The New York Knicks lead the NBA in minutes played by their starting five, a group assembled by team president Leon Rose over the past three years. Despite concerns about the underutilization of the team’s bench depth, the Knicks and coach Tom Thibodeau see the strong play of their starters as a strength. With an eight-game winning streak and a 12-2 record in December, the Knicks have a 23-10 overall record, positioning them as the fourth-best team in the NBA.
Boston, with a starting lineup including players like Kristaps Porzingis, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, and Jrue Holiday, has been limited by injuries, allowing the Knicks’ lineup led by Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Mikal Bridges to log a league-best 561 minutes together in 30 games. The team emphasizes a game plan focused on winning and relying on their various weapons to adjust and make necessary changes during games to secure victories.
Mikal Bridges, the league’s current iron man, leads the league in minutes played per game at 39.1, followed by Josh Hart in fifth place with 37.1 and OG Anunoby in 11th with 36.3. Despite the extensive playing time, the Knicks’ starters lead the league in offensive rating and rank third in net rating. They also exhibit a balanced scoring sheet, with all but Hart scoring at least 40 points in a game this season, a feat that has made them the first team in league history to do so before the start of January.
The Knicks’ starters have impressive individual performances as well, with each of the five players having a cumulative plus-minus rating over +200 for the season. This strong play contributes to the team’s success and highlights the impact of their starting unit. Despite the dominance of the Cavaliers, who boast six of the top 19 players in the league with similar plus-minus ratings, the Knicks maintain a competitive stance and focus on continuous improvement rather than becoming complacent with their current position in the standings.
