Karl-Anthony Towns strengthens the Knicks but doesn't necessarily deepen the roster
Knicks guard Miles McBride Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
CHARLESTON, S.C. — As the Knicks have worked their way through the start of training camp at The Citadel the attention rightly has been on the stars and starters — Karl-Anthony Towns arriving as the last piece in the building of a team regarded as a championship contender.
The Knicks sacrificed important pieces to get Towns, the cost of doing business in chasing stars. And while the Knicks have put together one of the best starting lineups in the NBA, they now have questions about a strong suit of last year’s squad -- depth.
A week ago Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo seemed bound to lead the second unit, the roles they held at the start of last season. Now the Knicks are left to put together the pieces that they hope can support the starters. With Julius Randle and DiVincenzo gone, Hart moves into the starting lineup and the Knicks must cross their fingers that the injury problems that cost them last season don’t surface again.
Deuce McBride now steps in as the first guard off the bench. Precious Achiuwa, brought back on a one-year contract after joining the team in midseason last year, will serve as backup power forward and center. Mitchell Robinson is expected to return possibly in December or January.
Without a preseason game even played yet, there are choices to be made, roster and rotation decisions to fall in line. But so far coach Tom Thibodeau has spent days praising the potential of Cam Payne, signed as a backup guard, and Landry Shamet, on an Exhibit 9 training camp contract.
“I actually like our bench a lot,” Thibodeau said. “If you look at the things that our guys have done, and I’m not exactly sure who it might be, but Landry has been on a team that’s been at a high level, Cam has been on a team that’s won at a high level, Deuce has provided a lot for us over that time. Precious has been in a lot of big games for us. And then one of the starters is going to be there with them. So I feel that our bench is going to be a huge asset for us.”
Part of that will be the continued development of McBride and contributions from Achiuwa, both of who stepped up last season when injuries depleted the roster.
“Whoever is coming off the bench is up to coach,” McBride said. “I feel like we have a lot of guys who can step in and do a lot of different things. We’ve been working all summer so I feel like we have a really good group of guys.”
With versatile starters in Hart, OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges, Thibodeau figured to have at least one of them on the court with the second unit. The defensive ability of those players, as well as McBride and Robinson, gives the Knicks a defensive grouping that plays into Thibodeau’s style.
“I think defensively we can become a monster,” Achiuwa said. “Looking at guys like myself, OG, high defensive-minded players. Defensively we can take the life out of teams. I think we can bank on that to win games.”
Part of what the Knicks are counting on as they make their way with this revamped roster is that there is familiarity. Thibodeau coached Towns in Minnesota. Bridges played at Villanova with Brunson and Hart. And even the bench pieces fit — Shamet played in Phoenix with Bridges, who is convinced Shamet can help this team.
"Landry can shoot the ball really well, move without the ball, defensively talk to each other," Bridges said. "I’ve been around Landry for a while. Whenever we play pickup I always want Landry on my team. He just daggers you away, he cuts, he moves off the ball so well. He’s fast. He can drive. He was a point guard before he got drafted and Philly made him into a spot-up shooter. He still has the ability to be a combo guard and do everything. I mean, I love Landry.”
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.
