The Knicks’ stronger play when rested highlights the need for depth

The New York Knicks they return to their ups and downs. After closing theirs first streak of three losses this season with an embarrassing 26-point loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Knicks came back to beat the Milwaukee Bucks by 34 points. A big part The Knicks’ inconsistencies have to do with a lack of depth and the resulting fatigue it creates.

The Knicks’ record shows they are better when rested

The Knicks have an incredibly talented starting lineup. But the team’s rotation — and subsequent success — is driven by more than starters. The bench also plays a role — and too few players means little rest for your most important contributors.

It is perfectly quantified by the team record with and without rest. New York is a whopping 24-12 with one or more days off, while they are just 2-3 with no rest, or the second night in a row.

It is interesting that the lack of rest does not result in lower offensive performance. The team is averaging more points per game without rest than with one or more days off, as are Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns.

The problem seems to be more of a defensive problem, or so it seems. New York allows just over 125 points per game when playing without rest, which is far more than the 108.8 points per game they surrender when playing on one or more days of rest.

The Knicks are better with a full bench

Generally speaking, the Knicks are better when they play a deeper bench. For example, they are 19-10 when Myles McBride plays, and are just 5-4 without him. McBride is a very good bench player, but he is far from an All-Star. However, McBride’s availability and the team’s success correlate less with his talent than having another authority.

The same goes for Precious Achiuva, Cam Paine and Landi Shamet. In the end, New York is 5-2 when all four are active and playing, which represents the important role that depth plays, allowing for more rest to start. Coach Tom Thibodeau needs to manage minutes better. For example, he only played Achiuva 9:38 and Shamet 4:01 in their last loss to the Detroit Pistons. So some of the problems are misuse of resources.

However, Thibodeau may not fully trust his bench, which is a coach’s right. Therefore, adding talented players could move the needle.

What type of players should the Knicks look to add?

Granted, the Knicks don’t need another All-Star caliber player. Their starters are more than qualified. But they need either an upgrade or an addition to their bench. While there isn’t much depth, they could try to add a more impact player by consolidating some talent.

A deal that brings back a legitimate bench player who could make a bigger impact could work for McBride, Achiuva, and possibly a second-round pick. Although it costs the Knicks two important players, some of what McBride does could possibly be replaced by Tyler Kolek. And as noted above, Achiuva’s minutes aren’t consistent enough to make a deal happen. Relying on an unproven rookie like Kolek is always a gamble, but the Knicks may need to explore such a move if they want to maximize results this season.

Alternatively, they could always try to trade Mitchell Robinson, something that has been discussed in the media recently. One such deal that was investigated involved trade Robinson for Jonas Valanciunas from the Washington Wizardswhich might cost the Knicks a bit more upside, but raises their floor by giving them a reliable, competent big man who can play right away.

The Knicks can always improve with their current lineup. Maybe Robinson can bounce back and return to pre-injury form. And maybe TJ Warren gets promoted to the Knicks from the team’s G-League affiliate and has an impact. But those are big ifs. And while the leadership has so far been largely patient, it has shown a willingness to act quickly when inspired to do so. So the 2025 trade deadline could be make or break for the Knicks, at least for this season.