NEW ORLEANS — It’s not quite what the Knicks had in mind when they put this bench together, but it doesn’t matter if it works.
With Guerschon Yabusele downgraded to DNP status and roaming the trade block — and Pacôme Dadiet, the franchise’s only first-round pick remaining on the roster, disappearing from Mike Brown’s famed roster — the Knicks are leaning on other youngsters to fill the gaps left by injuries.
Kevin McCullar Jr. was the last to get the call after Saturday’s win over the Hawks, when he logged 23 impactful minutes defending and chasing Trae Young (who continued his miserable season with just nine points).
McCullar, a second-round pick in 2024, served as Josh Hart’s stunt double — with a Hart-like statistical line that included 13 points, eight rebounds and a successful dive after a loose ball. It’s relevant moving forward because Hart will miss at least the next two games, including Monday in New Orleans, due to an ankle sprain.
McCullar earned more minutes than his projection as he made shots and piled on Atlanta’s guards.
Young, the former villain at MSG, went scoreless when defended by McCullar.
“[McCullar] was scheduled on my little minutes sheet to come in after 8 minutes of the first quarter. I wanted to throw it on Trae just to see what happens,” coach Mike Brown said. “Kev is a young, very good defender, has great feel on both ends of the floor, but especially on that side of the floor. I wanted to give him a chance. I threw it out there for a few minutes and it was fantastic. So he simply deserved more minutes. I didn’t leave him that many minutes, but he certainly earned those minutes as the game went on.”
If McCullar does indeed prove to be trustworthy, Brown’s circle of trust has grown to include:
- Miles McBride (who has missed the past eight games with an ankle sprain but could return Monday).
- Mitchell Robinson (arguably the best offensive rebounder in the NBA).
- Jordan Clarkson (has played as advertised, hot and cold).
- Tyler Kolek (improved defense giving him more playing time and opportunities to make plays).
- Mohamed Diawara (a rookie with an impressive wingspan and defensive ceiling who is slowly figuring out how not to screw up the offense).
- Landry Shamet (missed over a month due to a shoulder injury, but remains hopeful of a return next month).
- McCullar (a nice comeback story after his senior college season and fledgling NBA campaign were derailed by a knee injury)
“That’s what having a team is all about,” Brown said. “I have confidence in all our guys. McBride has been out for a while, Landry has been out, so we have to move on to the next guy.”
“Josh is out with the ankle now, so we have to move on to the next man. We just want guys to give us what they are capable of. We don’t want them to go outside their penalty area, we just want them to give us tough minutes when they are on the ground.”
Brown deserves credit for experimenting with different lineups and players, instilling confidence and key reps in the process. These things can matter in the long run.
The coach was hired with a mandate to expand the rotation and emphasize player development. He is performing, although the minutes of Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges in particular are higher than the goal.
For any Knicks fan who has followed the team since 2020, it would be a natural reaction to cite these developments as justification for replacing Tom Thibodeau. The lack of bench usage was one of the biggest knocks on the former Knicks coach.
However, it’s worth noting that only two of the seven players on the trusted list above – McBride and Kolek – were available to Thibodeau at this time last season.
Shamet, Robinson and McCullar were injured a year ago; Diawara and Clarkson are new to the selection.
So the staff is different – although not quite as expected after the summer – and they are slowly rewarding the coach’s trust. Brown’s system emphasizes movement, high motor skills and defensive intensity from the role players – which may help explain why Yabusele and Dadiet fail.
But the other youngsters will help the Knicks deal with injuries, play defense and keep the starter’s minutes manageable.
In doing so, Kolek, Clarkson and now McCullar have created their own highlights.
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