Jericho Sims moved from starter to DNP.
The center, who has struggled mightily in the past two games, was left out of the rotation completely for Monday's 113-108 win over the Raptors.
Instead, manager Tom Thibodeau installed Precious Achiuwa as the only frontcourt reserve in his eight-man rotation.
Other reserve players were Miles McBride and Cam Payne.
Monday was the first game the Knicks played with a full lineup minus Mitchell Robinson. Robinson will be out until at least January as he recovers from his second ankle surgery.
Sims played defense in the paint for part of this season, but was elevated to the starting lineup against the Pistons on Saturday due to an injury to Karl-Anthony Towns.
However, Sims was sent off very early in the previous two games, lasting just 10 minutes combined, and appeared to be stalling offensively.
So Thibodeau made the decision to keep Sims on the bench.
Achiuwa scored seven points in 16 minutes while switching between center and power forward.
“Some are good, some are rusty,” Thibodeau said of Achiuwa. “Each game I'm getting a little bit better. So I just have to keep working.”
Late in the third quarter, Jalen Brunson twisted his ankle after stepping on a fan near the sideline while wearing a jumper.
He retreated to the locker room for a few minutes and returned to the game with 6:35 remaining and the Knicks trailing by two points.
“I feel good. Next question,” Brunson said.
Brunson had two assists and four points in the final six minutes.
RJ Barrett, who remains the Knicks' highest draft pick since Patrick Ewing, said his increased productivity has to do with the different style of play in Toronto.
“It's a different brand of basketball. I think it fits my style a little more,” Barrett told Sportsnet ahead of Monday's Knicks-Raptors showdown. “We have a young team and a good management team. I've always been a transition person, so that's always helped me. …I cut more. [here] Because I know I have a chance to get it [the ball]Even if I don't understand it, I don't get mad because I know I'll understand it the next time I ask. …If you're always cutting and the ball doesn't go in, you probably don't want to cut anymore. ”
Barrett averaged career-highs in points (23.3), assists (5.9) and rebounds (6.6) on Monday while shooting 46 percent.
But the Raptors were also disappointing at 7-18, tied for 14th in the East after Monday night's loss in which Barrett had 30 points, eight rebounds and four assists.
Barrett, once considered the future face of the Knicks, was traded to Toronto last December along with Immanuel Quickley in place of OG Anunoby.
Barrett, a Toronto-area native, is happy to be back in his hometown, but said he knew the Knicks would trade him last season because “I would understand if I was treated a certain way.”
Barrett had fallen to at least third place in the organizational pecking order behind Brunson and Julius Randle.
“A lot of things [gave me that vibe that I was going to be traded.] There’s a lot going on,” Barrett added in the locker room Monday. “I feel like I kind of got the vibe. I feel like I kind of got it. I wasn't really surprised when it happened.”
