The New York Knicks have undergone a bit of a makeover for the NBA's stretch run, trading for Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks before last week's NBA trade deadline on Thursday.
New York's roster looks drastically different from the opening night edition, as it previously added OG Anunoby from the Toronto Raptors. That trade kickstarted a brilliant start to the new calendar year before an elbow injury sidelined him for the next three weeks.
Nonetheless, dealing for Bogdanovic and Burks, formerly of the Detroit Pistons, has earned the approval of franchise face Jalen Brunson.
“I’m really excited to get to know them, get acclimated to what we do,” Brunson said in video from SNY. “They’re great. I think for us right now, we’ve just got to be better on the rebounding and obviously on the defensive side of the ball. They were really comfortable, they shot great all game, and we gotta be better on that side of the ball.”
Bogdanovic and Burks are two players who can complement Brunson very well. As players who can shoot three-pointers at a consistent rate, they can create space for Brunson to drive into the lane and kick out for a shot if needed.
It remains to be seen whether Bogdanovic and Burks will play a lot alongside Brunson, especially in the playoffs. Anunoby and Julius Randle's continued absences will give the new trade acquisitions some time to get comfortable with the Knicks' system.
Burks was the second-leading scorer behind Brunson on Saturday, scoring 22 points in his return to New York after a season-plus in Detroit. Bogdanovic, however, struggled, as he was held scoreless in the second half of a 125-111 defeat to the Indiana Pacers.
That being said, depth is paramount at this point in the season, especially with the Knicks fighting for homecourt advantage on the Eastern Conference playoff bracket. The team is currently 1.5 games ahead of the Philadelphia 76ers for the fourth seed, but things could change if the Knicks don't keep pace, especially in their depleted state. New York has dropped three of four and lost consecutive games for the first time since December after a nine-game winning streak ended last weekend.
The Knicks are back in action on Monday night against the Houston Rockets (8 p.m. ET, MSG).
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