The New York Knicks head into the 2023 All-Star break firing on all cylinders, as they have won three straight games and boast a 33-27 record, their best mark at this point in a season since the 2012-13 campaign.
What makes these feats all the more impressive is that they’ve achieved such great success with starting center and defensive anchor Mitchell Robinson sidelined with a right thumb fracture since January 18.
Though recent rumblings indicate that the big man is slated to be out longer than the initially expected three-week minimum absence, as he has yet to be cleared for contact, the belief is once he makes his way back to the hardwood the streaking Knicks are only going to become a stronger unit which, overall, would be a pleasant reality for the club as the look to clinch a playoff berth.
However, the return of Robinson may not be perceived as great news for all members of the Knicks, as SNY NBA Insider Ian Begley recently suggested that, assuming head coach Tom Thibodeau keeps his in-game rotation to just nine players, to make room for the 24-year-old, his replacement within the starting lineup in Jericho Sims could end up getting the boot.
“My guess is Tom Thibodeau sticks with the nine-man rotation. He didn’t expand it to ten guys when Josh Hart was acquired, I don’t think he expands it to ten guys when Mitchell Robinson comes back. I would assume Jericho Sims is the odd man out,” Begley said.
Talking Knicks and the NBA with @Ian_OConnor and @AshNicoleMoss on The Putback:
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Begley would continue by noting that his belief that Sims could be the one to lose his spot within the rotation is “not a reflection of his play,” as he stated that he thinks the center has “done a great job during Robinson’s absence,” but notes fellow big man Isaiah Hartenstein’s resurgence within the second-unit rotation for the Knicks as being a major indicator of which way the coaching staff could end up leaning.
Sims Has Been Solid for Knicks
As Begley suggested, Jericho Sims has proven to be a sound replacement option for Robinson since fracturing his thumb in mid-January, and both the eye test and numbers perfectly show this to be the case.
Jericho Sims on CLEANUP
Like Robinson, Sims is a supremely athletic big man who dazzles with his rebounding prowess and high-flying athleticism.
Since filling in as the starting center for the Knicks back on January 20, the 24-year-old has posted averages of 4.0 points and 6.5 rebounds per game whilst converting on a whopping 76.5% shooting from the floor.
Though his on-paper statistics may not be eye-popping, throughout his time serving as the team’s starting pivot Sims has shown a willingness to do the old-school dirty work and provide hustle on both ends of the floor, which, when considering at the ball-dominating cast of ballers surrounding him on the floor, is the exact type of production this core could use from the five.
Knicks Wing Opens Up on Diminished Role
Since the February 8 acquisition of veteran wing Josh Hart, sophomore Quentin Grimes has seen his role within Tom Thibodeau’s rotation grow a tad bit smaller, as the coach has been tasked with trying to find minutes for their newly attained talent.
Though having in-game reps be taken away is typically not an easy thing for players to cope with, it appears Grimes is keeping an upbeat mindset amid his semi-demotion, as Zach Braziller of the New York Post shared his recent comments regarding the situation and, overall, he seems to be accepting of his recent minute’s reduction.
“Quentin Grimes on diminished role of late since Josh Hart’s arrival: “It’s not about minutes. It’s trying to win games. He helps us win games, that’s the main thing,”” Braziller tweeted.
Quentin Grimes on diminished role of late since Josh Hart’s arrival: “It’s not about minutes. It’s trying to win games. He helps us win games, that’s the main thing.” #knikcs
Braziller continued on in the thread by sharing that Grimes feels he “can’t think about it” when it comes to losing some of his minutes to Hart and that all he can do is “play how I’ve been playing all year, and not worry about that.”
On the season, the 22-year-old is posting career-high averages of 10.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and just shy of a steal per game.
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Knicks Starter on Verge of Being Kicked From the Rotation: Insider