After two close, but ultimately disappointing games that ended with [New York Knicks](https://www.postingandtoasting.com) being down 0-2 in the conference finals, the Knicks had some soul searching to do and questions to ask themselves.
It may seem a bit extra, but it wasn’t just the fact that they lost. It’s the fact that despite having home court advantage in both games, they lost game one in historic fashion, and looked even worse in game two. And in those two games the Knicks, maybe more so than any other series these playoffs, have had their weaknesses showcased.
Offensively, their lack of creativity, and inability to create advantages outside of Jalen Brunson has been on full display. And defensively, their lack of cohesion, and communication has lead to the Pacers picking the Knicks apart both from three, and in the paint, as they attack both Brunson, and Karl-Anthony Towns.
Now with their backs against the wall, there is a [report](https://www.postingandtoasting.com/2025/5/25/24436757/report-knicks-considering-starting-mitchell-robinson-over-josh-hart-in-game-3) talking about the Knicks "strongly considering" a starting lineup change. This is good news as the starting lineup has been struggling for quite some time now. The eye test suggests the season-long starters just don’t work together, and the net ratings of the collective five-man unit proves that that’s the case.
The bad news, however, is that the reported change may still not end up being what many had hoped for.
Instead of replacing wing Josh Hart with guard Deuce McBride, which many have wanted to see for months now, the rumors point toward the insertion of big man Mitchell Robinson in the five by taking Hart’s place. Again, it’s important to reiterate that this is still better than the starting lineup we’ve seen for the majority of the season; as many have quoted before, “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results” and this change ensures that Tom Thibodeau, and the Knicks by extension, will finally be less insane than they have been to date.
Robinson, who has been an incredibly dominant force over the playoffs, instantly changes the dynamic on both ends of the floor. While his offensive skillset is limited, defenders still have to play him closely given his size and ability to be a lob threat. It’s also important to note that he is the best screener on the team by a significant margin, and that should help free up Brunson a bit more, which in turn, should lead to better looks not just for Brunson, but for others as well.
With teams often opting to foul him when he catches the ball near the rim and sometimes unintentionally fouling him when trying to box him out, he’ll likely be able to draw just as many, if not more fouls than Hart. That should also help the Knicks get in the bonus earlier. And lastly, with Robinson you don’t lose any of the offensive rebounding skills that Hart provides, if not gaining some.
Defensively, Robinson provides Thibodeau and the Knicks with way more length and rim protection. He'd replace Hart, who has sadly been a negative defender for much of the season, and he'd also allow Towns to not have to be relied on as the safety valve on defense. With Robinson, the entire defense looks much better, not just because of his individual defensive abilities, but also because he’s better as a communicator on the rearguard, something Mikal Bridges has repeatedly brought up as a team-wide problem in need of a quick fix.
That being said, the pairing of Towns and Robinson doesn’t matchup greatly with the Pacers. We saw, in a small sample size, the Knicks get beat by the Pacers’ quick-read passing and movement leading to open shots. While the overall defense should be significantly better, it’s fair to question if their slow footedness can rotate, and recover fast enough to hold up against Indiana’s elite offense.
The alternative? Bringing Deuce into the starting equation.
If the Knicks were to turn to McBride instead of Robinson, they’d obviously lose the rebounding that both Robinson and Hart have provided. But what they’d get in return could give the Knicks the highest ceiling of any starting lineup. McBride is the best point-of-attack defender the Knicks have, which would help slow down Tyrese Haliburton, both as a scorer and passer. That, in turn, would slow down the Pacers offense as a whole.
That would also give both OG Anunoby and Bridges a bit less work to do defensively, and the hope is that the return on that investment would be a bit more offense from the duo.
McBride would also make life easier for Brunson in a different way. While the screening of Robinson gets taken out of the equation, this lineup allows the Knicks to fully lean into the five man out scheme that we all thought we’d see more of this year. It would bring more spacing for Brunson than he has seen all year, and it should lead to more threes taken and made.
Whichever bench player you prefer to start may come down to what you prioritize. Given Indian’s propensity to run a high paced offense, I, like many, lean McBride, even if it means less rim protection and worse screening. McBride being in the starting lineup should mean more threes for himself, and for the team (which the Knicks need) and better defense against threes (which the Knicks need even more desperately).
In any case, a starting lineup change of any sort is long overdue, so it’s hard to complain.