76ers Rival New York Knicks Make Notable Rotation Change

The New York Knicks might have a different rotation by the time they face the Philadelphia 76ers on Christmas Day.

Philadelphia 76ers’ Atlantic Division rivals, the New York Knicks, are doing all they can to climb back into the Eastern Conference’s playoff picture, where they were just two seasons ago.

After failing to make the playoffs last year and striking out on a blockbuster trade to land former Utah Jazz All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell, the Knicks’ current brass doesn’t have a lot of wiggle room for mistakes. 

As New York is off to an 11-13 start, they surely haven’t hit their stride yet this season. Notable changes are on the horizon in New York, and they will begin on Wednesday night as the Knicks reportedly made a key change to the rotation.

Knicks veteran Derrick Rose notified the NY media following a Tuesday practice session that Miles McBride is getting the nod over him for the time being.

Knicks veteran Cam Reddish is apparently in the same position, as head coach Tom Thibodeau revealed that the Norristown-born forward will take a backseat to Quentin Grimes for now. Thibodeau explained the sudden changes on Tuesday, according to Phillip Martinez of SNY.

“Rarely is anything ever permanent. When another opportunity comes, be ready. That’s all … right now they’re not in the rotation but be ready, you could be thrown into the rotation at any time. In the meantime be a great teammate, help us in practice. That’s what you do control. I think that’s an important part of being a team.”

Since joining the Knicks in 2020-2021, Derrick Rose has seen his playing time decrease more each season. Once averaging 27 minutes on the floor in 35 games, Rose has seen the court for just 14 minutes per game in 21 outings this season. 

As for Reddish, he averaged 22 minutes in 20 games this season. During that time, he put up eight points per game while hitting on 50 percent of his shots. With the Knicks not clicking as well as they had hoped so far this season, the team will temporarily try something different in hopes of creating a spark.

With a couple of weeks left between now and the Christmas Day matchup between the Sixers and the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, both teams could have a much different look compared to their first matchup, which took place on November 4. 

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.