In the two previous tenures of New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau, his rotation relies heavily on his first unit. Some would even criticize him for overplaying his starters because they get worn out in the latter part of the season, especially in the playoffs. As he accepted his new job with the New York Knicks last season, he continued to parade Julius Randle and RJ Barrett for a ton of minutes as Randle was first in the NBA at 37.6 minutes a game, and Barrett was 15th at 34.9 minutes per game.
This approach may have been disadvantageous for their franchise because they were walloped by the Atlanta Hawks in five games in the first round of the playoffs. Their plays were anticipated by the hounding Hawks defense as Randle and Barrett struggled all throughout the series. One positive sight from that series which carried over to this season is the phenomenal play of their bench on crucial junctures of the game.
When researching for the lineup combinations that Thibodeau has played, the majority of it is still composed of his first unit in Randle, Barrett, Kemba Walker, Evan Fournier, and Mitchell Robinson. They have played a total of 256 minutes together, but their point differential is a negative 17.8 points. The record of the Knicks currently stands at 9-7, but they have fallen short against some squads due to the subpar play of their starters.
As their bench is still the same from last season, their chemistry and performance are at a spectacular level, but their whole second unit has just played a total of 89 minutes together with a point differential of positive 28.4. When these individuals enter the game, they slice down the lead quickly because of their long-range shooting prowess and sensational energy on both ends of the court.
It might be too early in the season to drastically alter their starting lineup, but Thibodeau could experiment with other lineup combinations as well. Even a lineup with a mix of starters and bench players has flourished in the environment of Thibodeau despite the limited minutes. For instance, the lineup of Barrett, Fournier, Randle, Derrick Rose, and Taj Gibson has only played 18 minutes together this season, but they outscored their opponents by a whopping 66.7 points per 100 possessions in that span.
With the Knicks currently in the middle of the pack of the Eastern Conference, a small lineup change may catapult them to a higher seed and revitalize their fourth seed run last season. Walker and Fournier are new acquisitions that have had a difficult time finding their rhythm in their new team, but a sixth man role for either of them may benefit their long-term outlook. Rose could be inserted into the first unit because of his ability to push the ball and finish at the rack, or they could utilize Immanuel Quickley to space the floor for Randle and Barrett.
New York is currently third in the league in bench scoring at 40.7 points a game. Moreover, its spitfire guards are not the only strength of their bench as their second unit leads the league in blocks at 3.1 per game. As Thibodeau searches for the right formula to consistently rack up several victories, he could look at the statistics on how successful his bench is performing. Additionally, Thibodeau has been brilliant with his decisions wherein they are down big and he inserts the second unit to bring a bolt of energy.
It is still a long season for the team from the Mecca of Basketball, and it is likely that Thibodeau will find the perfect rotation come playoff time.
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