Questions Surround Knicks Center Depth

The New York Knicks are one of the best teams in the NBA, but they are far from a perfect product.

The Knicks are still looking to pick up the pieces after losing Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency to the Oklahoma City Thunder. They have Mitchell Robinson and Jericho Sims at the center position, but they represent an obvious weak spot for the Knicks.

Bleacher Report writer Grant Hughes raises questions about the Knicks depth at the center position.

“New York can get creative with Julius Randle at the 5 if it needs to, and if Thibodeau is willing to make some defensive concessions. OG Anunoby has the heft to tangle with opposing centers, but probably not on a full-time basis. His value against wings is also too high to waste him on big men,” Hughes writes. “If Robinson can hold up for a larger chunk of the season than he has lately, maybe this won’t be a problem. But if recent trends hold, New York will either have to sign someone else or spend a significant portion of the year as a small-ball outfit.”

The Knicks can operate as a small-ball team, but they could find themselves in trouble when playing teams that have an immense amount of size like the Milwaukee Bucks or Orlando Magic.

There aren’t very many options currently on the free agent market, otherwise this issue would have been figured out by now. However, when the season begins, the Knicks will have options open up via trade and that could get New York in a better situation going into the stretch run of the season.

If the Knicks can stay afloat however, they will be set up for success down the line, allowing themselves to improve other areas of need elsewhere on the roster.

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