Tony Bradley’s cleanest night in a Knicks uniform came in a small sample, but it was enough to get him back in the conversation.
He went 5-for-5 Monday in New York’s 122-104 loss to Minnesota, scoring 10 points in seven minutes without missing a shot or turning the ball over. Every basket was set up for him, and every one came from close range. The Knicks are still trying to figure out what they have behind their starting center, and Bradley at least showed one usable skill: he can finish what others create.
His scoring line was simple. Two layups, two short hooks and a one-foot floater.
He didn’t attempt a three and never got to the foul line, which fits the role he seemed to play - stay near the rim, catch the pass, finish the play. For a bench group that needs easy offense, that matters.
Karl-Anthony Towns is set to rest Tuesday against Toronto, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post reported, and that should open center minutes for Bradley, Andre Drummond and Drew Eubanks. How Mike Brown sorts through that group is still up in the air.
Bradley’s case is straightforward: put him next to a guard who can get him the ball in scoring areas, and see whether he can keep that same efficiency over a longer stretch. The task doesn’t ask for much. Convert the looks that come your way, make the simple read if the defense cuts off the paint, and get back to do the defensive work.
That last part is where the debate still lives.
Drummond got the first crack off the bench Monday and posted three blocks and four rebounds in about 12 minutes. That’s a real argument for keeping him ahead in the pecking order.
Bradley, meanwhile, finished with no blocks and just two rebounds, including one on the offensive glass. Seven minutes is not nearly enough to declare a verdict on his defense, but the perfect shooting doesn’t settle anything on that end either.
And that’s the bigger point for the Knicks. Bradley can be a low-usage scoring piece without needing touches or spacing the floor, but the backup center spot still has to do more than clean up layups. New York also gave up 13 offensive rebounds Monday, which only sharpens the need for that role to hold up defensively.
So Tuesday isn’t about crowning Bradley after five makes. It’s a chance to see whether the finishing travels when the minutes are real, the assignment is clear, and the rest of the job counts just as much as the points.
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