New York Knicks: Should Kristaps Porzingis Come Off the Bench?

NBA analyst Charles Barkley made a suggestion after the New York Knicks’ 117-88 loss in the season opener. Should Kristaps Porzingis come off the bench?

Following the New York Knicks’ 117-88 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, many overreacted, some wrote it off as one game and others counted the roster flaws.

NBA analyst Charles Barkley took his assessment a step further. He underscored the Knicks’ bench as a fatal flaw and suggested forward Kristaps Porzingis come off the bench to help the second unit:

Charles Barkley is usually outstanding. But he suggested bringing Porzingis off the Knicks' bench--so out of touch. (He should play center.)
— Hunter Atkins (@HunterAtkins35) October 26, 2016

As a score-first penetrating point guard Derrick Rose coupled with the Knicks’ best player, Carmelo Anthony, will essentially take shots away from Porzingis. As a result, theoretically, the two veteran scoring options would stunt the second-year pro’s offensive progression when sharing extended time on the court.

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Let’s take a look at prominent players within the Knicks’ second unit.

Jennings brings instant offense and maintains ball movement, but he’s an inefficient shooter. In his eight-year career, he’s 39 percent from the field. The flashy point guard requires a higher shot volume to rack up points.

The Knicks bench produced 36 points on 12-33 shooting against the Cavaliers. Surprisingly, Justin Holiday logged 26 minutes—six more than starting 2-guard Courtney Lee who finished with zero points on five attempts.

Among the established veterans, Lance Thomas, who’s a mid-range scorer is the most efficient asset off the bench on the offensive end. He only averaged 8.2 points per game on 44 percent shooting during the previous season.

Once the subs come in, New York may lean on one of its rookie talents to boost the scoring output within the second unit. Despite playing in garbage time, Mindaugas Kuzminskas flashed the ability to charge the rim and shoot beyond the arc. He’s someone to watch going forward as a key reserve.

2 Biggest Flaws in Charles Barkley’s Solution

Without Porzingis in the starting lineup, the Knicks lose versatility on both ends of the court. Center Joakim Noah isn’t exactly up to speed on the defensive end, by his own admission via New York Daily News reporter Stefan Bondy, which hurts the Knicks’ interior defense. Porzingis provides rim protection; he blocked two shots on Tuesday.

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Here’s another problem with Barkley’s bright idea. Lee isn’t an aggressive scorer. He attempted five shots in Tuesday’s loss. In his career, he’s averaging eight shots per game. At best, Lee serves as a spot-up corner shooter, who can’t create his own shot. The Knicks absolutely need a third option within the starting lineup in case Anthony or Rose experience an off night.

Most Knicks fans depict Barkley as a Knick hater, but he does raise a real problem with the team’s depth.

However, it’s the first game of the season. As mentioned, Kuzminskas could provide the scoring versatility needed to uplift the bench. Rather than make any dramatic changes to the starting lineup, Hornacek must continue to assess the roster talent. Someone may potentially rise to the occasion to form a solid one-two punch with Jennings.

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