Nuggets vs Knicks - Highlights | Feb 10, 2017 | 2016-17 NBA Season
Channel: Ammar Mohamed
Date: 2017-02-12

Nuggets vs Knicks - Highlights | Feb 10, 2017 | 2016-17 NBA Season
New York Knicks head coach Jeff Hornacek started point guards Brandon Jennings and Derrick Rose together in the backcourt against the Denver Nuggets. Here’s why the all-point-guard backcourt is a bad idea.

Lost in the New York Knicks’ daily determination to redefine rock bottom as a sports franchise, Jeff Hornacek is continuing to search for answers on the court. In the Knicks’ latest crushing defeat at the hands of the Denver Nuggets, Hornacek started point guards Derrick Rose and Brandon Jennings together in the backcourt.

Going back to his days as head coach of the Phoenix Suns, Hornacek has never been afraid to tinker and experiment with rotations. He’s long been a fan of small-ball dual point guard lineups. In Phoenix, he played combinations of Goran Dragic, Eric Bledsoe and Isaiah Thomas together.
This frontcourt configuration is a popular one. It maximizes the offensive ability of both Anthony and Porzingis. Former Knicks head coach Mike D’Antoni implored Anthony to play more power forward to leverage his potent combination of size and skill in a small-ball style of play.

For Porzingis, many see his most effective long term position in the league as center. Again, his combination of size and shooting ability are potentially devastating offensively. Having him as the primary big man on the court maximizes the space his shooting ability creates for his teammates.

The small-ball lineup would supercharge the offense. Whilst you definitely sacrifice defense with lost rim protection and rebounding, the Knicks’ defense has been so terrible with a traditional frontcourt that the theoretical sacrifice would be worth the risk.

The combination of Rose and Jennings is harder to justify—especially so when used in conjunction with the smaller frontline of Anthony and Porzingis.