It’s one thing when media and fans criticize a team’s bench. It’s another when a former player shines a spotlight on that weakness after outplaying his old team.
Isaiah Hartenstein did just that.
The former Knicks big man added salt to the wound after his Oklahoma City Thunder erased a 14-point deficit to hand New York a 117-107 loss on Friday night.
It was a defeat that snapped a nine-game Knicks winning streak and began a two-game slide that exposed a glaring vulnerability: New York’s lack of quality depth.
When asked about the difference between Thunder coach Mark Daigneault’s rotations and Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau’s approach, Hartenstein didn’t mince words.
“We have a deeper team. [Mark] has the luxury of playing 10 guys,” he said after the victory. “[The Knicks] are different in that aspect. But [they’re] both great coaches. Both great basketball minds.”
The numbers back Hartenstein’s claim.
In the second of three consecutive games Miles McBride missed due to a hamstring injury, Oklahoma City outscored New York’s bench 44-5 on Friday, with Cameron Payne and Precious Achiuwa contributing the only points from the Knicks’ reserves.
Thunder expose Knicks’ glaring flaws in clash of NBA title contenders
The next night, Chicago’s bench outscored New York’s 31-17, bringing the Knicks’ two-game deficit to a staggering 75-23. Thibodeau gave the bench extended run, but the Bulls’ rotation stretched deeper, and their pace of play became a problem for a starting five on dead legs.
New York’s bench has not outscored an opponent’s reserves since the team’s Dec. 1 victory over the league-worst New Orleans Pelicans. Since then, opposing benches have outscored the Knicks’ reserves, 627-282.
This disparity predates McBride’s injury–his current injury absence is the only set of games he has missed during this stretch–and it persists despite the returns of Achiuwa and Landry Shamet, whose preseason injuries delayed their debuts, as their returns were expected to bolster the rotation.
Even during New York’s 19-4 stretch heading into Friday’s game, the Knicks masked this weakness with heavy reliance on their starting five.
Against elite teams like Cleveland, Oklahoma City, and Boston—the very obstacles the Knicks must overcome to achieve their championship aspirations—that approach might not suffice.
Running Out of Steam
The back-to-back losses showcased more than just the team’s lack of depth—it highlighted the domino effect of a short rotation.
When Thibodeau leans heavily on his starters, it leaves the team vulnerable to fatigue late in games.
The Thunder exploited this with a dominant fourth-quarter performance, outscoring the Knicks 38-17 behind relentless defensive pressure and an influx of fresh legs on their own second leg of a back-to-back.
A night later, the Bulls appeared equally spry, overwhelming the Knicks with a game-changing 41-17 third quarter.
To be fair, New York was on the second leg of a back-to-back following an emotional loss to the Thunder. Adding to their challenges, the Knicks endured a lengthier-than-usual halftime due to the Bulls’ decision to honor Derrick Rose with a retirement ceremony.
The NBA doesn’t care about fair, only wins and losses. The Knicks have padded their record with wins to start the season, but like other clear-cut title contenders, New York will be judged in how it performs against its peers.
Limited Flexibility
The Knicks’ roster as presently constructed is begging for more wing depth. The three-guard bench unit of Shamet, Payne, and McBride often cedes a size advantage. Achiuwa, a natural power forward, has been playing heavy minutes at backup center while Jericho Sims and Ariel Hukporti remain on the fringes of the rotation. Rookie Tyler Kolek is situational at best, and while his G-League performances are promising, he’s not yet trusted in high-leverage NBA minutes.
Even when McBride has been available, the Knicks bench consistently ranks last in the NBA in scoring, now averaging 19.8 points per game—10 fewer points than the 26th-ranked Boston Celtics second unit.
All the while, the Feb. 6 NBA Trade Deadline looms, and while the Knicks are poised to be active, their options are limited.
Mitchell Robinson’s recovery from ankle surgery might provide the boost they need—but it’s a risky gamble.
Robinson’s return would address several issues at once:
- His presence as a defensive anchor and rim protector would shore up New York’s interior defense.
- His size and rebounding would allow Achiuwa to return to his natural position at the four.
- He adds a legitimate lob threat that puts additional pressure on the rim, another method of generating offense for his teammates.
