Possibly it’s load administration. Possibly the Knicks are slightly extra nicked up than they’re letting on.
Or perhaps — simply perhaps — there’s some gamesmanship at play.
For one motive or one other, the Knicks dominated out starters OG Anunoby (proper thumb sprain) and Josh Hart (proper knee patellofemoral syndrome), plus backup middle Mitchell Robinson (left ankle, surgical procedure restoration) forward of Thursday’s matchup in opposition to the Detroit Pistons.
The choice got here forward of a back-to-back, with the Knicks internet hosting the Japanese Convention’s No. 1-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday. Groups usually sit starters for relaxation functions in a single leg of these grueling two-game swings.
However there’s additionally technique concerned — and this one might need been about greater than relaxation.
The Knicks entered Thursday sitting within the East’s No. 3 seed, whereas the Pistons had been all however locked into sixth. That makes a first-round playoff matchup between these two groups more and more possible — and makes Thursday night time a preview of what’s to return.
Which additionally makes it a possible entice: the sort of sport the place you tip your hand, present your units, or lean too far into your personnel preferences in opposition to a workforce you may even see in a seven-game sequence simply days later.
So it made excellent sense — for each preservation and misdirection — to take a seat Anunoby, Hart and Robinson in Detroit. And in Robinson’s case, it was a bonus.
The Pistons haven’t confronted the Knicks with their defensive anchor wholesome all season. New York entered the season sequence finale down 1-2 in opposition to Detroit — a stunning quantity till you understand Robinson didn’t make his return from offseason ankle surgical procedure till Feb. 28. Since that date, the Knicks have ranked top-10 league-wide in defensive effectivity.
Head coach Tom Thibodeau mentioned the implications of a playoff preview don’t change his strategy to a sport.
“It doesn’t change your approach or anything. You go through the finish line into the next game prepared like you would do for every game,” Thibodeau mentioned pregame at Little Caesars Enviornment on Thursday. “Don’t change something and perceive what goes into successful. Anytime somebody’s out, it’s a chance for another person to step in. Perceive what your job is, go in there and do your job.
“All you’re doing is thinking about everything you have to do to win the game. So [the playoffs] doesn’t change your approach. If you get wrapped up in other stuff, you’re skipping over steps — and that’s not what you should do.”
The Pistons, in the meantime, look extra playoff-ready than ever.
Their younger core, headlined by All-Star guard Cade Cunningham, has benefited from a veteran infusion, together with the additions of Tobias Harris, Malik Beasley, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Paul Reed.
“You have [the vets] that get the majority of the minutes,” Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff mentioned pregame. “Those are guys who are extremely dependable. You trust that they’re going to do the right thing… Whether it’s offensively or defensively, they just bring [leadership] to the game. That makes everybody else play better as well. They’ve all won games for us, and they’ve been dependable — which is the most important thing you can be for these young guys.”
Thibodeau, who confronted Bickerstaff’s groups throughout his time in Cleveland, had nothing however reward for the Pistons’ progress.
“I think J.B. has done a terrific job; I thought he did a terrific job in Cleveland,” mentioned Thibodeau. “I think they have a lot of young players, and they’ve gotten better, and that usually happens with experience. And I think they added really good veterans that have complimented their young players really well. So, they’ve been consistent from the start of the season throughout, and they’re strong on both sides of the ball.”
So name it relaxation. Name it precaution. Name it no matter you need.
But when Knicks-Pistons is really on deck for Spherical 1, you may as well name Thursday’s absences precisely what they had been: a wise play in an extended sport the Knicks are nonetheless scripting.
