The New York Knicks feel like a much different team than last year. They are deeper, faster, and more energetic as a unit, and a large part of why is the impact the bench has brought.
Knicks’ bench has made a massive impact
Tyler Kolek, Jordan Clarkson, and Mitchell Robinson have done a tremendous job shifting the energy of games upon entering. Their impact was most felt on Christmas Day against the Cleveland Cavaliers, as it was those three that helped spark the 17-point fourth quarter comeback to secure the win.
Kolek scored 11 fourth quarter points, and Robinson grabbed several offensive rebounds to give his team second chance opportunities down the stretch. Clarkson had his best game as a Knick with 25 points and five threes.
ESPN’s Inside the NBA analyst Charles Barkley gave the Knicks’ bench a ton of credit following the victory, noting their impact as the biggest difference from last year.
“I said the Knicks are gonna win the East. Shout out to the guys that fixed their bench. Their bench is finally playing. I watched a couple of games in the NBA Cup and that was the difference in the game and that was the difference last year,” Barkley said on Inside the NBA (h/t Sports Illustrated’s Delilah Bourque). “They are playing their bench [this season]. That was the only knock on [former coach Tom Thibodeau] Thibs, who is a terrific coach. You have to play those guys.”
Head coach Mike Brown trusts his bench to provide a spark
Mike Brown has gone deep in his bench frequently throughout this season. Along with giving guys like Kolek extended minutes, he has also given rookie Mohamed Diawara some action, finding a few spot minutes for him in the first half of games.
Brown’s trusting of the bench has been very beneficial, as the starters are not playing an excessive workload like they would last year. Additionally, Brown is getting the most out of his bench, as the group is becoming a very impactful force for this team.
Once they get both Miles McBride and Landry Shamet back from injuries, their bench will be even deeper. There is a lot to look forward to with the depth of this group.