Playoff Rotation Considerations for the Knicks

Mike Brown has suggested that there might be some adjustments to the rotation as the playoffs approach.

He mentioned that the nine players who participated in the recent games, including Thursday’s 112-106 victory against the Celtics, hold a significant edge. These players include reserves Mitchell Robinson, Miles McBride, Landry Shamet, and Jordan Clarkson.

“When we think about the playoffs, these are likely our top nine,” Brown noted. “It’s tough to effectively manage more than nine players in that scenario.”

This strategy means some players, such as Jose Alvarado, Mohamed Diawara, and Tyler Kolek, have been left out of the rotation recently, despite being part of it earlier in the season. All three had been inactive in the past two matchups against Boston and the one versus Atlanta on Monday.

Interestingly, Alvarado was a bit of a shocker during the trade deadline, having been acquired along with two second-round picks. He was replaced by McBride, who has just come back from hernia surgery, and Clarkson, who has shown solid defensive skills.

In the recent game against Atlanta, Jalen Brunson played the most minutes with 39, while OG Anunoby logged 37 minutes, all without any injuries. Meanwhile, Robinson, Shamet, and McBride each managed to get at least 20 minutes on the court, although Clarkson only saw nine minutes.

In Thursday’s matchup against Boston, four bench players logged at least 14 minutes each.

“We’re trying to determine the best combinations of players to put on the floor at the right times,” Brown reflected. “But we’re getting close to what our playoff rotation might look like. There could be some tweaks, though.”

With Thursday’s win, Brown achieved his 52nd victory of the season, surpassing Tom Thibodeau for the most wins recorded by a Knicks coach.

“It wasn’t noted that they reached 51 wins last year, and I wasn’t aiming to surpass that,” Brown explained. “They focused on securing a strong seed for the playoffs. My goal is to help the team improve as we head into the playoffs, so I’m not focused on comparisons.”

“Of course, 60 wins would sound better than 52 or 54, and that would be fantastic,” he added with a hint of a grin. “But that’s just how I see things.”