The Knicks are gambling with their bench depth at one key position

The New York Knicks have a relatively depleted bench following the blockbuster Karl-Anthony Towns trade. While they were already going to be thin at the center position with Mitchell Robinson’s injury and Isaiah Hartenstein’s departure in free agency, they are now even thinner after trading away Julius Randle in the Towns deal.

The Knicks are banking on positive impacts from Precious Achiuwa and Jericho Sims

For the moment, the Knicks’ backup centers look to be Precious Achiuwa and Jericho Sims. Rookie big man Ariel Hukporti also could be a depth option after showcasing some versatility and athleticism in the preseason, though he is likely to begin the season out of the rotation.

That group is more than capable of producing solid minutes in a backup capacity, as evidenced by Achiuwa stepping in for Robinson during the playoffs last year off the bench and filling in for some of the injured starters during the regular season. Sims also has made 32 career starts and has shown the potential to be a force under the basket.

However, those two players are very hit-or-miss. Achiuwa, who is undersized as a center at 6-8, is not exactly a threat offensively thanks to his lackluster floor spacing and below-averaging finishing abilities. Sims serves as more of a lob threat offensively, though he still is developing a tough around the basket.

Achiuwa and Sims have boom-or-bust potential

Defensively, both players have shown the capability to defend multiple positions at a high level, which could be a benefit for the frontcourt in the second unit. Achiuwa demonstrated that he can hang with some of the game’s elite centers, such as when he recorded four blocks off the bench in Game 4 of the first round against the Philadelphia 76ers and held Joel Embiid to just one point in the fourth quarter.

The Knicks can trust those guys to be effective on the floor, but they also have boom-or-bust potential. Either head coach Tom Thibodeau gets the most out of the two and they outperform expectations, or they could falter in a second unit that has a lot of unknowns already.

The lack of general floor spacing could become a glaring issue, as the bench is filled with guards who do well in catch-and-shoot situations as opposed to individual shot creation. Miles McBride and Landry Shamet are not prototypical playmakers, and veteran Cameron Payne and rookie Tyler Kolek are competing for the main facilitating role off the bench.

Achiuwa and Sims’ play this season could have an impact on Mitchell Robinson’s future

It is worth noting that given Towns’ All-Star status as a player, it is unlikely that any of their backup centers will play more than 20 minutes per game on average. However, they will still need to be available and produce in a positive way, especially against teams that run two-center lineups.

There is still a lot to be desired from the Knicks’ two main backup centers, and they are taking a big risk by putting their full trust in Achiuwa and Sims to make a positive impact. Eventually, Robinson will return, but how the Knicks will utilize him remains unknown, and will remain that way for at least until 2025.

If Achiuwa and Sims perform at an unexpectedly high level, that could have an impact on Robinson’s future with the organization. The two players have an opportunity to establish a permanent role in the Knicks’ rotation, which could motivate them to play at a higher level. Ultimately, it remains to be seen if the team’s gamble on the bench is one that was worth taking.