How the Knicks can get really scary with the return of injured big men

The New York Knicks are a shell of their final season. In particular, the Knicks have not yet developed a unified identity. A big part of the problem lies in defense and rebounding, areas in which they dominated in 2023-24.

But it’s not entirely the team’s fault. The Knicks play shorthanded, especially up front, where they only have one healthy big man with NBA experience: Karl-Anthony Towns.

How exactly do New York’s defense and rebounding fail? Well, they rank just 23rd in defensive rating (116.1 points per 100 possessions), compared to ninth place last season (112.4). And they rank just 25th in rebounds per game (41.8) and 21st in offensive rebounds per game (9.5). That’s after ranking fifth in total rebounds (45.1) and leading the league in offense last season (12.7).

But help is on the way as Precious Achiuwa is set to return any day and Mitchell Robinson’s return is in the not too distant future.

The speedy return of the precious Achiuwa

Achiuwa has developed in the right direction. He warmed up with the team before a few recent games. While that doesn’t mean much more than the ability to move around the court, it’s still encouraging because Achiuwa and Knicks management understands it’s giving fans and the media optimism about his status. No one wants to create unrealistic expectations, especially with the New York media, as this will inevitably lead to a barrage of questions.

What’s even more encouraging is that Tom Thibodeau revealed in the pregame media a few days ago that Achiuwa is “doing pretty much everything now.” So that means it shouldn’t be long before he’s used in the NBA.

Achiuwa represents an important blend of much-needed size, skill and athleticism. He averaged 7.2 rebounds in 49 games with the Knicks last season and should help this 25th-ranked rebounding unit.

New York’s bench is also currently 29th in offensive rating. Achiuwa is not an offensive giant, but he averaged 7.6 points in 24.2 minutes per game last season. The big man will likely play at least as many minutes per game as he did last season considering the Knicks’ depth. That could put him closer to the 11.3 points per 36 minutes he averaged last season.

Achiuwa has been ruled out for the December 1 game against the New Orleans Pelicans. However, it is listed as “everyday.”

Mitchell Robinson will make the Knicks even better

Robinson surprised everyone when he traveled with the Knicks to Phoenix for their most recent road game. Still, it’s unlikely he’ll return before 2025. But when he does, you should be on your guard.

Robinson will be a huge help on the defensive end – where the Knicks desperately need help. He has proven that he is more than capable of slowing down the best and most physical big men. For example, he defended Joel Embiid better than pretty much anyone in last season’s playoffs (including his former teammate Isaiah Hartenstein).

Robinson is still a defensive threat, at least since we last saw him. In the Knicks’ first-round game against the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2024 playoffs, he averaged 7.8 points and 1.4 blocks in 20 minutes per game. He also led the league in offensive rebounds per game (4.6 per game) in the 2023-24 season and averaged 8.5 or more rebounds per game over the past three seasons.

Upon his return, Robinson will bring a whole new dimension to Thibodeau, enabling unique lineups to replace and play alongside Karl-Anthony Towns. Additionally, the added depth will be a big help, expanding Thibodeau’s rotation to nine (including Achiuwa).

Other Knicks could help too

There are others in the Knicks organization who could also be helpful. Specifically TJ Warren and Landry Shamet. Both currently play for the Knicks’ G League affiliate team, the Westchester Knicks.

Warren is a 10-year veteran. He averaged 3.7 points and 2.0 rebounds in 11.4 minutes per game last season with the Minnesota Timberwolves, but he’s looked it up Great so far this season in the G League, averaging 25.9 points per game on 50/34/71 shooting.

Shamet is still recovering from a shoulder injury. He is a six-year veteran who averaged 7.1 points on 33.8% three-point shooting in 15.8 minutes per game last season with the Washington Wizards.

Shamet is a 6-foot-4 shooting guard and Warren is a 6-foot-8 small forward. They provide much-needed depth for a team that has little to no wing strength on its bench.

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The Knicks are in pretty good shape right now. While they’ve struggled with consistency, narrowly escaping with a one-point win against the injury-plagued Charlotte Hornets and losing to the weak Utah Jazz in the last week or so, the leadership is being patient with their injured players. Once everyone is healthy, their bench will support the league-leading starting unit. This is something fans have been salivating over all season, and it looks like it’s ready to take off with Achiuwa’s impending return.