The Knicks Next-Man Up Mentality Will Be Put To The Test In Philadelphia

The Knicks have enough depth to weather the OG Anunoby injury, even without Mohamed Diawara.

New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown talks to guard Jose Alvarado (5) against the Atlanta Hawks in the second quarter during game six of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at State Farm Arena. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The New York Knicks got as good a report as they could’ve hoped for yesterday regarding OG Anunoby. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that it’s a right hamstring strain and the two-way dynamo is questionable for later tonight, which is good off the bat considering Charania's tweet two years ago in an almost identical situation ruled him out.

The Knicks were up 2-0 in the 2024 semifinals against Indiana when Anunoby’s hamstring gave out. This injury isn't that, and this group is far more equipped to withstand the 6'7" forward missing than that team that was already without Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson and Bojan Bogdanovic.

Despite SNY’s Ian Begley reporting that there’s “optimism” within the Knicks’ locker room that Anunoby will be able to play in Game 3 or Game 4 in Philadelphia, I’d be surprised if he doesn't sit out the next two, especially considering his history with the same issue. Not ruling him out yet seems more like good ol' playoff gamesmanship and if he’s back for Game 5—if needed, of course—that would be a win.

The Knicks will likely have to steal a game without Anunoby

Even without Anunoby, the Knicks can play 10 deep. Head coach Mike Brown has a few different options in replacing the 40-or so minutes he would be giving. None of those ideas include rookie Mohamed Diawara, however, who many want to see be thrown into the fire.

The recently turned 21-year-old Frenchman has been out of the rotation for so long. There’s rust and a lack of trust. These games aren’t mid-March against Utah. There’s also no need to add a tenth man into a playoff rotation. Brown has to get creative and I’m sure some tinkering will be done.

The most sensible thing may simply be upping Miles McBride’s minutes and inserting him into the starting lineup. Lineups with McBride sans Anunoby and the rest of the typical starters – Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart and Bridges- saw 123 minutes together during the regular season, the second most of any lineup besides the 541 logged by the primary fivesome.

Apr 6, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; New York Knicks guard Miles McBride (2) shoots against Atlanta Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker (7) during the first half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

In those minutes, the Knicks had a net-rating of 16.3, per NBA.com. The offensive rating was 132.9 compared to a defensive rating of 116.6. Meanwhile, with Landry Shamet fifth wheeling in that unit instead of McBride, the net-rating was 0.0 in 84 minutes.

I do believe that Shamet, who's a pro's pro, will see an increased role, at least in the first half. The eight-year journeyman saw 8 minutes on Wednesday night and didn’t record a single thing on the stat sheet. The sharpshooter seems to be out of rhythm and tentative to shoot, which isn’t surprising considering his diminishing role in recent games.

Opportunity will be there for Jordan Clarkson. The 33-year-old veteran is no stranger to playoff road environments. Certainly, he’s another undersized guard, but he’s noticeably displayed his fight and defensive chops since being reintegrated into the rotation during mid-March. He's mostly given the team a positive jolt across 13.6 minutes per game during these playoffs.

Shamet and Clarkson need to step up

In eight Game 2 minutes, Clarkson notched six points and snagged five rebounds. He didn't see the court in the second half and, and he'll need his shot to start falling for more of a role. The team’s elder statesman hasn’t made a three-pointer since March 20 and has missed all eight of his looks from deep in this postseason. He also missed the last eight tries he had during the regular season.

The wild card is Jose Alvarado. The pesky New York native really applies pressure on ballhandlers night in and night out. That should play well against the lightning quick backcourt of Tyrese Maxey and V.J. Edgecombe. He’s one of those infectious players, similar to Hart, whose plays radiate throughout the rest of the roster.

After not being in the playoff rotation to start this run, the diminutive guard has seen spot minutes. Alvarado has made his impact felt in limited time, though. He was a big part of the Game 4 and 5 victories against the Hawks. He's seen only 23 minutes since then. Expect to see "Grand Theft" Alvarado get more of a look and perhaps even swing a game.

There’s plenty of depth to cover Anunoby’s absence without playing Hart or Bridges for 45 or so minutes. This team has bigger aspirations than just winning this round. They need to be careful with Anunoby and they have more than enough to go into Philadelphia to take a game...maybe two.