A few notes as we get closer to the start of Knicks training camp:
MORE MINUTES FOR QUICKLEY?
It’s mid-September, so that means it’s a fun time to project rotations and minutes for Knicks players in the coming season. Tom Thibodeau and the coaching staff have plenty of decisions to make when it comes to roles and minutes this season.
Will young players (Cam Reddish, Quentin Grimes) play ahead of veterans (Derrick Rose, Evan Fournier)?
Will the Knicks try to balance minutes of veterans and young players? Or will they lean toward veterans, as they did in the first half of 2021-22?
Most of those questions are unanswered at the moment, but there is an expectation that Immanuel Quickley will get an increased role early on in 2022-23, per people familiar with the matter. Quickley averaged 27.5 minutes per game after the All-Star break. He had several strong outings as a playmaker in that time frame and several solid shooting stretches.
So it makes sense for New York to give Quickley an expanded role early on in 2022-23.
Will other young players (Reddish, Obi Toppin, Grimes, Miles McBride) get more minutes early in the year?
Based on the events of last season and this offseason, it’s fair to assume that Grimes will have a bigger role. What about Toppin? To get more minutes for Toppin, the Knicks would probably have to reduce Julius Randle’s minutes or play Toppin and Randle together, thereby keeping Mitchell Robinson and Isaiah Hartenstein on the bench.
WHAT ABOUT CAM?
Reddish’s role certainly bears watching.
The Knicks acquired Reddish in a January trade. He was mostly out of the Knick rotation until injuries opened an opportunity for him. Reddish then suffered a season-ending shoulder injury.
His rehab has gone well and people who have seen him in offseason workouts say the 23-year-old has looked phenomenal over the summer/early fall.
Will Reddish have a chance to crack Thibodeau’s rotation?
Historically, Thibodeau has shown an appreciation for players who enter training camp in peak condition. So it’s fair to assume that players who are in great shape at the start of camp will have an early advantage in the competition for minutes/rotation spots.
Thibodeau has said in the past that he views the start of every season as a clean slate. He’s said that players have the opportunity to earn – or lose – minutes based on their performance in training camp/preseason.
So Reddish will, presumably, have the chance to earn minutes with a strong showing in training camp and the preseason.
EMBRACE THE YOUTH?
One other note regarding New York: I don’t know if the Knicks are planning to fully pivot toward playing younger players at the expense of winning games. But a couple teams in touch with people from the organization recently say the club isn’t fully focused on that type of pivot at the moment.
New York has 16 players under contract and two open spots on the 15-man roster right now. Clubs can carry up to 20 players under contract in training camp.