Knicks Get Board Help From Backups

The New York Knicks took down the New Orleans Pelicans, 104-93, in a Saturday night road win. This is the second time New York has beaten New Orleans this season, as the Knicks have now won three straight games.

The Knicks were led by the scoring prowess of point guard Jalen Brunson, who put up an incredible 39 points on 13-of-19 shooting, also going 7-of-10 from three. He was undoubtedly the star on offense last night, with Karl-Anthony Towns putting up just 11 points on 3-of-10 shooting.

While Brunson takes the spotlight, there were two unsung heroes for the Knicks last night: forward Precious Achiuwa and center Jericho Sims. The two bigs combined for 15 rebounds, including nine offensive boards. They were huge in helping the Knicks on the glass off the bench, especially as center Mitchell Robinson continues to recover from ankle surgery.

There have been many questions surrounding New York’s center depth this season, as Robinson has remained out since last season’s playoffs. Since Achiuwa was out to start this season, Sims was the backup center before being moved out of the rotation. This has sparked trade rumors surrounding centers on the market to replace Robinson as his injury issues persist.

While Sims gained some trade interest himself, his eight-rebound performance was unexpected. The 6-foot-10 center did so in just 13 minutes of action, finishing with a box plus/minus of +17.

As for Achiuwa, he played just 12 minutes but grabbed seven boards of his own to go along with two points, an assist, and a block. What held his game back was the offense, as he shot 1-for-4 to end with two points and a box plus/minus of -13.

The offense wasn’t prominent from the two bigs, but it isn’t needed when Brunson has a performance like that. At the same time, though, it’s a bit concerning when the Knicks’ bench puts up a combined six points on 3-for-12 shooting.

As New York continues to navigate the season without Robinson, it’s relieving to see help come on the boards in the form of Achiuwa and Sims. It’s still up in the air whether or not the Knicks will target a center before the Feb. 6 trade deadline.

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