So, like, the Knicks have been having a tough time with their starting lineup in the Eastern Conference finals. I mean, seriously, they’ve been straight-up struggling. The crew of Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, and Karl-Anthony Towns have been getting outscored like crazy. Like, in the playoffs, they’ve been outscored by 50 points in just 308 minutes. And that’s not even the worst part. They’ve been outscored by double digits in six out of 14 playoff games. Ouch.
And get this, in the Eastern Conference finals, they’ve been outscored by 29 points in just 43 minutes. With the Knicks down 0-2 to the Pacers and a trip to the NBA Finals on the line, it’s clear that something needed to change. So, Mitchell Robinson is gonna start over Josh Hart in Game 3. Robinson has been killing it this postseason, with the Knicks winning by 41 points in the minutes he’s played. In this series, they’re up by 6 in his 50 minutes on the court. So, like, maybe this switch-up will give the Knicks the boost they need to turn things around.
On paper, starting Robinson over Hart totally makes sense. I mean, the Knicks are dominating the glass in this series, and Robinson is their best rebounder. Plus, Robinson isn’t really conditioned to play a ton of minutes right now, so starting him could help spread out his playing time more evenly. And having Robinson on the floor at the start of each quarter could make it harder for the Pacers to foul him intentionally. Also, this move opens up some cool defensive matchup possibilities for the Knicks. So, like, maybe this change is exactly what the Knicks need to get back in the game and secure that trip to the NBA Finals.
