New York Knicks rookie wing Pacome Dadiet might find his way into head coach Tom Thibodeau’s rotation early. Following the injuries to Landry Shamet and Precious Achiuwa, the Knicks will likely have to give one of their rookies an opportunity to play serious minutes in order to have a complete rotation.
Knicks’ rookie Pacome Dadiet could be in the rotation right away
SNY’s Ian Begley said that Dadiet may have impressed the Knicks’ coaching staff enough to earn a rotation spot right away as opposed to a role at the backend of the bench.
“Late in this preseason, [Pacôme] Dadiet had surpassed some of the Knicks’ internal expectations for him,” Begley said on The Putback. “I could see him getting some rotation minutes here.”
There weren’t a lot of expectations for the 19-year-old first-round pick from France. However, he made a very strong impression in his preseason appearances, averaging 13 points and shooting 55% from both the floor and from three in two games.
Dadiet provides some size and athleticism with a solid three-point shot, which could give the Knicks a lot of depth off the bench behind Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby. Playing a rookie serious minutes on a championship contender comes with a lot of risks, but Dadiet quickly showed that he was comfortable in an NBA setting.
Giving Dadiet minutes could prevent overuse of the starters
The injury situation might allow Thibodeau to give the rookie an opportunity to make a name for himself on this roster. Achiuwa is expected to be out for at least 2-4 weeks with a hamstring strain, while Shamet suffered a dislocated shoulder and is seeking further opinions.
Therefore, Dadiet could fill in the missing qualities those two players provide, and playing him will also help prevent Thibodeau from overusing his starters in the early part of the season. Of course, if he were to play, it wouldn’t be for long stretches, but he could at least allow some of the starters to get some extra rest as they navigate through the injuries.
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The Knicks open the season Tuesday night against the Boston Celtics. It is unclear if Dadiet will see the court then, but the odds are in his favor to receive playing time at some point to start the season.