The New York Knicks are still deciding who should get the bulk of the minutes at the backup center position while Precious Achiuwa and Mitchell Robinson remain out with injuries. Jericho Sims has been the primary backup so far, but positive results have yet to come in the early part of the season.
Jericho Sims has struggled as the Knicks’ backup center
Perhaps the best example of that lack of impact came Friday night against the Detroit Pistons. Sims had a plus-minus of 0 in 16 minutes of action despite the Knicks winning the game by 30 points. Overall, he finished the game scoreless with six rebounds and a block.
Sims had been largely uninvolved offensively despite being the main backup, as he is averaging just 1.6 points with a -2 plus-minus in the first five games of the season. That is simply not enough production from a main rotation piece, and he hasn’t been imposing enough defensively to make up for the lack of scoring.
Ariel Hukporti deserves another look to potentially grab a rotation spot
Therefore, the Knicks may be better off giving rookie center Ariel Hukporti an extended look until Achiuwa is able to return from injury. The Knicks drafted Hukporti with the 58th overall pick in this past year’s draft and flashed some good potential during the preseason.
Hukporti got some playing time against the Cleveland Cavaliers earlier this week and showed some strong athleticism on both ends of the floor. However, other than that game, the bulk of his time on the court has come in garbage time so far this season.
Hukporti is not a floor-spacing big, but he is much more aggressive inside the paint than Sims is and has shown to hold his own on the defensive side as well. He was robbed of a highlight play when a contact dunk was erased by an offensive foul call late in the fourth quarter of the game against Cleveland, but that moment certainly raised some eyebrows.
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Despite the risks of playing a rookie, it may be worth it for the Knicks
Of course, playing an underdeveloped rookie on a team with championship aspirations has a big risk attached to it, but it may be a risk worth taking given the lack of impact Sims has provided. Given the lack of depth they already have in the frontcourt thanks to some injuries, it may not be long before Thibodeau gives Hukporti another chance to prove himself worthy of earning a rotation spot.
