Knicks' stronger play when rested highlights need for depth

Yesterday at 04:41 PM

The New York Knicks are back to their up-and-down ways. After capping their first three-game losing streak this season with an embarrassing 26-point loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Knicks stormed back to beat the Milwaukee Bucks by 34 points. Much of the Knicks' inconsistencies have to do with a lack of depth and the subsequent fatigue it's creating.

Knicks’ record indicates they're better when rested

The Knicks have an incredibly talented starting lineup. But a team’s rotation — and subsequent success — are driven by more than its starters. The bench plays a role, too — and having too few role players means little rest for your most important contributors.

That’s perfectly quantified by the team’s record with and without rest. New York is a resounding 24-12 with one or more days of rest, whereas they are just 2-3 on no rest, or the second night of back-to-backs.

Interestingly, a lack of rest does not result in lesser offensive performances. The team averages more points per game on no rest than it does with one or more days rest, as do Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns.

The problem seems to be more of a defensive issue, or so it seems. New York allows slightly more than 125 points per game when playing on no rest, which is far more than the 108.8 points per game they surrender when playing on one or more days of rest.

Knicks are better with a complete bench

Generally speaking, the Knicks are better when they play a deeper bench. For example, they are 19-10 when Miles McBride plays, and they are just 5-4 without him. McBride is a very good bench piece, but he’s far from an All-Star. However, McBride’s availability and the team’s correlating success isn’t as much about his talent as it is having another competent body.

The same is true of Precious Achiuwa, Cam Payne, and Landy Shamet. Ultimately, New York is 5-2 when all four are active and play, which represents the important role that depth plays, allowing for more rest for starters. Coach Tom Thibodeau needs to better manage minutes. For example, he only played Achiuwa 9:38 and Shamet 4:01 in their latest loss to the Detroit Pistons. So, some of the problem is misused resources.

However, Thibodeau might not fully trust his bench, which is a coach’s right. Therefore, adding more talented role players could move the needle.

What type of player should the Knicks look to add?

Granted, the Knicks don’t need another All-Star caliber player. Their starters are more than qualified . But they do need either an upgrade or addition to their bench. While there isn’t much by way of depth, they could try to add a more impactful player by consolidating some talent.

A deal that returns a legitimate bench player who could have a bigger impact could work for McBride, Achiuwa, and maybe a second-round pick. While that costs the Knicks two important role players, some of what McBride does could possibly be replaced by Tyler Kolek. And as noted above, Achiuwa’s minutes aren’t consistent enough to hold up a deal. Relying on an unproven rookie like Kolek is always a gamble, but the Knicks might have to explore a move like that if they want to maximize results this season.

Alternatively, they can always try to trade Mitchell Robinson, something that’s been discussed in the media of late. One such deal that’s been explored involved trading Robinson for the Washington Wizards’ Jonas Valanciunas, which might cost the Knicks some upside, but raises their floor by providing them with a reliable, competent big man who can play immediately.

The Knicks can always move forward with their current roster. Maybe Robinson comes back and returns to his pre-injury form. And maybe TJ Warren gets promoted to the Knicks from the team’s G-League affiliate and has an impact. But those are big ifs. And while leadership has been mostly patient so far, they have shown the willingness to act fast when inspired to do so. So the 2025 trade deadline could be a make-or-break for the Knicks, at least for this season.

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