The New York Knicks have an interesting situation brewing in their frontcourt ahead of the 2024-25 NBA season. So interesting, that New York could wind up playing their All-Star power forward at center in spurts with regularity next time out.
Mitchell Robinson is still the Knicks’ starting center as presently constructed. He has seen his name pop up frequently in trade rumors from the weeks leading up to the Feb. 8 NBA trade deadline up until now. Robinson led the league with 4.6 offensive rebounds per game last season, and yet, has been widely reported to be a center that the Knicks do not view as their franchise five-man for the future with all confidence, largely due to his lengthy injury history.
Add to that the fact that featured big man Isaiah Hartenstein took his talents to the Oklahoma City Thunder in free agency earlier this offseason and what the Knicks have is a precarious situation behind Robinson that could necessitate Julius Randle getting his defense up as a secondary man in the middle next time out.
Would the Knicks benefit from playing Julius Randle at center?
The former 2021 Most Improved Player of the Year finished No. 5 on the team in defensive win shares (1.9) but his 113.8 defensive rating, which was bottom-five on the Knicks, told a different story. Randle is not known as a rim protector, having boasted 0.3 blocks per night last season.
He does have the size and strength to box out effectively, control the glass, and use his athleticism to keep up with centers who are nimble on their feet, but the Knicks would be best suited to let him operate at his natural position of the four while leaving center duties to a backup who got the job done last year.
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Knicks will likely stick with Precious Achiuwa and Jericho Sims at backup center
The Knicks have Precious Achiuwa, who will likely get the lion’s share of minutes spelling for Robinson off the bench. Robinson missed 51 games in 2023-24. Once Achiuwa joined the franchise as part of the OG Anunoby trade in December, the Nigerian big man put up a career-high 1.1 blocks a night across 49 games under Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau, 18 of which he started, all at 24.2 minutes per contest. Achiuwa is a perfect blend of a mobile center that can run in transition and make things happen off the dribble, and a big man that can do the dirty work in the pick-and-roll and around the rim on both ends.
That mixture of skill and natural talent is what will likely earn Achiuwa favor over Jericho Sims at the backup slot in 2024-25. Though, Sims has the size and the play style that resembles Robinson and to a lesser extent, Hartenstein. His 36-minute numbers show a young talent capable of pulling down nine rebounds and sending back 1.2 blocked shots per game along with 5.7 points per contest, but he will need to prove that he can meet that level of output on the court and not only in projections. Nevertheless, for his size, athleticism, and potential, he will likely still get used regularly depending on matchups.
Center is without a doubt the Knicks’ weakest spot at the present. All three of their primary troops at the position, if healthy, could give the Knicks steady production. That being said, several of New York’s biggest competitors out East may push their unit to the brink in high-stakes games. No matter who takes the court and mans the middle, and that includes Randle, they’ll need to protect the rim and the glass above all else to keep the Knicks steady.
