3 Knicks Who Need More Playing Time for a Championship Run
These Knicks have been integral pieces to New York's success this season and should play as many minutes as they can handle the rest of the way.
By Cem Yolbulan
The New York Knicks are currently in fourth place in the Eastern Conference with a 33-22 record. Despite losing fourth straight heading into the All-Star break, they have been one of the best stories in the NBA this season. Even though they have been dealing with injuries to key players, the Knicks have done an excellent job getting enough production from the rest of the roster to weather the storm.
With the final stretch of the season looming, New York has to maintain its level of play to secure home-court advantage in the East. With the amount of high-level talent and depth on the roster, the Knicks will be a dangerous postseason team. In order to reach their maximum potential, however, they need to rely on a couple of key players.
Coach Tom Thibodeau has never had an issue playing his players heavy minutes. So, he shouldn't mind giving the following three key pieces as many minutes as they can handle if the Knicks want to go all the way.
Donte DiVincenzo
The 27-year-old shooting guard is having the best season of his career. Averaging a career-best 13.6 points on a career-high 45.8% shooting from the field and 41.5% from three, DiVincenzo has become one of the best shooters on the team.
As the team was left short-handed in recent weeks, DiVincenzo stepped up into a larger role, as well. In the six games in February, the Villanova product is averaging 25.2 points and 3.8 assists in over 40 minutes per game.
He will likely not be able to sustain that amount of playing time, but DiVincenzo is only averaging 25 minutes per game for the season. Considering his two-way production and shooting ability, he should get as many minutes as he can handle. The spacing he provides is extremely helpful for a team that likes to get inside the paint and dominate the interior.