New York Knicks Starting Lineup: Top 10 in NBA?

The New York Knicks have boasted one of the better starting fives in the NBA so far this season.

Jeremy Brener | Nov 23, 2023

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New York Knicks

The New York Knicks starting lineup hasn't changed at all from last year's 47-win endeavor.

Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle, and Mitchell Robinson have started all 14 games of the follow-up while Quentin Grimes and RJ Barrett have also started in the backcourt despite dealing with injuries. This opening five has been in place since about December, with Grimes taking over for the exiled Evan Fournier at shooting guard.

IBleacher Report's ranking of the starting lineups across the league named the Knicks' five the 10th-best in the league,

New York Knicks guard RJ Barrett defended by Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young. — New York Knicks guard RJ Barrett defended by Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young / USA TODAY SPORTS

"As for the plusses, there have been many," Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley writes. "Like, how about the simple fact this lineup sports a plus-13.4 net rating across 131 minutes? Or that its plus-6.7 mark over 526 minutes last season ups the odds of this early success continuing? Or that Brunson (3.2 threes on 47.9 percent shooting) and Barrett (2.7 on 49.0) have been two of the best quantity-plus-quality marksmen around? Or that better conditioning and fewer fouls have helped Robinson stay on the floor for a career-high 29.8 minutes?"

It hasn't been all roses and rainbows, though: both Randle and Grimes have struggled in the early portions of the season but the former at least appears to be getting back into a groove. The two-time All-Star has scored 20 or more points in each of his last eight games, recording a double-double in four.

The Knicks (8-6) are back in action on Friday night when the Miami Heat arrives for an In-Season Tournament clash (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG/ESPN).

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Published Nov 23, 2023

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.