The Knicks picked up a much-needed win on Monday night, but once again, Tom Thibodeau had to rely on his bench to do most of the heavy lifting.
Immanuel Quickley and Derrick Rose shined in New York's fourth-quarter comeback, continuing a trend of the team's second unit dominating the minutes in the second half and providing a spark that the starters have been sorely lacking all season.
It's a trend that the starters themselves can't ignore, or even argue, at this point.
"Everybody sees they've been helping," RJ Barrett said on Tuesday. "They've been playing better than the starting unit."
Barrett certainly isn't wrong in that assessment. Not only has the bench unit of Rose, Quickley, Alec Burks, Taj Gibson, and Obi Toppin been one of the most productive five-man groups in the league so far this season, the starting unit has been the worst, and, heading into Monday's game, held the worst defensive rating by any five-man squad in NBA history.
That was apparent when the starters promptly surrendered a 15-4 run to the Pacers to begin the second half on Monday, before the bench bailed them out once again. Evan Fournier didn't even play in the fourth quarter, the third game in a row the $78 million man was on the bench for the final period.
Based on the stark contrast, it's hard to argue the second unit getting first-unit minutes.
"Realistically, the guys we have coming off the bench could start," Barrett said. "This team could start on any NBA team. It's great to have those guys come in."
Of course, this game plan is hardly sustainable, as the Knicks have to get their starters going and avoid early deficits. As to what can help kickstart the group, Barrett says time and increased defensive effort will do the trick.
Until then, expect to see more of Rose, Quickley, Gibson, and Toppin on the floor in crunch time.
"We have three new starters because [Mitchell Robinson] was out most of the year," Barrett said. "So we really have three new starters in how many games, 13, 14? Whereas the bench, they've played together all last year. They have that chemistry, and we're trying to get ours.
"More importantly, it starts on the defensive end. When we do that, it gives everybody energy, it brings everybody into the game. If we just do that, we'll be fine."
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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