6:38pm: It’s official. Robinson will start and Hart will come off the bench tonight, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post tweets.
11:57am: The Knicks are “leaning toward” inserting center Mitchell Robinson into the starting lineup for Sunday’s Game 3 in Indiana, sources tell Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Robinson would replace wing Josh Hart in the starting five.
ESPN’s Shams Charania confirms the Knicks are giving “serious consideration” to the idea of benching Hart in favor of Robinson ahead of the pivotal game (story via Chris Herring of ESPN.com). New York lost both games at home to open the Eastern Conference Finals and finds itself in a 0-2 hole ahead of Sunday’s contest.
As Herring observes, the Knicks have gone with their usual starting group of Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Hart, OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns for the entire season and playoffs when they’ve all been healthy, so this could mark the team’s first major lineup change of 2024/25. Despite playing the most minutes of any five-man group this postseason and advancing past Detroit and Boston, the starters have struggled during their time together on the court, having much more success when Robinson and/or Miles McBride have been mixed in.
Replacing Hart with Robinson would slide Towns, who has struggled defensively against the Pacers, from center to power forward, Begley writes. Reserve big man Precious Achiuwa is a candidate to receive more playing time if Robinson moves into the starting lineup for Game 3, Begley adds. An impending free agent who appeared in 57 regular season games (20.5 minutes per contest), Achiuwa has barely played in the playoffs, averaging just 4.8 MPG while appearing in five of the team’s 14 postseason games.
When asked about the potential lineup change, Hart said he believes he’s a starter and had a great year, but he also has no issue if head coach Tom Thibodeau decides to bring him off the bench (Twitter video link via Knicks Videos).
“I can’t sit here and preach about sacrifice and getting out of our own personal agendas and all that and then, a decision like that is made, then be mad at it and not want to sacrifice and not want to do that,” Hart said. “That’s not the kind of person that I am.”
Hart added that the Knicks need to improve in multiple areas to claw their way back into the series, tweets Steve Popper of Newsday.
“Yeah, I think we need something drastic in terms of our energy and effort, our competitiveness,” Hart said.
After averaging 13.2 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 5.2 APG, 1.0 SPG and 0.8 BPG in helping New York reach the ECF (12 games; 37.1 MPG), Hart has averaged 7.0 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 4.0 APG, 1.0 SPG and 0.5 BPG through two games against Indiana (36.5 MPG). The Knicks have been outscored by 14 points during his time on the court in the series, whereas Robinson is plus-six in 50 minutes.
Indiana is the best TEAM, well, along with OKC (which I don’t see play much). I mean the Pacers play as a team instead of ISO. Our ball-dominant Celtics couldn’t beat this TEAM of Pacers during the season and we’ll have to just see if the ball-dominant Knicks can.
Chubby Brunson and fat kat kept up well with the pace and they still lost g1. It’s been over ever since.
It makes a lot of sense, never understood why the Knicks didnt explore more the double big lineup
Not so proud now?
A plus six. Super impressive.
Pretty easy to see that Thibs is getting out coached right now.
Thibs getting out coached big time, he’s in capable of making immediate in game changes. The starting 5 is dead by the 4th quarter…. McBride, Achiuwa should have played off the bench more minutes , fresh legs to keep up with Indy’s deep bench. I’ve been talking with my buddy since last year that Hart is better suited coming off the bench… Sorry, but they’ll never win with Thibs as coach, even though Knicks just extended him…. Seriously, Jeff Van Gundy, a teriffic defensive coach, and modern thinker should be brought back. You need a veteran coach with this group. As a Oldtime Knicks fan , I’m venting, Indy’s for real, especially with the confidence gained in winning game 1, besides taking 2 at the crazy Garden, impressive. …
Thibs once again destroying any chance his team has from his idiotic minutes handling.
I guess no one here or in the media watched gm1. Knicks missed 3 FTs that would have won gm in regulation. Did you miss that part ??
Knicks gave up a 9 pt lead with a min left in game. Did you miss that too.
None of that happens without the Pacers never giving up play. Pacers never win this gm1 without the Knicks F .. ing up. …. Thats reality
Pacers took gm2 and deserve to be up 2. But you win that first gm like a playoff team should. And all this end of the world scenarios are not around.
Thibs doesn’t trust his bench. He is paying for that now. Achiuwa and Shamet should be getting mins. Just to help give breathers. It is what it is.
McBride and Mitch have to play well. Cause those two will get mins. Towns goes for 34 n 15 and we won’t talk about changing anything. All about one fame now. We know how we got here. So this the chance you have to change the outcome.
Time to man up ……
there’s a definite connection between fatigue and missing free throws / decision making errors, so as much as people want to blame the players, Thibs has to shoulder some of the blame for G1
I don’t get how the Knicks have had this roster all year and still don’t know how to use it.
They had the 5th best record in NBA 52-31.
Thats 82 gms, won two series Pistons and Celtics.
Real response ….. is Pacers have exploited it in TWO games .
51-31
Time for double bigs.
Josh Harts best skill is rebounding which Robinson easily replaces as it’s his best skill also.
Robinson gives them a better defender and rim protector which they need whereas Hart can make an impact off the bench alongside McBride and Precious
I agree the whole team has to accept blame. But then you cone out gm2 with a stinker. I give Pacers credit for playing gm2. Blowing gm1 is why they are here. Like Pacers jumped on them. This game Knicks have to jump on them. No room for error now. We will see their true character now lol …..
It’s not like whoever started it will play the most. If this starting 5 gives them the energy right away they need it’s great. If not, you can easily make a change. Starting means nothing, it’s who is there when it matters.