The New York Knicks may have a gem at the end of their bench that could move closer to head coach Tom Thibodeau following opening tip-offs as the upcoming 2024-25 NBA season draws on.
Knicks forward Keita Bates-Diop is a skilled two-way wing who the franchise brought on this summer to address their void at backup power forward behind starter Julius Randle. He and fellow offseason signee Chuma Okeke are now looked at as the two players that need to give the Knicks steady production on both ends whenever they touch the floor. A recent well-thought-out projection actually sees the Illinois native doing so at a different position off the bench, though.
Keita Bates-Diop named a viable backup center option for the Knicks next season
Scott Davis of The Sporting News proposed the idea of the Knicks deploying Bates-Diop on occasion at the backup center slot, citing his 6-8, 229-pound frame — similar to that of the 6-8, 243-pound current backup five Precious Achiuwa, his underrated defense and his ability to at least launch from outside as reasons for coach Thibodeau to expand his role on the reserve unit next season.
Davis’ spotlight on the Ohio State product’s exceptional on-ball defense was the biggest eye-catcher, accentuated by this reel shared on X by PHNX Sports’ Gerald Bourguet showing him blocking the game’s best scorers, including the 6-11 Phoenix Suns superstar Kevin Durant:
The versatile defender Bates-Diop is a luxury for the Knicks to have off their bench
Bates-Diop’s tape is impressive. Blocking a player like Durant is a tall task (no pun intended), as the former 2014 NBA MVP has a 7-5 wingspan and shoots at an apex like few others in the league. Beyond that highlight, his ability to hold his ground and move his feet against talented slashers shows that he can potentially excel against pick-and-roll sets as well as dribble hand-off plays. Further, Bates-Diop exhibits a talent for timing his defensive plays on the ball, whether that be jumping with his man on shot attempts or poking the ball out of ball-handlers’ possession.
The argument for the 28-year-old being a better outside shooter than Achiuwa has holes. Both players share the same career-high in three-pointers made in a season at 0.8 3PM, and though Bates-Diop’s 33.3 percent clip outdoes Achiuwa’s 30.7 percent rate for their careers, Achiuwa still has room to grow as a talent, as does Bates-Diop, and both could expand that area of their games in 2024-25.
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Is Bates-Diop too undersized to man the backup center spot for the Knicks in 2024-25?
Nevertheless, the Knicks do have a need for more help at center. Bates-Diop may ultimately be a redundant option alongside a big man in Achiuwa who also possesses the ability to move nimbly on defense and provide rim protection. Albeit, Bates-Diop can be a great insurance stash should Mitchell Robinson get injured again in 2024-25 and the Knicks disfavor their backup five man Jericho Sims.
However, when the going gets tough, the Knicks will need a behemoth type of center to spell for Robinson in order to hold elite big men in the East like Philadelphia 76ers former MVP Joel Embiid, Boston Celtics champion Kristaps Porzingis and Indiana Pacers big man Myles Turner, among others. At the very least, knowing that Bates-Diop can fill those shoes sparingly should be an ease of mind for the Knicks’ coaching staff next time out.
