3 Knicks on Thin Ice Heading Into the Playoffs
By Cem Yolbulan
Bojan Bogdanovic
When the Knicks traded for Bojan Bogdanovic at the trade deadline, they were hoping to add another sharpshooter and a secondary scorer for their bench units. The 34-year-old veteran made a name for himself in the league as an elite shooter while also having enough size and strength to hold up defensively and on the boards.
The move hasn't paid its dividends for the Knicks yet. The veteran forward hasn't earned the trust of coach Tom Thibodeau, only playing 19.2 minutes per game in 29 appearances so far. He has looked fine when he played but he is not the type of player Thibs generally prefers.
As we all know by now, Thibs likes players with more intensity and defensive chops. He may find Bogdanovic to be too big of a defensive liability. Therefore, there is a chance he will give even fewer minutes to him in the postseason.
Bogdanovic has a non-guaranteed $19 million deal for next season. The Knicks can't afford to guarantee that deal if Bogdanovic is going to be their eighth or ninth guy off the bench. Unless he shows more in the playoffs and earns the coaching staff's trust, he might be a goner in the offseason.
On FanDuel Sportsbook, the Knicks currently have the fourth-best odds (+1100) in the Eastern Conference to make the NBA Finals.
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