Just two games away from a long break with the All-Star break in near sight, the New York Knicks will consider making a slight matchup change in hopes to contain Philadelphia 76ers forward Ben Simmons.
According to ESPN's Ian Begley, the Knickerbockers could shake things up a bit and insert the 6-foot-8 Lance Thomas into the starting lineup for the smaller Courtney Lee in hopes of defending the 6-foot-10 Simmons on the open floor.
Head coach Jeff Hornacek was adamant to say that changes in the lineup likely won't come until after the All-Star break, with a major one expected to take place at point guard, thanks to the shining debut of Emmanuel Mudiay in his first game as a Knick.
This last-minute alteration appears to be more of a matchup management than a permanent one, as Lee has had his best all-around season in the league with averages of 13.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game.
The move would imply moving Tim Hardaway Jr. to his natural shooting guard position and sliding Thomas one spot up to small forward in hopes to contain the bigger threat in Simmons.
The Sixers will also have their big man Joel Embiid in the game, despite rumors of fatigue and a sightly exit in Saturday's game against the L.A. Clippers, which didn't end up warranting a stint on the sidelines.
Thomas could be an eventual shoo-in for a bigger role as one of the team's better defenders, but it'd be safe to say that Lee's job is safe for the time being, as Hornacek tinkers with different rotations prior to the break.
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