NFL
Grading Rams' selection of TE Max Klare in 2nd round
Los Angeles Rams draft tight end Max Klare from Ohio State in the second round.
Yahoo Sports1 min read
NBAPreview
Knicks coach Mike Brown on starting lineup change: ‘Everything is on the table’
TL;DR
Knicks coach Mike Brown is considering changes to the starting lineup after falling to a 1-2 deficit against the Hawks. He stated that everything, including rotations and starters, is on the table for game-time decisions.
Key points
- Knicks coach Mike Brown is open to changing the starting lineup.
- The team is currently down 1-2 in the playoff series against the Hawks.
- Mikal Bridges may be the player moved to the bench if changes are made.
- Miles McBride has shown strong performance when substituted into the lineup.
KnicksHawksMike BrownMikal Bridges
ATLANTA — One day after the Knicks fell into a 1-2 hole in their first-round playoff series against the Hawks on Thursday, head coach Mike Brown didn’t rule out a change to the starting lineup.
“That’ll be a game-time decision,” Brown said on a Zoom conference call with reporters on Friday. “Like I said last night: at this point in the year, everything is on the table. What we do offensively, what we do defensively, what our rotations are, who starts, what we come out with. Everything is on the table.”
The Knicks’ starting lineup of Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns is virtually break-even with a net rating of plus-0.3 in 51 minutes on the floor through the first three games against the Hawks in the first round.
But they have outscored the Hawks by 71.7 points per 100 possessions in the 17 minutes Brown has turned to Miles McBride in place of Bridges with the starters. Brown has not played McBride in place of Hart with the starters in the playoffs, but through 86 regular-season minutes, the lineup — McBride with the non-Hart starters — were plus-0.2.
The trend suggests if there is a change, Bridges will be the one to move to the bench. The Knicks are plus-23.3 in the 55 minutes the five-pick wing spent on the bench and minus-8.5 in the 84 minutes he’s been on the floor in the first round.
No performance was remotely as brutal as his in Game 3: zero points, four turnovers, a complete non-factor riding the bench most of the second half.
Bridges, however, hasn’t come off the bench since his sophomore year with the Phoenix Suns.
“The reality is — any decision that I make, I try to think of all the pros and cons. And to back that up, the Charlotte game [the season finale], I knew he had that streak going on. I threw him out there for five seconds,” Brown said. “So everything that I do, I’ll take into consideration for everybody as best I can. And will I whiff sometimes? Yeah. Or will I forget sometimes? Yeah. Or will I say, I know this is going on, but I’m still going to do this or that? Yeah.
Q&A
What did Knicks coach Mike Brown say about the starting lineup?
Mike Brown mentioned that everything is on the table regarding the starting lineup and game strategy as they face the Hawks.
How has the Knicks' starting lineup performed against the Hawks?
The Knicks' starting lineup has a net rating of plus-0.3 in 51 minutes but has struggled, leading to considerations for changes.
Who is likely to be benched if the Knicks change their starting lineup?
If a change occurs, Mikal Bridges is the most likely candidate to move to the bench based on performance trends.
What impact has Miles McBride had when playing with the starters?
Miles McBride has significantly outperformed the starting lineup, with the team outscoring the Hawks by 71.7 points per 100 possessions during his minutes on the floor.
