The disastrous start to 2017 continues for Big Apple basketball. The New York Knicks have been a team surrounded by turmoil recently due to the one-day disappearance of their starting point guard, and the shaky status of their best offensive player, Carmelo Anthony. All this extra drama continues to ensue while the Knicks have dropped eleven of their previous thirteen contests and Kristaps Porzingis is shelved due to a strained Achilles.
Clearly, there is quite the chaos in New York, as far as from the hoops scene, as of now. With the Knicks suddenly sitting at a lowly 18-24 and staring down the barrel of another disaster-filled season leading to a lottery pick, head coach Jeff Hornacek and the rest of the coaching staff may be looking to shake things up, even if that means tinkering with the rotation. We’ve already seen additional minutes come for the likes of Ron Baker and Mindaugas Kuzminskas recently, and now we may even see Porzingis playing at an unfamiliar spot in the lineup. Following from ESPN’s Ian Begley:
On several occasions Monday, Hornacek said the coaching staff is thinking about starting Kristaps Porzingis at center. Porzingis has missed the past three games for the Knicks (18-24) because of a sore left Achilles — the same injury that caused Porzingis to sit out three games last month — and hopes to return soon.
Here’s what Hornacek had to say about moving Porzingis to center after Monday’s loss to Atlanta:
“We’ve got to look at everything. … In the long run, we’ve got to look at hey, when KP comes back, what, will it change everything all together and what it will do? Sometimes it’s a chance you have to take, but we continue to look over that. We just need to mix it up maybe a little more.”
Moving Porzingis to center could be an interesting move. The shift would result in Carmelo Anthony starting at power forward and send defensive stalwart Joakim Noah to the bench. This would allow the Knicks to throw another shooter in the starting lineup while still having the lanky 7’3″ frame of Porzingis roaming the paint.
Though moving Porzingis to the five spot holds the potential to take the offense to new heights, the issue remains. The problem with the Knicks during this slump hasn’t been the offense but it’s instead been the less glamorous side of the court. New York is the sixth worst ranked defense in the NBA. If the Knicks want to reverse their fortunes thus far this season, it’ll have to come from increased efforts on the defensive end.
If Porzingis were to start at center once he returns, the offense would certainly be bolstered, but the defense could potentially take a hit. With the Knicks falling fast, it’s clear Hornacek and company are will not hesitate to make changes as they see fit.
