When New York Knicks starting center Mitchell Robinson fractured his hand, people questioned whether they could sustain their level of play without him. Thus far, the combination of Nerlens Noel and Taj Gibson has done a great job this NBA season.
New York is 3-2 without Robinson as Noel and Gibson have filled the void well with their defense and rebounding. However, there are legitimate concerns about how long those two can keep up their performance.
Noel has already battled knee soreness this season, missing five games. He has seen his minutes jump up to 28.3 as a starter after logging 17.5 off the bench. Gibson, a favorite of Tom Thibodeau, is 35-years old. How long can he handle extended rotation minutes?
The concerns are warranted. The Knicks are monitoring the situation. Could we see them add another big man to the picture? One player to keep an eye on is Andre Drummond of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
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Drummond’s tenure with the Cavaliers has come to an end. He is away from the team as they look for a new place for him to play via trade. If that doesn’t happen, he will be bought out. According to Marc Berman of the New York Post, the Knicks are analyzing how Drummond would fit with the team.
“According to an NBA source who has been in touch with the Knicks, the club has made no decisions, but are “analyzing” whether making a play for on-the-block Cavaliers center Andre Drummond makes sense from a chemistry and winning standpoint. The Knicks are the NBA’s lowest-scoring team.”
There is a lot that will go into this decision. The price it will take to land Drummond shouldn’t be much, as the Cavaliers are desperate to move him. New York has ample cap space that can be used to absorb Drummond’s contract. One of the ancillary pieces on the bench, such as Austin Rivers or Frank Ntilikina, along with a second-round pick, should be enough.
But, so the Knicks want to part ways with either of those players for someone like Drummond who could be a rental? Given his contract and playoff experience, Rivers should fetch a much better asset in a trade to a contending team. While Ntilikina hasn’t panned out with the Knicks, there are certainly teams that think they can unlock something within him in the NBA after seeing how well he does in international competition.
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The fit on the court could also be awkward for the Knicks. Drummond is a throwback center, a double-double machine with gaudy rebounding numbers. While he has improved some aspects of his game, adding another center to the mix that provides nothing in the way of spacing won’t help open up what is already an anemic offense at times.
Then there is the question of what happens once Robinson returns? Once he is up to speed conditioning-wise, he should assume the same role on the team given his impact and the growth he has made this season. What would then happen to Noel, who has been great defensively for New York this season no matter what his role is.
While it makes sense to explore every avenue, Drummond is a path the Knicks should not take. While Drummond would provide more scoring production than any center on the roster currently, it isn’t in a way that will help transform the offense.
If the Knicks are going to explore adding a big man to the mix, they should look into someone like DeMarcus Cousins. Cousins would bring a different dimension to the Knicks with his floor spacing. As a former Kentucky Wildcat, he should have no problems fitting in given how many former Wildcats are on the roster and coaching staff.
