The New York Knicks’ opening night against the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday was a disaster for the frontcourt. Karl-Anthony Towns picked up his second foul almost immediately. This forced Mike Brown to turn to his bench way too early. The lack of reliable big men became the story of the night.
The situation felt desperate. When Towns went to the bench, Andre Drummond made his debut in Knicks orange and blue. He showed some flashes of greatness. But the depth wasn’t there to sustain it. Brown later said he likely ran the center for too long, which led to a worse performance in the second half.
The Cost of Losing Frontcourt Talent
The roster looks thin because the team lost too much size this summer. The Knicks lost Mitchell Robinson to the Boston Celtics during their first free agency period as reigning champions. They also lost Ariel Hukporti to the 76ers after Philadelphia offered him enough money to leave. Now, the only other real option at center is James Wiseman. That is a scary thought for a team trying to repeat.
Low NBA interest led Wiseman to plan playing in Europe at the start of the offseason. While Brown said during training camp that his big-man candidates were ready contributors rather than “projects,” you can’t just throw a guy like Wiseman at Joel Embiid in a season opener. The talent gap is too wide.
Offensive Struggles and Foul Trouble
The starting lineup was simply bad on Tuesday. Sports Illustrated reported that the starters scored only 15 points on 26 possessions. That is a 57.7 offensive rating. It was the worst performance since the start of last season.
Foul trouble killed the rhythm. Together, the starters played only 12 minutes and five seconds. Both the first quarter and the second half saw early hooks because of Towns’ fouls. Towns is a great player, but he has led the NBA in offensive fouls for three straight years. He needs to stay out of the paint, but he couldn’t do it Tuesday night.
A Desperate Need for Upgrades
The front office cannot sit idle. If the team cannot find more support for Towns and Drummond, Leon Rose has to move. The current depth isn’t enough to compete with the elite bigs in this division. The Knicks’ starters were outscored by 10 points during their limited time on the floor together.
