Writer’s note: This article was written directly after the New York Knicks’ Tuesday night away game against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Owning a 5-5 record up to this point, despite a moderately difficult schedule, the New York Knicks have played solid basketball so far. Considering that the roster is completely different from last year, with the departure of Donte DiVincenzo and Julius Randle, it will take some time for this squad to mesh. While the Knicks are the current winners of the Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns trades, a lingering question exists with the backup center. With Mitchell Robinson and Precious Achiuwa, not a traditional five, nursing injuries, Tom Thibodeau has exclusively relied upon Jericho Sims to fill the void. While Sims had his best performance against Philadelphia, it hasn’t been pretty, and third-string center Ariel Hukporti has yet to log significant minutes. Sims’ performance does not justify relegating his role to oblivion, but at least splitting time between the two big men makes the most sense, as Hukporti is the better center.
When scouting out the perfect backup five, it is hard to imagine anyone significantly different from Hukporti. The 22-year-old originally played overseas in Australia and Germany. During his time there, he demonstrated a deep offensive bag. Hukporti is a monster in the paint, showing the ability to score from mostly anywhere. His physicality allows him to be dominant and, while his NBL stats aren’t out of this world, they fail to capture the player he can be. This doesn’t even mention Hukporti’s performance in the summer league, where he performed well in the limited time he had. The big man also demonstrated that his offensive game should translate to the NBA and that he is a great rim runner—despite facing stiffer defensive competition.
On the other hand, Sims did not play that well. While he did well against the 76ers, the former Texas Longhorn has been prone to defensive breakdowns at the rim. He fouls at a high rate, despite averaging only 13 minutes a night and not doing much offensively. Sims was also torched in the rebounding against the Houston Rockets, and this was a major factor that led to New York losing 109-97. The Minnesota native has also been on arguably the best team for developing big men, and yet he hasn’t emerged outside of a platoon role for the past four years. Outside of Sims’s game against the 76ers, he appears to be the same player. To his credit, Sims hasn’t gotten much playing time, which makes it hard to build confidence. However, if he were balling out in practice, his shot would have come by now—and not just because of injuries.
Hukporti is also a rookie in the association whose only direction is up. However, it hurts him to be on the Knicks, as Thibodeau is known for not playing rookies much. We are only 10 games in, and Towns, Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart and Jalen Brunson are all averaging around 34 minutes a night. The head coach’s strategy of playing starters for nearly the entire game is embedded in his DNA, though you must question it, as it’s a long season. Not to mention, developing a player like Hukporti is invaluable, as he can be a great backup in the interior. This is also crucial because, when Robinson does return, Robinson will have to come off the bench and work his way back up for his health.
The time to make this move is now. While giving Sims minutes is still possible, running Towns for 40 minutes a night isn’t the wisest move. It is also significant that the Knicks’ schedule gets significantly easier. When this article is published, New York will play the Brooklyn Nets for a pair of games, the struggling Washington Wizards, the Utah Jazz and the Charlotte Hornets this month, which are all below-average teams. While there will be all-out wars for games against the Suns and Nuggets, these are the contests you can lean on your veterans for, though this isn’t the most sustainable strategy for 82 plus games. Playing Hukporti is necessary for his development and seeing his potential against elite competition. This also gives Towns a rest and creates a position battle between him and Sims, which will provide these athletes with a sense of urgency and insight into how the pair respond to high-pressure environments.
This isn’t a move that Thibodeau must live or die by, but it is a move that should be tested—at least for the short term. He needs to give Hukporti his shot, as the potential benefits significantly outweigh the costs. With so many teams making the playoffs now, the regular season is devalued to allow for short-term experiments, as there are major questions about Sims’s play.