New York Knicks big man conundrum: What's next for Tom Thibodeau after Mitchell Robinson's prolonged injury absence?
The biggest question mark for the New York Knicks heading into the 2024-25 season will be a lack of depth at the center position. The departure of Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency meant that the Knicks only had two true centers on the roster – Mitchell Robinson and Jericho Sims.
Now, the Knicks will only have one center after the latest setback suffered by Robinson (ankle surgery). ESPN's Tim Bontemps reported that the 26-year-old big man is expected to miss the start of the season, possibly returning by December or January.
Robinson initially underwent ankle surgery in December and was supposed to miss the rest of the season. However, he recovered just in time for the playoffs before re-injuring his ankle against the Philadelphia 76ers in a play involving Joel Embiid.
The Florida native had a second surgery in May and was given a recovery timeline of six to eight weeks. That's out of the window, with Robinson expected to undergo more rehabilitation. It's a huge blow for a Knicks team looking to make some noise in the Eastern Conference.
Robinson was one of the best defensive players in the league during the first six weeks of the season.
He was a vital part of both sides of the ball since he developed into a lob threat over the years.
When Robinson went down in December, Jericho Sims started in place of him since coach Tom Thibodeau wanted Isaiah Hartenstein to come off the bench. But with Sims not really being an effective alternative, Hartenstein would get added into the starting lineup.
The German-American big man was the perfect replacement for Robinson since he could cover the drop and protect the paint, although he's more of a help defender. Nevertheless, Hartenstein is gone after signing a massive three-year deal with the OKC Thunder.
So what are coach Thibodeau's options?
Knicks' small ball lineup
Tom Thibodeau spoke to NBA.com's Steve Aschburner last week and was asked about how they would replace Isaiah Hartenstein internally. Thibodeau explained that it would be done "by committee", which meant that players such as Julius Randle could play more minutes at the five when needed.
"We rotated guys at that position the entire year. We'll probably have to do it by committee. We’ll look at some different things, because we have versatility, we could see Julius more at the 5. I don't want to do that for long stretches, it would take its toll, but to have him do it for 10 or 15 minutes, I think he can do it well. He also would create a lot of (offensive) advantages," Thibodeau said.
With Hartenstein gone and Mitchell Robinson injured, the New York Knicks could use a small ball lineup often this season unless they make an emergency signing or trade. But with training camp right around the corner, it's next man up for now.
Randle can play center, although that leaves the Knicks worse on the defensive end. Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby could cover the bases at times. Even Anunoby can be at the five at times, but his injury history doesn't bode well for more minutes at a more rigorous position.
Precious Achiuwa and Jericho Sims
The New York Knicks brought back Precious Achiuwa in free agency with a one-year deal since they didn't have many options in the market. Achiuwa is an undersized center and is more of a traditional power forward. He's a good option to start at the position when Opening Week comes along.
Achiuwa is a solid defender who can disrupt guards, although he's not better at protecting the rim than Mitchell Robinson and Isaiah Hartenstein. He's still a solid player the Knicks can count on until Robinson gets cleared to return.
On the other hand, Jericho Sims is a better offensive threat given his bounce and likely be perfect alongside Brunson in the pick-and-roll. If Sims can somehow make the most out of this opportunity and have a career year, the Knicks won't have to worry about anything.
Sign a free agent or make a trade
There are still some options in free agency if the New York Knicks are that desperate to fix their big man depth. Veterans such as Bismack Biyombo and JaVale McGee are still available, although they are more than likely to be backups.
Udoka Azubuike, Olivier Sarr and Moses Brown are younger players available but might not have what it takes to play under coach Tom Thibodeau. He's a coach who would rather use Josh Hart at center rather than someone who he doesn't trust.
If the Knicks are not off to a good start, they could always look at the trade market and possibly acquire a good center.
Some solid options include Clint Capela of the Atlanta Hawks, Nick Richards of the Charlotte Hornets, Isaiah Stewart of the Detroit Pistons and Robert Williams III of the Portland Trail Blazers.