Knicks Tinkering With Lineup Changes

ORLANDO, Fla. — The New York Knicks are looking for ways to improve their lineups, especially when it comes to their defense.

A solution is available with Precious Achiuwa re-entering the lineup after missing the first month or so of the season with a hamstring injury, but the Knicks have been rolling with their current rotation.

Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau is hoping to get Achiuwa more involved next to Karl-Anthony Towns in the frontcourt in hopes of improving the defense, but it comes with a catch.

"The challenge becomes, you gotta rest KAT at some point," Thibodeau said. "So there's a finite amount of time to play them together, but it's something we definitely want to take a look at."

The Knicks have a below-average defensive rating, though it has made a jump in recent weeks. That being said, hovering just under the league average likely won't be enough for the Knicks to become a true contender this season.

Improvements will need to be made, likely from within, but changing the lineups and moving things around will be a tactic used by the Knicks to get better.

Achiuwa has played in five games so far for the Knicks this season, and he's slowly getting back to the player he was before the injury. He will be an important asset for the Knicks for the rest of the season, so the team needs to find exactly where he fits best.

Towns flourished with the Minnesota Timberwolves last season when paired with another big man, so having Achiuwa in there instead of a smaller Josh Hart could pay major dividends for the Knicks.

The question becomes how the Knicks will find time for the pair, and that should be an ongoing process from now until the end of the season.