Roster
# — Player — Position — Age — Height — Weight
00 — Enes Kanter — C — 26 — 6’11” — 250 lbs
1 — Emmanuel Mudiay — G — 22 — 6’5″ — 200 lbs
2 — Luke Kornet — C — 23 — 7’1″ — 250 lbs
3 — Tim Hardaway Jr. — G — 26 — 6’6″ — 205 lbs
4 — Isaiah Hicks — F — 24 — 6’9″ — 230 lbs (two-way contract)
5 — Courtney Lee — G — 33 — 6’5″ — 215 lbs
6 — Kristaps Porzingis — F — 23 — 7’3″ — 240 lbs
8 — Mario Hezonja — F — 23 — 6’8″ — 225 lbs
11 — Frank Ntilikina — G — 20 — 6’6″ — 200 lbs
14 — Allonzo Trier — G — 22 — 6’5″ — 200 lbs (two-way contract)
20 — Kevin Knox — F — 19 — 6’9″ — 215 lbs
21 — Damyean Dotson — G — 24 — 6’6″ — 210 lbs
23 — Trey Burke — G — 25 — 6’1″ — 175 lbs
26 — Mitchell Robinson — C — 20 — 7’1″ — 240 lbs
31 — Ron Baker — G — 25 — 6’4″ — 220 lbs
32 — Noah Vonleh — F — 23 — 6’9″ — 250 lbs
42 — Lance Thomas — F — 30 — 6’8″ — 240 lbs
Positional Breakdown
The Knicks will play positionless basketball. That is the end of the positional breakdown. Thank you.
Well, not really. As much as David Fizdale wants to strip away positions, we’re not quite there yet. The NBA is trending away from the traditional positions that we’ve come to know in favor of lineups where players can switch freely on defense. The need to guard multiple positions has become a staple of playoff basketball. The Knicks won’t have to worry about the playoffs this year, but Fiz’s forward-thinking approach should give Knicks fans some peace of mind.
Rather than separating the roster into point guard, shooting guard, small forward, etc., we’ll look at players in three distinct categories that will give us an understanding of how the lineups and rotations could shake out.
Guards
This group could be renamed ballhandlers. A few players in this category will also bleed into our next grouping, but for all intents and purposes, this group will comprise the guys who will get the lion’s share of the minutes as primary ballhandlers.
Trey Burke and Frank Ntilikina are the two guys who will lead the charge for the guards on the team. Burke is adept at running the pick and roll which makes him a prime candidate to handle the ball whenever he’s on the court. Who knows if Burke will stick with the Knicks past this season, but regardless, he’ll be a go-to guy for Fizdale in the backcourt.
Ntilikina will spend a lot of time as a primary ballhandler, but he’s versatile enough to play a few spots. He’s more of a combo guard than a true point guard. Ntilikina could fulfill Fizdale’s dreams of positionless basketball. They’re working on developing his ability to cover anyone and everyone on defense. The Frenchman’s adaptability will be on display on opening night when he starts alongside Burke.
The second unit in the backcourt will consist of Allonzo Trier, Emmanuel Mudiay, and Ron Baker. Trier still has much to prove, but he is impressing every day. He forced himself onto the roster and there’s a good chance he forces himself into a bigger role as the season goes on. Mudiay’s influence seems to be waning. A reclamation project from the start, Mudiay’s minutes could be erratic if he doesn’t develop some modicum of consistency. And of course, Ron Baker is Ron Baker. He’s never going to blow you away, but he plays tough minutes, defends well, and is a consummate team player. He’s a good guy to have in a pinch.
Wings
Most Knicks fans would not have pegged Lance Thomas as a member of the starting unit a few months ago. But despite the fact that Thomas is often overlooked, he’ll play a key role on an otherwise young team. Thomas can play the power forward or small forward and he’s one of the best defenders on the roster. The Knicks need him in the starting lineup for defensive cohesion. He may be pushed out of the starting lineup as the season progresses, but he’ll certainly have a part to play all year long.
Tim Hardaway Jr. could be the team’s most well-rounded offensive player. He could be the Knick who plays the most minutes this season. The Knicks will struggle to score at times and they’ll need someone to step into the role of the go-to scorer in Porzingis’ absence. Kevin Knox has all the talent, but Hardaway is the guy Fizdale will rely on when he needs a bucket.
Knox’s upside is unreal, but fans must expect a few rough stretches for the rookie. In fact, he went through an offensive slump in the preseason that resulted in Ntilikina swiping his starting spot. Knox can excel off the bench and eventually win back his starting role. He’ll see a ton of minutes this year because Fiz has already made it clear that he’s going to let him play through his ups and downs.
Mario Hezonja will see second unit minutes, but the Knicks have no obligation to keep him in the lineup if he’s underperforming. He’s on a one-year deal so the Knicks aren’t heavily invested into the Croatian’s future. He’ll keep what he kills.
Damyean Dotson is on the outer fringes of the wing rotation. He’s stuck in a logjam on the wing and it will be tough for him to garner consistent minutes this season. A former second-round pick, the Knicks won’t feel too bad if Dotson is relegated to the end of the bench.
Courtney Lee’s role in the rotation could be the biggest mystery heading into the season. He didn’t appear in a single preseason game due to a strained neck. The Knicks will probably look to shop Lee to a contender so they can clear out his cap space, but until that happens, he’s one of the best players on the team. It’s unclear how Fizdale will balance playing Lee over younger players who the team needs to develop.
Bigs
This section is for the big fellas. The guys who clean the glass and operate out of the low post. These are the bruisers who should control the paint for the Knicks. The Knicks are likely to play with a lot of smaller lineups — especially with Porzingis sidelined. The main rotation of bigs should consist of Enes Kanter, Noah Vonleh, and Mitchell Robinson.
Kanter is the proven guy in the unit. He rebounds well, scores out of the low post with the best of them, and he’s an energetic defender. His game definitely has its fair share of weaknesses, but he’s the type of player Fizdale can rely on for 25-30 solid minutes on a nightly basis.
How the minutes on the second unit are distributed is something to watch. Vonleh and Robinson can definitely play together, but if Vonleh’s outside shot isn’t much improved, playing Robinson and Vonleh together could be tough for floor spacing. It’s more likely that Vonleh and Robinson compete for minutes. They’ll both see time, but the rotation could vary from week-to-week or even game-to-game. The Knicks would love for Robinson to step right in and perform, but the 20-year-old will undoubtedly go through some growing pains.
Luke Kornet seems to be the odd-man out. A 7-foot-1 sharpshooter, Kornet has some skills and could find his way into the rotation due to injuries or a slow-to-start Robinson. But at least to begin the season, Kornet won’t see much burn.
Isaiah Hicks won’t factor into the rotation much, if at all. Hicks is playing for the Knicks on a two-way contract for the second straight season. He’ll spend most of his time developing in Westchester.
