Knicks inching closer to full strength, evaluating playoff rotation

With the playoffs approaching and the roster nearing full health, the Knicks are beginning to take a closer look at their postseason rotation, according to Ian Begley of SNY.

New York was without Karl-Anthony Towns in Friday’s win over Chicago, but head coach Mike Brown used the opportunity to experiment with different lineup combinations.

With Mitchell Robinson starting, Brown deployed Jeremy Sochan as a backup center and was encouraged by the results.

“It allowed us to do a lot of things like switch pick and rolls,” Brown said. “It brought a different element to our game… just keeping the ball in front of us.”

Robinson is expected to handle most of the reserve center minutes in the playoffs, but Sochan’s versatility could give the Knicks additional lineup flexibility.

At guard, Brown emphasized the importance of reintegrating Miles McBride and Landry Shamet into the rotation.

“Both of those guys are capable of playing that spot… and that’s going to be a priority,” Brown said.

As Begley notes, recent adjustments also resulted in reduced roles for Jose Alvarado and Mohamed Diawara.