Knicks Lineup Changes Bring Excitement

The New York Knicks have changed their lineup, earning praise from a TNT analyst.

Jeremy Brener | Oct 23, 2024

Oct 18, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) reacts on the bench during the fourth quarter against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images / Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

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New York Knicks

The New York Knicks lineup looked a little different in their 132-109 loss to the Boston Celtics at TD Garden.

Instead of Isaiah Hartenstein and Donte DiVincenzo, the team had Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges in their place. With those moves, the Knicks are now seen as championship contenders in the eyes of TNT analyst Kenny Smith.

"I think for the Knicks, it makes them contenders instead of playoff contenders. They become championship contenders. What KAT does, he puts everyone in their natural position. I thought they were a great team last year — but they were undersized," Smith said h/t Posting and Toasting.

Smith felt as if the Knicks were undersized before the trade with Hartenstein playing center. But now, the Knicks are capable of matching up with bigger centers in the league.

"Their best small forward was playing power forward," Smith said. "Their best two-guard was playing small forward. At times, Brunson had to move to the two guard. I just thought that they were undersized, whereas with KAT you’re not undersized anymore. Now you can compete with the teams that have natural position players. You become a contender.”

The Knicks may still come into trouble with teams that stack up their frontcourt, like the Milwaukee Bucks or Orlando Magic. OG Anunoby technically qualifies as their power forward, and he stands just 6-8. However, he can defend big men and often appears to be taller than his size.

Josh Hart is also someone who plays bigger than his frame, and having two defensive stalwarts on the floor should help the Knicks make up some of those size mismatches.

The Knicks and their new-look lineup will hope to shake off their tough opening night performance against the Celtics with their next game tomorrow against the Indiana Pacers.

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Published Oct 23, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.