The Knicks have had their best offseason this millennium. After an injury-riddled Knicks team took the Pacers to seven games in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals, Leon Rose and the front office added a variety of pieces to surround this core with extreme talent. Since the end of the NBA season, the Knicks have re-signed OG Anunoby and Precious Achiuwa, traded for Mikal Bridges and Keita-Bates Diop, and signed Cameron Payne and Chuma Okeke.
In the 2024 NBA draft, the Knicks nabbed Tyler Kolek, Kevin McCullar Jr., Pacome Dadiet, and Ariel Hukporti. Amongst all this drama and excitement in New York, some have forgotten last season’s heroics. Many of the Knicks’ key contributors started last season on the bench, and it’s time for fans to remember the impact that they had.
The New York Knicks Have The Best Bench in the NBA
Last Season’s Woes
The Knicks were considered to have one of the best benches in the 2022-23 season. The Immanuel Quickley-led bench was entrenched in the top three amongst various rankings including plus/minus. Now based on these preseason expectations, the numbers are a bit shocking.
The Knicks bench was one of the lowest-scoring units, scoring just 28.4 ppg with a true shooting percentage of 55 both bottom-10 marks. A big reason for this is the moves the Knicks made throughout the season. The Knicks lost Mitchell Robinson early on, which meant that they had to promote Isaiah Hartenstein to be the starter. They traded away Quickley and RJ Barrett, losing a key bench piece and a starter. Furthermore, they also lost OG Anunoby and Julius Randle to injury in mid-January, exposing their depth even further.
Due to all these injuries, the Knicks did not have the bench pieces because their original bench players had been thrust into the starting unit. Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo, two key bench pieces before the season started, started 41 and 63 games respectively. The Knicks did not have the luxury of relying on their bench, and the data backs it up. The bench played only 31.3% of all available minutes, the second-lowest mark in the league.
Knicks Bench Strengths this Season
The Knicks head into this season with a stronger bench than last year’s. DiVincenzo is coming off a career-best year in which he averaged 15.5 points on 40.1% from three. He was one of the best shooters in the league last season and has developed into a catch-and-shoot demon. Furthermore, last season was also the best defensive year of DiVincenzo’s career. Miles McBride also had the best shooting season of his career last year, and his impact will be increased this year due to the strength of players that surround him.
Hart was the best rebounding guard in the league last season, and he gave the Knicks another good guy on the boards in the second unit. Hart was one of the better defenders on the Knicks, and he had an estimated plus-minus of +0.8 (83rd percentile). Furthermore, his shooting performances in the playoffs indicate that he can be a threat from deep. Playing in the second unit will give him more opportunities to focus on that instead of having to do everything. They added a young distributor in Tyler Kolek through the draft and added Cam Payne on a one-year deal so that he provides some stability and leadership to the team.
League Overview
Despite their shooting woes, the Knicks still ranked 11th in net rating (bench minutes) last season. Very few teams above them improved their depth, and not many teams possess the firepower and talent that the Knicks have. The Boston Celtics and the OKC Thunder will be contenders for the best bench in the NBA, but they lack the it-factor off the bench. None of these teams have multiple guys that can get a bucket from anywhere on the floor, and the Knicks have two in DiVincenzo and McBride.
The Last Word on Knicks Bench Depth
The Knicks head into this season as one of the best teams in the league. For them to have championship aspirations, they will need contributions from their bench. Luckily, last season showed us that each and every guy can be depended on when needed. How good can they be? That’s a question only time can answer.
