Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau expressed satisfaction with the front office’s work this offseason overall,

but he recognized that losing Isaiah Hartenstein puts a vacuum in his rotation.

He made this admission in an interview with Steve Aschburner of the NBA.

“Of course, the OG signing was very important to us.

 

Regarding the re-signing of OG Anunoby and the trade for Mikal Bridges, Thibodeau noted,

“And then adding Mikal was phenomenal. Getting Julius Randle back will also be very important.

Hartenstein is no longer with us; thus, we will need to replace him.

However, I believe we are versatile enough that we can occasionally

play smaller because OG can guard big men. Josh Hart and Julius can both guard large areas.

 

Thibodeau said that the Knicks will be able to vary up their defense regularly and force opponents

to settle for lower-percentage shots since guys like Anunoby and Bridges can guard a variety of spots.

The head coach of the Knicks spoke with Aschburner about a number of other subjects,

such as what makes Jordan Brunson unique, Dwyane Wade’s comeback from shoulder surgery,

and how he plans to replace Hartenstein’s output in the frontcourt.

 

Regarding how the defense will benefit with Bridges adding to Anunoby on the wing:

What makes it better for us is that we can give a primary ball handler

numerous looks because of their adaptability.

To begin with, we have been playing Donte (DiVincenzo) on those players.

After that, we can move on to Bridges, OG, and Hart.

We might alter our appearance frequently to see who is covering the ball handler.

I also like to employ OG and Hart off the ball since they are really disruptive.

For us, the defense’s adaptability will be crucial.

 

Regarding his optimism regarding Randle’s prospects for 2024–2025:

 

“I believe Julius has consistently adjusted to every obstacle he has encountered annually.

People seem to forget how good of a player he is.

The floor will be more open because we won’t have the same shooting as we do today,

and he had a tremendous season four years ago. His final month of basketball in January gave us a peek of it.

 

“People seem to forget that he finished the game with 25 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists.

He has achieved great success and played a significant role in New York’s victory the previous four years.

You have to make more compromises the more talented players you have.

Not only by Julius, but by all of them.

 

Regarding what he anticipates the frontcourt rotation to entail in the absence of Hartenstein to support starting guard Mitchell Robinson:

 

“It looks like we’ll have to decide by committee. Because of our versatility,

we’ll take a closer look at a few other options. Julius may be more visible at the five.

I believe he can perform that task for ten or fifteen minutes,

but I don’t want to do it for extended periods of time because it would wear me out.

Additionally, he would generate numerous (offensive) advantages.