Knicks head coach Mike Brown says trimming his rotation has helped steady the team after a rocky start.
After an 0–3 road trip, Brown tightened his lineup to nine players — and the result has been back-to-back wins at Madison Square Garden.
“The last two nights were the best I’ve done for them in terms of rotations. They kinda sorta knew when they were coming out or going in, who was going to play together,” Brown said after Monday’s 119–102 victory over the Washington Wizards. “And so it’s a process of trying to get more familiar with what we’re trying to do on both ends of the floor, also with the rotation patterns that we’re using.”
Brown said at the start of training camp he planned to play a nine-and-a-half to 10-man rotation in his first season in New York. But over the last two games — both wins — he’s gone with a firm nine.
Against Chicago on Sunday, Brown deployed all five starters plus four bench players: Josh Hart, Landry Shamet, Miles McBride and Jordan Clarkson. On Monday, with Mitchell Robinson sitting as part of his left ankle load management plan, Brown again used nine players — starting Shamet in Robinson’s place and bumping forward Guerschon Yabusele up into the second unit.
“Mike’s new. We’re all getting accustomed and acclimated to everybody. You’ve definitely gotta feel it out a little bit, and the great thing about Mike is he always has an open door,” Hart said. “If you don’t understand something or don’t understand what’s going on, you can go and talk to him. So obviously this is a process. Everyone wants it built now but it won’t be. And we’re learning, including him.”
The rotation consistency appears to be paying off, though Robinson could miss time at any moment should the team deem it necessary to manage his surgically-repaired left ankle. Returning second-year players Tyler Kolek and Pacome Dadiet have been moved outside of the rotation, and Ariel Hukporti played sparingly on Monday even with Robinson on the shelf.
Clarkson, who largely struggled to find a rhythm through the first handful of games, has scored 15 points in each of the Knicks’ last two.
“I think it’s definitely something that helps the guys but guys being in and out the lineup,” Clarkson said. “Mitch and Josh being in and out, so those minutes being played here and there. We got so many combinations. We’re just trying to get comfortably playing with each other, finding our spots and doing what we do defensively, but I think we’re all buying in and trying to figure this thing out.”
Hart combined for 26 points, 19 rebounds and eight assists across the Sunday-Monday back-to-back.
“I don’t wanna sound like a long winded broken record, but as the season goes along, everybody’s gonna get more comfortable,” said Brown. “They’re gonna be able to find their spots.”
The Knicks improved to 4–3 with the win and will look to extend their momentum when they host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday. Karl-Anthony Towns erupted for a game-high 33 points but cautioned the team still has work to do to with everyone learning their roles on a nightly basis.
“Really, we’re all figuring it out. Getting better every day, understanding what our roles are and what we’ve got to do,” said Towns. “It’s good, we’ve got two wins in a row but we’re obviously still a work in progress.”
