Knicks' next roster moves remain cloudy
Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau shouts to players on the court during the first half of the team's NBA game against the Magic on Tuesday in Orlando, Fla. Credit: AP/John Raoux
While the Knicks clearly were happy about the addition of Josh Hart, they were not very forthcoming about what comes next.
Before Saturday night’s game against the Jazz, Tom Thibodeau was asked if he will stick with the nine-man rotation he’s been happy with for months. “We’ll see how it unfolds,” he said.
How will he use Hart? “We’ll see how it unfolds,” he said.
As a starter or off the bench?
“We’ll see how it unfolds.”
(Thibodeau stayed with nine men Saturday night as Miles McBride did not play in the Knicks’ 126-120 win.)
With team president Leon Rose and the front office restricted from speaking to the media, Thibodeau was asked a roster question. The Knicks have two open roster spots and must fill at least one in the next two weeks.
“We have two weeks to do it,” Thibodeau said. “So obviously we’ll see who’s available, what makes the most sense for us.”
He then was asked to at least clarify what type of player he’d like: a veteran, a young player or some specific role?
“Good player,” he said with a smile. “That’s my bias. You know that.”
High on Markkanen
While Lauri Markkanen has developed into an All-Star in his first season with the Jazz, Thibodeau has a long history with him — including drafting him in 2017 and shipping him to Chicago in a draft night deal.
“He’s had good moments in the past, and I looked at him when I was in Minnesota because we had the seventh pick and we liked him a lot,” Thibodeau said before Markkanen scored 29 points Saturday. “We liked his skill set. And so, seeing where he is today from then, obviously, he’s gotten a lot stronger. But I think things have slowed down. But the way today’s NBA is, I think he’s a modern-day player. He can shoot the ball. He can put it on the floor. He can play multiple positions. He’s just a basketball player. And I think you can see the confidence that he’s playing with now. And sometimes you get into the right opportunity. I think this is the right opportunity for him.”
Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
