The New York Knicks are now 0-3 to start the season after losing 111-102 to the Orlando Magic on Sunday, October 25.
A difficult shooting night, which saw New York hit just 23.7% of their three-point attempts, compounded their struggles against the Magic. However, it was Mike Brown’s decision to bench Andre Drummond for the second half of the game that emerged as the primary talking point.
During his postgame news conference, Brown explained his reasoning for pulling the plug on Drummond’s involvement in the matchup.
“There were a couple of plays,” Brown said. “Not just him…When you go back and watch the film, what we all have to do, and he wasn’t the only one who did it, but you can’t run with your guys. We have rules in transition that we have to abide by. I didn’t necessarily bench him because of that. He had played for a stretch. I told you guys this before: he played well for us in Game One, and it was the wrong thing to do.”
Brown continued.
“So I’m gonna play him in bursts. Whether it’s three minutes, four minutes, five minutes, six minutes, I’m going to play him in bursts…Wiseman has been playing well in practice, and I wanted to give him an opportunity…Andre will go out there as a backup in the next game…Our starting five is what it is, but everybody else after that, until we can find something where we’re consistent, I’m going to try to find guys opportunities.”
Knicks’ Drummond Unclear About Expected Role
When speaking to the media in the locker room after New York’s loss, Drummond was asked whether he has an idea about his expected role with the Knicks.
“Nope,” Drummond said. “I’m just here to work. When my number’s called, I’m prepared to play.”
“Nope. I’m just here to work, when my number’s called I’m prepared to play.”
Drummond, who joined the Knicks this summer to replace the departed Mitchell Robinson, saw the court for seven minutes of playing time on Sunday. He ended the night with four points, three rebounds and two assists.
However, it would appear that Wiseman’s mobility and athleticism will put pressure on the veteran big man as they battle it out for a larger role off the bench moving forward.
Knicks Need A Win
Starting off the new season with three straight losses won’t be what Knicks fans were expecting. Mike Brown’s team came into the new campaign as the reigning NBA champions. However, they’re not currently playing at the level you would expect.
Fortunately for the Knicks, there is still plenty of time to figure things out and get back on track. However, with each passing loss, the pressure to put a win on the board will start to build.
The Knicks face another tough test when they go against the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday, October 27. Detroit has started the season with three straight wins and is playing some elite defense. Nevertheless, New York must lean into the system that won them a championship; otherwise, it could be 0-4 to begin its championship defense.
Knicks Coach Explains Decision To Bench Veteran Center In Second Half