The New York Knicks enter Game 3 on Sunday night against the Indiana Pacers with a sense of desperation. The Knicks are down 0-2 in the Eastern Conference finals after losing both games at home, which makes Sunday's contest a must-win situation for them.
In this light, Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau decided to make a bold move ahead of Game 3. This comes in the form of Mitchell Robinson, who will start his first game in the postseason on Sunday after averaging 19.5 minutes off the bench throughout the playoffs thus far.
The Knicks are looking to find a solution to their defensive struggles against the Pacers, and Robinson, with his length and rebounding prowess, has been called upon to answer the bell.
NBA on TNT's Charles Barkley chimed in on the big decision ahead of tip-off, and the Hall of Fame big man made it abundantly clear that he does not agree with Thibodeau's call.
"I have no idea what that would do," Barkley said. "They might be better rebounding, but I don't like the change because they've only run one play. They run the pick and roll, and it's just a mismatch right there.
New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (23).
New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (23).
© Eric Canha-Imagn Images
"I just don't understand putting Mitchell and [Karl-Anthony Towns] out there together, what that would do. It'd make them slower. ... They'd be worse defensively.
"... I mean, I just don't understand what you're trying to prove with the substitution."
It's Josh Hart who has been displaced from the starting lineup with this move. The 6-foot-4 forward has been big for the Knicks in the first two rounds of the playoffs, but he struggled in Games 1 and 2 against Indiana.
Hart has now been relegated to a reserve role where he will hope to serve as a spark coming off the bench.
To be fair to Thibodeau, he just had to do something to shake things up for the Knicks in Game 3. However, whether the decision to insert Mitchell into the starting five is the right move remains to be seen.