The Knicks won a title with a deep roster. The part nobody should ignore now is how crowded the backcourt has become behind Jalen Brunson.
Jordan Clarkson, Jose Alvarado, Miles McBride, Tyler Kolek, and Landry Shamet all need a place in the rotation, and none of them signed up to play four minutes every other night.
Mike Brown has a good problem only until the first few losses arrive. Then every DNP becomes a debate, every cold shooting night turns into a call for the other guy, and the group needs a clear order.
I would establish it early. The Knicks cannot split every spare minute five ways and expect anyone to find a rhythm by December.
Jordan Clarkson smiles during the championship parade. Credit: Brenden Willsch-Imagn Images via Reuters Connect
The Knicks need a guard hierarchy
Brunson is the easy part. The question is who handles the second unit, who closes when points are needed, and who is trusted when the opponent turns a game into a defensive scrap.
Clarkson brings scoring punch. Alvarado can wreck a possession with pressure. McBride has already proven he can help a winner. Kolek is still trying to earn the staff’s belief, while Shamet has a shooting case that never goes away.
Jordan Clarkson sits in the middle of the Knicks’ crowd
Clarkson’s role could decide how clean the whole thing looks. He has enough offense to demand real minutes, but he also has enough competition that he cannot coast on reputation.
The champion’s version of this story has everybody buying in. The messy version has good players waiting too long for chances they think they deserve. Brown needs the first version from day one.
