of his attempts, mostly limited to put-backs and dunks. His prowess in the latter category was enough to earn an injury-induced invite to All-Star Weekend's Slam Dunk Contest. 

Once Robinson got healthy, however, Sims remained confined to the Knicks' bench as head coach Tom Thibodeau opted for a mostly small lineup. A shoulder injury suffered in a meaningless late-season game kept him out of the 11-game postseason run but the Knicks opted to re-up with him over the offseason on an affordable retainer. 

They Said It

“Jericho has really had a great camp. He’s the one guy, obviously coming off the surgery, he had a great summer the way he worked. He’s really done a good job for us."-Tom Thibodeau (h/t Steve Popper, Newsday) 

“I like the energy that he has. He keeps going. He’s got great feet. He’s strong. He can hold his ground. As he matures and gets stronger, it will be a big plus for not only him but our team.”-Thibodeau (h/t Fred Katz, The Athletic)

2023-24 Forecast

Like Robinson, Sims could benefit from expanding his skill set. The concept of a traditional center on an NBA roster is slowly vanishing and Robinson already fulfills that requirement. Sure, Sims could be next in line if Robinson is included in the trade for an established superstar that many foresee coming. But why wait, especially when the potential primary targets (i.e. Joel Embiid, Karl-Anthony Towns) could only serve to alienate Sims even more?

The departure of Toppin and arrival of Donte DiVincenzo leaves the Knicks even smaller than ever. For the time being, New York seems content plugging Toppin's biggest void, the spell option behind Randle, with either an RJ Barrett experiment or hoping that Josh Hart's World Cup rebounding breakout carries over. Behind them is Sims, a well-built, well-expanded big man looking to establish an NBA residency.

Sims is in an unfortunate spot where he's at the relative mercy of Thibodeau for opportunities. Though it's somewhat encouraging to see the Knicks trust their big guns with new opportunities, it feels silly to remove both size and potential from their rotation. Sims at least deserves an opportunity to prove he's not the solution to the Knicks' interior depth problems. That might require some adjustments on his end but the Knicks will never know what they have in him unless they try.

Previous Previews

• RJ Barrett
• Jalen Brunson
• Donte DiVincenzo
• Evan Fournier
• Quentin Grimes
• Josh Hart
• Isaiah Hartenstein
• Miles McBride
• Immanuel Quickley
• Julius Randle
• Mitchell Robinson