The New York Knicks are already getting Deja Vu from last season, as early-season injuries have already depleted their bench unit. They were especially missing Precious Achiuwa Tuesday night against the Boston Celtics. Achiuwa is expected to miss at least 2-4 weeks with a hamstring strain that he suffered in the preseason.
The Knicks badly needed Precious Achiuwa against the Celtics
New York had very few options available off the bench Tuesday as a result of Achiuwa’s absence. Jericho Sims was the first guy off the bench, but things quickly fell apart for them not too long after he checked into the game.
By the end of the first quarter, the Knicks trailed by as much as 21 points and were down by double figures the rest of the game. The lack of depth at the center position behind Karl-Anthony Towns hurt them drastically, and it will be a challenge for head coach Tom Thibodeau to navigate through such a huge absence for them.
Boston dominated the interior along with their historic shooting performance. The Celtics out-rebounded the Knicks 40-34 and also had 11 offensive rebounds to the Knicks’ five. New York badly needed Achiuwa’s interior presence and aggression on both ends of the floor, as his ability to guard multiple positions at a high level could have helped slow down the Celtics’ three-point barrage. Without him, they looked lifeless out there.
The Knicks were also missing Mitchell Robinson
Achiuwa wasn’t the only guy that they were badly missing, as Mitchell Robinson’s absence from offseason ankle surgery was also a big loss for New York on Tuesday, and will continue to be a massive loss for a while. Though Robinson is not as much of a threat offensively, his offensive rebounding was huge for their offense in getting second-chance opportunities.
Without either steady big on the floor, the Celtics were able to take advantage of the size New York was missing to dominate. The Celtics had 16 second-chance points compared to the Knicks’ 13.
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Could the Knicks shake up the rotation in the interim?
Perhaps the Knicks shake things up for their next game against the Indiana Pacers. Many have suggested that Josh Hart should be moved to the bench to give the second unit more depth, but there is no indication from Thibodeau that such a move is imminent.
The Knicks can also deploy rookie center Ariel Hukporti into the rotation. The seven-footer from Germany was very impressive during the preseason and should get an extensive on-court look with the injury situation.
It will be interesting to see if any changes to the rotation are on the horizon. Regardless, the Knicks will still be badly missing their two reliable bigs and will have to find a way to get through at least the first month of the season lacking depth in the frontcourt.
