The return of Josh Hart spelled good news for the Knicks, as his constant energy (and 18 points) gave the squad a much-needed refresh. New York marched into Portland and won by nine points after a back-and-forth
fourth quarter that ultimately saw the Knicks outwork the Blazers down the stretch.
While it was a welcome change of events for the franchise, the youngsters at the end of the bench ultimately couldn’t have been as happy.
After playing significant roles over the past few weeks, Tyler Kolek, Kevin McCullar Jr., and Ariel Hukporti all received DNP-CDs for the first time in a while. Mohamed Diawara only played three minutes. Clarkson, Robinson, and McBride were the only three to receive meaningful playing time off the bench.
Most notably, Kolek received no playing time for the first time since November 19th. He had already been trending in the wrong direction after some poor offensive performances, and with Hart re-entering the lineup, he was the odd man out. Still, let’s not forget the extent to which he’s proven himself over these last few weeks.
Kevin McCullar Jr., who had proven himself as an NBA-level guy in Hart’s absence, was also cut out of the rotation. The same goes for Hukporti, who has seen sporadic minutes since the beginning of December.
Diawara received some spot starts, and Mike Brown sang his praises after a career-high 18 points on December 29th against the Pelicans. But he hasn’t scored in the month of January, and Brown may look to pivot to another player aforementioned when looking to fill minutes.
Brown couldn’t find minutes for these guys who have produced at all on Sunday evening… and it’s okay. The biggest difference about this year’s coaching style has been how deep the rotations have been, but it looks like after a rough patch to start off the new year, Brown has tightened the rotation in an effort to get things back on track. With only eight guys playing, the window for opportunity to get production from deeper in the bench may have passed – for now.
However, the rotational flexibility over the past few weeks has turned the Knicks’ bench unit from one of the weakest to one of the deepest in the league. Thanks to Brown’s lineup experimentation, the kids got some run, and they showed up. Anyone can contribute on any given night. Genuinely. We know what we have.
The even better news? The top eight guys are all dogs. It’s win now this year. Development is a cherry on top. It’s a long season, and the youngins’ will get their name called again soon. But the ship had to get steered back on track, and it was with a win in Portland. We’ll see tomorrow night if the trends hold against Sacramento.
