With speculation billowing as to which New York Knicks role player will slide into the starting lineup by next season’s opening night, several of the chief candidates have made sure to make all of the right “team-first” comments about fitting in and contributing however the coaching staff thinks is best.
Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby are set in stone, looking to build on their respective careers as stars and career starters with another season of high-level play, and footage of the Knicks’ first team-wide practice only fed the flames of curiosity, Those four all donned blue jerseys, and so did longtime backup big Mitchell Robinson in running with the first team.
Josh Hart, who may be bumped to a sixth-man role with his gray jersey, spoke on the matter at media day in clarifying his respect for whatever Mike Brown determines as the best starting unit. Even as his case gains steam, Robinson followed suit in providing his own batch of selfless quotes.
“Nah. It don’t matter to me at all,” Robinson said after the second day of training camp. “I started before. I came off the bench before. I did great in both. So it’s whatever.”
While it may be nice for Brown to know that his fringe-starters are bought into his first-year vision with the team, there are real cases to be made for both veterans to join the star-studded opening lineup. Hart has the experience as that extra wing defender, even if his reputation did some of last season’s heavy lifting, and provides a rebounding a hustle spark that most coaches would greatle appreciate from their backcourt.
But even Tom Thibodeau, who loved Hart enough to let him lead last season in minutes per game with 37.6, seemed to understand the need for Robinson’s attributes alongside the defensively-lackluster starters in his final days as the Knicks’ coach.
Apr 11, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (23) reacts during the fourth quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images
While Hart’s willing to hoist the occasional 3-pointer, the completely-non-shooting Robinson is less of a hinderance to the rest of the offense in allowing everyone else to space the floor around him. Towns flourishes around the perimeter, while Hart, having taken a step back as a defender, is an admittedly kooky fit alongside the scoring and passing Brunson, especially as Brown looks to prioritize spot-up shooting.
While Hart could finally slide back into that sixth-man role and Robinson embraces for another potential run as a starter, his and Hart’s promises of hard work and energy gives Brown several desirable options before he has to make up his mind in the coming weeks.
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