The New York Knicks have so many injuries it’s as if they came across Bruce Wayne on a bad night.
However, while their injury report has rarely been empty this season, the Knicks have leaned into the resilience that’s customary of a team led by head coach Tom Thibodeau. This has called for the Knicks to adopt the familiar ‘next man up’ mentality. With that, has also come a call for sacrifice.
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As Thibodeau says, “Whoever’s got it going, that’s where we’re going,” per the New York Post’s Stefan Bondy.
“Some nights it’s not your night, it’s someone else’s night and then you put the team first. Everyone sacrifices. And that’s really what we’ve done all year.”
This season, such sacrifices have led to players like Precious Achiuwa being removed from the starting lineup. Starting in place of the injured OG Anunoby, Achiuwa’s physical profile and skillset make him more akin to Julius Randle than their star 3-and-D wing. That said, Achiuwa started in place of their All-Star forward after he went out with a dislocated shoulder in late January.
Supplanted in the starting lineup by Anunoby, Achiuwa never got his spot back when his longtime teammate went out with elbow soreness. Third-year guard Miles McBride got the call instead. The change appeared to be strategic.
Tom Thibodeau Explains Lineup Change
Addressing his decision to move Achiuwa back to the second unit, Thibodeau says “I have a lot of confidence in Precious.”
“He’s done a great job for us. I love the fact that he can play two positions. I think he can guard multiple positions. It allows you to do a lot of switching.
“So it was more the matchup…,” Thibodeau explains.
“…OK, who are we looking at in the Golden State game? We’re looking at [Stephen Curry] (necessitating McBride to be in the lineup to chase him around). And then with [the Brooklyn Nets], you’re looking at Cam Thomas who has been rolling.”
McBride has put forth unexpectedly impressive performances in his last few starts. Playing all 48 minutes against the Nets, he scored 26 points on 6-12 shooting from 3 and had no turnovers. It was McBride’s third straight start. It was his second game in three outings scoring at least 25 points and his third consecutive game playing at least 40 minutes.
Confidence-Builder
The Knicks aren’t sacrificing their egos and bodies in vain. Because of their sheer willpower and a sense of purpose, it translates to wins. In their last 10 games, the Knicks are 7-3, and fourth in the Eastern Conference standings at 42-28.
With an identity as a mentally tough and unselfish team, they’re building a winning culture. To that point, they’re in a better position to overcome adversity than they were last season. In what’s been deja vu for the Knicks, Randle and Brunson are contending with injuries ahead of the playoffs. However, New York is better equipped to contend with key injuries than they were last postseason.
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