Knicks' Mike Brown May Have Hinted at Starting Lineup

The New York Knicks have been trying to figure out what their starting five will look like all offseason.

Adding head coach Mike Brown to replace Tom Thibodeau thrust the mystery into question even further. While Brown hasn't confirmed what he will be doing, he alluded to the fact that he plans on using Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson together in the frontcourt frequently this season.

“It just brings a different dimension,” Brown said via New York Post reporter Zach Brazilier.

“The second [part] is just the length, the length on the floor is just unbelievable, when you’re playing KAT at the 4, playing OG [Anunoby] at the 3, Mikal [Bridges] at the 2. That’s a big, long team, with a lot of interchangeable parts. And then offensively, not just for KAT, but for the rest of the group, it just gives you a different look. You’d think that group should be able to offensive rebound at a high level, which is one of our staples.”

Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner and New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Brown may start two bigs

The Knicks likely would have explored the idea of starting Towns with Robinson sooner had the latter been healthy last season. Robinson missed all but 17 regular season games as he was recovering from offseason ankle injury.

Once he returned in the spring, Thibodeau felt compelled to keep Hart in the starting lineup. When the Knicks starters struggled in the postseason, Thibodeau moved from Hart to Robinson in an attempt to salvage the Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers.

While the Knicks still lost in six games to the Pacers, the Knicks had better results with Robinson as a starter instead of Hart. That is what is leading to the chance of making that change permanent, but Brown still wants to experiment with different groups.

There is a chance this experimentation could go into the regular season, especially as players enter and exit the lineup with injuries. There might be some nights where Hart makes more sense in the starting lineup than Robinson and vice versa.

Ultimately, the Knicks need to do what is best for them as they prepare to play the Cleveland Cavaliers next week on Opening Night. Whether Robinson picks up the tip off or Hart is on the floor, the Knicks will have a talented quintet leading the way.

That will change as the season rolls along, but they should do what is best for them at that moment in time.

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