The New York Knicks have more than one problem that they need to address as the 2023-24 NBA season wares on, but one involving their depth chart may need immediate attention.
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The Knicks have several guards competing for time, which has SNY”s Rafael Canton questioning whether something should be done about it in his latest report:
“The complaints highlight two difficulties that Knicks perimeter role players face. New York has an offense that annually finds itself in the bottom five in the NBA in assists, adding more pressure for players to produce despite the ball being in their hands rarely,” Canton stressed.
“The other problem is there are only 96 minutes available at the two wing positions combined, making for a very competitive crowd. Hart, Grimes, RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, Donte DiVincenzo.”
Former starting shooting guard Quentin Grimes has found his way to the bench in the Knicks’ most recent games while Sixth Man of the Year Candidate Immanuel Quickley is seeing five fewer minutes this season as opposed to last despite near-identical numbers.
Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau has favored Donte DiVincenzo at the two which has left the team with three quality contributors battling for minutes. The Knicks cut bait with Dylan Windler after a string of promotions and demotions to their Westchester G League affiliate, but that hasn’t helped clear up time in the rotation.
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Additionally, Josh Hart — who normally sees time at small forward — also slides down to the shooting guard position frequently depending on matchups, giving the Knicks yet another competent scorer vying to cement his role.
With the trade deadline just under two months away, the Knicks have an abundance of wing players that they can offer up for a star player at the same position. Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell is not off the table, while several other teams have talented and sizable two-way contributors stuck in similar crowded depth charts.