The Knicks could utilize five different guys to help replace Mitchell Robinson.
Isaiah Hartenstein provides the Knicks a strong option to fill in for Robinson, who is expected to miss the rest of the season with an ankle injury, as the team’s primary center.
But after Hartenstein, they will have to rely on unproven youth, the polar opposite in a well-aged veteran, and their own creativity to scotch-tape together what has now become a massive missing piece to their lineup.
Head coach Tom Thibodeau initially opted to insert third-year Jericho Sims, who has only appeared in 107 games in his career, in the starting lineup, preferring to leave Hartenstein with the Knicks’ strong second unit.
But Sims lasted just five games in that role and sprained his ankle in the team’s Dec. 18 win over the Lakers.
The Knicks announced on Wednesday that he will be reevaluated in 7-10 days.
Hartenstein has started since, and the Knicks subsequently signed longtime Thibodeau-favorite Taj Gibson off the couch.
Hartenstein has seen his minutes increase dramatically since Robinson’s injury, but it’s a huge ask for him to completely and immediately replace Robinson’s full workload.
And the 38-year-old Gibson is still in the process of ramping back up to basketball shape.
So who plays center in the non-Hartenstein minutes?
Thibodeau briefly used Julius Randle as a small-ball center at times during the Knicks’ win over the Nets on Wednesday, something fans have long clamored for more of.
But Thibodeau, who’s staked his reputation on defense, is hesitant to rely too much on that strategy, not wanting to sacrifice rim protection on the defensive side.
“The thing is, I think, when you’re looking at downsizing, you’re going to give up something,” Thibodeau said Friday. “I think you can do it for a short stretch, but you can’t do it for an extended stretch. Everything is on the table and depending upon who [the opponents] have on the floor will really determine who you have on the floor.”
Beyond sacrificing defensively and rebounding-wise, it changes how Randle can attack opponents on the offensive end.
“Offensively my role is a little different as a five,” Randle said. “Usually I’m [matched up] against fours, [job is] to space the floor. I’m in a lot more screen-and-roll actions [as a center], rolling to the basket, putting pressure on the rim that way. A little bit more responsibility offensively when it comes to that as far as setting screens and stuff like that.”
Thibodeau even pointed to Josh Hart, traditionally a wing, as an option to fill in at center in small–ball lineups, praising his ability to guard all five positions on the court.
Hart, listed at 6-foot-4, has a unique skill set, and is one of the team’s best rebounders as well.
Hart, however, jokingly made it clear how he views himself.
“No the hell it ain’t,” Hart quote-tweeted a post on X on Wednesday suggesting he’s the Knicks’ new center. “I’m a guard.”
Gibson’s 13:17 on the court in Wednesday’s win was the most he’s played in the four games he’s been back with the Knicks, and over double his previous high.
He did, though, notably motion to the bench at one point in the second quarter to come out because he was gassed.
Still, his teammates praised how much he has been able to handle given he was out of the league just over a week ago.
Gibson has long been a favorite of Thibodeau, who has coached him with the Bulls, Timberwolves and previously with the Knicks during Gibson’s first stint with the team.
He’s certainly comfortable with what Gibson offers, even if it is much more limited at this point this age.
“He’s handled this part of his career extremely well,” Thibodeau said. “He’s always stayed in great shape, and I think that for an older player, that’s huge. He’s probably as light as he’s ever been. He’s always been strong and he’s quick and he has great tools defensively and he sees things early.”
Thibodeau stuck to the team’s original timeline for Robinson, planning to reevaluate him in 8-to-10 weeks after his surgery.
But that the Knicks are seeking a Disabled Player Exception for Robinson is telling that he’s unlikely to return this year.
The Knicks could, of course, trade for another center, but seem content to make do until at least the trade deadline when there are clearer sellers.
Much of that feeling is based on how much confidence they have in Sims, who will likely take over a bulk of the non-Hartenstein minutes once he returns.
“I think the more [Sims] plays, the better he’s going to play,” Thibodeau said. “I see him everyday. He’s improved a lot from a year ago.”
