Last season, the Knicks’ second unit was a bit of a riddle. The numbers were ugly enough on the surface - 28th in the league in points per game and 29th in minutes per game - and early returns from Guerschon Yabusele and Jordan Clarkson didn’t do much to ease concerns. But by the time the season was over, that same bench had climbed all the way to the third-best bench net rating in the league.
That’s the backdrop for the conversation heading into 2026-27: the Knicks are bringing back five of the six players who led them in reserve minutes, but the shape of the group has changed enough that expectations need to be grounded in reality.
The biggest issue right now sits at third-string center. New York carried four centers last season, largely because of the uncertainty around Robinson’s health.
Along with Karl-Anthony Towns, the roster included Hukporti and Trey Jemison III. The belief is that the Knicks will eventually add at least one more center, but as things stand, the depth chart is still alarmingly thin.
If Towns or newcomer Andre Drummond were to go down, the team would be in a rough spot.
Assuming that gets addressed before opening night, the bench still looks like a strength.
Alvarado gives New York the pass-first guard it didn’t really have at the start of last season. With a full training camp now under his belt, both his own comfort level and his chemistry with the rest of the group should be better, and that should raise the floor for everyone around him.
McBride and Shamet remain the kind of versatile perimeter pieces every coach wants in the second unit. They can shoot, defend, and keep the offense moving, which makes them easy fits next to almost anybody.
If an injury forces someone into the starting lineup, they’re the most obvious candidates to slide up. The concern, though, is durability: neither played more than 51 games last season, so missed time has to be part of the equation.
Clarkson’s return helps stabilize things. If he can keep leaning into the rebounding and ball pressure that defined his new approach, he should be a valuable third wing off the bench. That kind of depth matters over the course of a regular season.
Drummond, meanwhile, has the unenviable job of filling Robinson’s spot in the rotation. His finishing around the rim can be maddeningly poor, and that will absolutely have some nights where fans groan.
But the rebounding is elite, the defense is good enough, and the screening does the job. His ceiling is lower than Robinson’s, no question, but on a roster this deep, he doesn’t have to be perfect to be useful.
The swing factor is Diawara. If what he showed as a rookie is real, the bench’s ceiling changes fast. Even without Robinson, a better version of Diawara - one who can defend, shoot, and make plays - could push this unit into elite territory.
That kind of development would give New York four plus defenders in the second group. If Drummond ends up as the weakest defender among the reserves, that’s a pretty strong place to be. And if Alvarado can shoot better than he did down the stretch, the Knicks could also have four solid-to-strong three-point threats.
There are plenty of moving parts there, and a lot of it depends on things breaking the right way. If Diawara’s shot doesn’t come around and the Summer League struggles carry over, the whole bench picture changes. The spacing would suffer, the playmaking would thin out, and the burden on the defense would grow.
Still, the most realistic expectation is a good bench with a shot to be one of the league’s best. It probably won’t always be flashy.
It may not always be smooth. And without a true advantage creator, there will be nights when Robinson’s impact is clearly missed and the second unit takes a step back.
Even so, the Knicks have toughness, shooting, defense, rebounding, and the confidence that comes from winning a championship. Tyler Kolek and Clarkson are there too if the team needs a jolt, and both have already had some very big games for New York.
The ceiling is high enough to matter. The floor looks solid. And for a bench group that lost a key piece, that’s a pretty good place to start.
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For the Knicks, the part to watch is whether a veteran center in Los Angeles could eventually become available if the situation pushes the Clippers toward a buyout path. Nothing is close, and it is all still speculative, but New York has obvious reason to keep an eye on any frontcourt name that might shake loose from a troubled contender as the season develops. [Read more 🡒]
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Eubanks would give the Knicks another body in the middle and a chance to compete for the third center role, while Konchar offers the kind of defense and rebounding that can make a reserve useful even when the ball is not in his hands. The decision matters because the final roster spots often come down to fit as much as talent, and New York appears to be weighing whether it wants size, versatility or a little of both before the bench is set. [Read more 🡒]