Jericho Sims will be an intriguing player to watch for the New York Knicks in the 2024-25 NBA season.
Sims was Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau’s favored replacement starter at center whenever Mitchell Robinson went down with injuries until former Knicks five man Isaiah Hartenstein took the league by storm midway through the 2023-24 campaign.
Now that Sims was most recently relegated to the status of a developmental project, he will have the chance to reclaim favor in coach Thibodeau’s eyes for next season, especially with the team’s highly scrutinized lack of potency at the center slot.
Jericho Sims will have an opportunity to reclaim his spot in the Knicks’ rotation
The 6-10 center is exactly who most teams would desire as an interior presence on their depth chart. Sims carries an imposing frame and athleticism that could fuel him toward a career year in New York if put in the right position to strive for such an achievement. There’s not much to go off of with Sims regarding his offensive game, as he’s yet to average more than 2.1 field goals per game in any one of his first three seasons in the Association.
Nevertheless, the Knicks losing Isaiah Hartenstein to the Oklahoma City Thunder this offseason and dealing with the oft-injured Mitchell Robinson as their starter necessitates having an able-bodied big man off their bench who can step in and be the glue guy whose dirty work helps the team stick together.
Sims needs to take the next step to keep his role in the Knicks’ lineup next season
Players go through rookie struggles every year. Sophomore seasons often come with growing pains in the league. Many players start coming into their own in year three. But year four is where excuses start to fly out the window. Sims is too talented of a specimen alone to lose his job in the Knicks’ rotation in 2024-25. Nevertheless, his output has not reflected the potential that many who follow the Knicks see in him.
Yes, Sims shoots as efficiently as DeAndre Jordan did during his run as one of the top-five centers in basketball throughout the 2010s. Sims’ 74.1 percent clip from the field for his career proves that. However, the Knicks need consistent production from him whenever he takes the floor. When examining his effectiveness in increased minutes, the record shows that the Texas product can ball out. He averaged 6.3 rebounds across 13 contests when he saw 24.4 minutes per game.
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Compared to his peers league-wide, the Minnesota native would have finished No. 14 among all players who saw no more than 25 minutes per night. This includes Dallas Mavericks standout rookie Dereck Lively II and his 6.9 RPG last season. He showed exactly what a quintessential paint presence can be in a shoot-first offense run by two high-usage playmakers in Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, and next to another natural center in Daniel Gafford.
Lively II would be a great comparison for Sims. The Mavericks center plays with perhaps the most ball-dominant player in the entire league in Doncic and doesn’t shoot a lick from outside. Nevertheless, he is exceptional at using his size and athleticism to make a beeline to the rim and get out of the dunker spot. Lively II is a precocious talent in half-court offensive sets and is a perfect example of what Sims could be if he starts to reach his potential next time out.
Will Sims break out in 2024-25?
The only player standing in Sims’ way of seeing regular minutes behind Robinson next season is Precious Achiuwa. Gaining favor over the Nigerian center will be a tall task to conquer, considering how well Achiuwa played in the second half of 2023-24.
Nevertheless, there will be many nights where the Knicks will need a bruiser and a big body to hold some of the most dominant interior presences in the league, especially in an Eastern Conference that boasts behemoths like former 2023 NBA MVP Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers), 7-4 star Kristaps Porzingis (Boston Celtics) and Brook Lopez (Milwaukee Bucks) to name a few.
Sims can be that guy. He’s been working on his jumper with former NBA great Mike Bibby this summer. It is the Knicks’ hope that he will come into training camp with a refined offensive repertoire and readiness to contribute at a high level in 2024-25.
