Could Ariel Hukporti and Pacome Dadiet Feature for the Knicks Next Season?

The New York Knicks broke through their own long-lasting ceiling this past season, making the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in over two decades. They did it under head coach Tom Thibodeau, who - like most NBA coaches - leaned on his star power and veterans to help the team reach new heights. But Thibodeau was fired at the end of the season, and has been replaced by former Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown.

Will the Arrival of Brown Lead to More Opportunities for Pacome Dadiet and Ariel Hukporti Next Season?

The Knicks selected Dadiet in the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft after his impressive overseas season led to him surging up draft boards. Hukporti was chosen at the end of the second round after coming up just short of capturing the Australian NBL 2024 championship. Dadiet and Hukporti played in a combined 43 NBA games last season, and most ly featured in garbage time. That's unsurprising for rookies on a good team, and there's a chance they feature more this season.

Thibodeau is known as a tough coach who runs his best players into the ground. Regular season, postseason, it doesn't matter. He trusts his guys. This ethos became a point of friction for the Knicks starters, which could mean Brown tries to lower the wear and tear on his core five during the regular season. A part of doing that will likely mean Dadiet and Hukporti get a chance to prove themselves in NBA games.

The two of them looked excellent in Summer League play, which is exactly what you want to see from players heading into their sophomore season. Hukporti averaged 6.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, and two blocks per game while Dadiet averaged 12 points and 3.5 rebounds on 46/25/0 shooting splits. They looked a step above, which should mean they get a chance this season if Brown opts to give starters more time off for load management.