But Robinson’s injury history casts a shadow over his potential impact. He’s played in just 31 games in two of the past four seasons, and now recovering from his second surgery to repair a stress fracture in his left ankle, his absence has forced the Knicks to compensate for his strengths as a team, though it’s hard to replicate a seven-footer’s impact without another reliable big man outside of Towns and Achiuwa.
Jimmy Butler trade to Knicks shouldn’t be a discussion. Super-sizing should be
Navigating Trade Season
Complicating matters is Robinson’s contract. His $14.3 million salary makes him the team’s most tradable non-starter, but moving him creates another hole to fill for a team already in need of a reliable center.
Even if the Knicks wanted to move Robinson, finding a trade that improves the roster is easier said than done.
New York is hard-capped at the second apron and lacks sure-to-convey first-round draft picks to sweeten potential deals.
They are one of nine teams prohibited from taking back more salary than they send out in trades. Add to that another 15 teams hard-capped at the first apron, and the pool of viable trade partners shrinks significantly.
Then comes the largest obstacle: Robinson isn’t healthy yet. While Thibodeau expects him to return to practice this month, the dominant rebounder and rim protector is not yet running at full speed or taking contact.
And with his return imminent, the Knicks face a delicate balancing act.
If they overload Robinson with minutes too quickly upon his return, they risk re-injury. Just ask Achiuwa, who made his season debut on a tender hamstring because his team desperately needed him back in the lineup.
Conversely, if the Knicks don’t incorporate him into enough lineups before the trade deadline, they’ll miss the opportunity to fully assess his fit with the roster, leaving them guessing about his long-term viability as part of the team’s championship push.
Three-team trades, once a popular workaround, are now more challenging under the league’s revised collective bargaining agreement rules. Straight-up trades aren’t much easier, especially with salary-matching restrictions.
Take the Knicks’ reported interest in Charlotte’s big man Nick Richards, for example.
The logistics of salary matching alone make the deal nearly impossible without including Robinson. A McBride for Richards, which the Knicks are not interested in, does not work because Richards makes more than McBride, violating the salary-matching requirements.
The Knicks could theoretically offer Robinson and draft compensation for Richards and forward Cody Martin, but at what cost? Trading Robinson might mean giving up a defensive cornerstone just as he’s poised to return.
Conversely, there’s no guarantee Richards or Martin would fit seamlessly into the Knicks’ system. Achiuwa, who was on the verge of a breakout preseason before his injury, could eventually provide better value at $6 million than any incoming piece the Knicks can fetch.
Most importantly, Robinson could be more impactful than anyone’s wildest imagination.
Time Is Ticking
The Knicks don’t require an overhaul—they need the right finishing touches, the subtle adjustments that can elevate them from a top-five team to true contention for the top spot in basketball.
Maybe another in-season trade is just what the doctor ordered. The Derrick Rose deal revitalized the team. The trades for Josh Hart and OG Anunoby were pivotal. Even the acquisition of Bojan Bogdanović paid dividends—at least until his playoff injury last season dampened what could have been a deeper postseason run.
There’s another possibility. Perhaps the solution lies closer to home.
In Westchester, for example, T.J. Warren has been lighting up the G-League, averaging 25.1 points per game. Alongside him, 6-foot-7 forward Chuma Okeke has been effective, contributing 15.6 points per game on 37 percent shooting from beyond the arc.
The Knicks have an open roster spot but are backed into a corner financially. Hard-capped at $188.9 million, with $188.395 million already committed to payroll, they lack the flexibility to add another player without first waiving a player on a non-guaranteed deal.
A healthy Robinson could be the internal upgrade the Knicks are banking on, a key piece capable of addressing multiple needs in one stroke. However, moving his contract could bring in two potential contributors, adding extra depth and flexibility to a roster in pursuit of a championship.
With trade season officially opening on Jan. 15—when 90% of the league becomes eligible for deals—the Knicks face a pivotal moment. Every decision carries weight, and in a league where the line between contender and pretender is razor-thin, there’s little room for error.
At Madison Square Garden, where championship dreams feel closer than ever, the clock is ticking.
How the Knicks respond in the coming weeks could determine whether this season fulfills its promise or falls far short.