Do the Knicks have enough frontcourt depth for title defense? 3 reasons for optimism

New York brought back most of its championship roster, but lost backup center Mitchell Robinson. It’s a loss for Knicks fans not just because Robinson is an excellent rotation big, but because he was the longest-tenured member of the team. To leave after a title for the rival Celtics just stings.

But I’m weirdly intrigued by the possibility that New York’s frontcourt could end up being even better this year. Here are three reasons why:

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As great as Robinson is as a rebounder, Drummond gives the Knicks another elite option on the glass. And offensively, he’s a different type of player. He doesn’t finish above the rim like Robinson can. But Drummond is a quicker decision-maker as a passer, a far superior free-throw shooter at over 60% in consecutive years, and he has even started to shoot spot-up 3-pointers. Drummond made 32 of his 90 shots from 3 last season, which is an incredible development for a player who was once one of the most hackable players in the league, much like Robinson is today.

(Joseph Raines/Yahoo Sports Illustration)

Nobody is confusing Drummond with Karl-Anthony Towns, but these skills give Knicks head coach Mike Brown some extra options with his backup units. Drummond can screen and roll, spot up in the corner or run handoffs. Robinson was more of a run-and-dunk player.

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Obviously, Robinson is a way better defender than Drummond. Mitch offered rim protection and he could step out onto the perimeter, like he did late in Game 2 of the NBA Finals to contest a potential game-winner by Victor Wembanyama. But it’s not like he was a 30-minute-per-game player. Robinson averaged 13.9 minutes during the playoffs, down from 19.6 minutes during the season. Injury concerns and the challenge of dealing with a player who can’t make free throws limited how much Brown could use him.

Drummond won’t need to play big minutes either.

2. Brown should continue experimenting

Playing through Towns helped the Knicks win a ring. But Brown also leaned on unusual combinations, like in Game 4 of the Finals when he rode Jalen Brunson and Jose Alvarado together during the greatest comeback in Finals…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/article/do-the-knicks-have-enough-frontcourt-depth-for-title-defense-3-reasons-for-optimism-154347419.html

Author : Kevin O'Connor

Publish date : 2026-09-27 15:43:00

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