Knicks roster is hiding a rarely discussed player who could carve out an important role

Scott Davis

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Knicks roster is hiding a rarely discussed player who could carve out an important role image

When the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets officially completed the Mikal Bridges trade, Keita Bates-Diop's inclusion on the Knicks was not one of the highlights.

That's understandable. Bates-Diop is a 28-year-old tweener forward who has never averaged more than 9.7 points per game, shoots 33% from three for his career, and is a solid-but-not-elite defender who is now joining his sixth team in seven years.

And while Bates-Diop doesn't project to be part of the Knicks' rotation, there is a world in which he could carve out a new, interesting, potentially important role.

Keita Bates-Diop: Small-ball center?

The biggest weakness on the Knicks roster is their center rotation, which currently consists of the talented-but-oft-injured Mitchell Robinson, the slightly undersized and still-developing Precious Achiuwa, and the seldom-used Jericho Sims.

While the Knicks seemingly plan on addressing this issue, in the meantime, a common belief is that Tom Thibodeau will finally experiment more with small-ball lineups.

That likely means using Julius Randle and OG Anunoby as the de facto "big men" and surrounding them with the Knicks' slew of guards and wings. While Thibodeau typically a prefers a traditional rim protector on the floor, the Knicks could put out several long, strong wing defenders, and reap the benefit on offense with all of the shooting and ball-handling on the floor.

It's worth wondering if Bates-Diop could work his way onto the floor as a small-ball center option in these lineups.

While Bates-Diop has primarily played small and power forward in the NBA, he is nearly identical in size to Achiuwa. Achiuwa is listed at 6-foot-8, 243 lb, with a 7-foot-1 wingspan. Bates-Diop is listed at 6-foot-8, 229 lb, with a 7-foot-4 wingspan.

According to Basketball-Reference's position splits, Bates-Diop has occasionally played center, topping out at 4% of his minutes in 2021-22.

Now, it's worth noting that under three different coaches since 2021-22, Bates-Diop hasn't gotten more run at center — a sign that coaches may not have seen much potential there.

But one of Thibodeau's strengths as a coach is simplifying the game for big men. We've seen several centers have strong or career years under Thibodeau, be it Robinson, Achiuwa, Nerlens Noel, or Isaiah Hartenstein. Perhaps Bates-Diop can adapt to a new role with Thibodeau's coaching.

It's a look worth exploring for a few reasons.

1. If defensive versatility is the goal with a small-ball lineup, Bates-Diop offers that. While he has primarily defended wings, Bates-Diop can switch all five positions and hold his own. With relatively quick feet and a long wingspan, Bates-Diop is capable of sticking with ball-handlers on drives or defending post-ups.

If Bates-Diop was paired with Anunoby, it's easy to imagine their length making things tough for opponents near the rim, despite neither being a traditional big man.

According to NBA.com's defensive dashboard, opponents shot 57.7% from less than six feet last year when defended by Bates-Diop. Defensive field goal percentage can be noisy and misleading, but it does provide a glimpse of how effective certain players are at contesting shots. Players with similar defensive field goal percentages from less than six feet last year include Bismack Biyombo (57.6%), Dwight Powell (57.7%), Jakob Poeltl (58%), Bam Adebayo (58%), Anunoby (58%).

2. Bates-Diop is a better shooter than Achiuwa. While Achiuwa might be a more natural big man than Bates-Diop, he is a career 30.7% three-point shooter. He hasn't shot above 30% from three since 2021-22.

Bates-Diop isn't exactly a marksman from deep, but he could provide more spacing and the ability to attack a close-out and get to the basket.

3. Bates-Diop could also be an option in the event of an injury. Anunoby has played more than 60 games just once in the last four years; history suggests he'll miss time again this season. While Bates-Diop is not the defender Anunoby is, he could provide similar length in small-ball lineups if Anunoby gets injured this year. Bates-Diop could also provide injury insurance for Randle.

As things currently stand, the Knicks rotation is crowded and may not be able to fit another player. However, Thibodeau has made room in the rotation in the past for players who have earned it.

This isn't to say Bates-Diop should replace someone like Achiuwa — just that he could offer a different look.

On a roster full of long, versatile, two-way players, Bates-Diop is an interesting end-of-the-bench option who might be worth a look in a new role.

Scott Davis

Scott Davis Photo

Scott Davis covers the Knicks and Ravens on The Sporting News. He previously spent much of the last decade as a sports reporter for Business Insider, covering all sports, with a specific focus on the NBA and NFL. Follow him on Twitter/X @WScottDavis