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New York Knicks: 3 biggest questions before Atlanta Hawks series

By Chip Murphy

DALLAS, TEXAS - APRIL 16: Julius Randle #30 of the New York Knicks celebrates with RJ Barrett #9 of the New York Knicks as the Knicks take on the Dallas Mavericks in the fourth quarter at American Airlines Center on April 16, 2021 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
DALLAS, TEXAS - APRIL 16: Julius Randle #30 of the New York Knicks celebrates with RJ Barrett #9 of the New York Knicks as the Knicks take on the Dallas Mavericks in the fourth quarter at American Airlines Center on April 16, 2021 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /
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New York Knicks (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)
New York Knicks (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images) /

New York Knicks playoff question No. 2: What will the rotation look like?

Knicks fans almost never agree on anything. One thing we can agree on this season is that we don’t want to see Elfrid Payton in the playoff rotation. He’s playing his worst basketball of the season — which is saying something — at the worst possible time.

Payton rarely sees crunch time minutes lately but any minutes is too many at all against a high-powered offense like the Hawks. Atlanta will ignore Payton completely on offense and New York will be playing four on five on that end.

But Payton has been the starting point guard all season long on a team that managed to get the No. 4 seed in the playoffs. Most coaches wouldn’t change their starting lineup before game one of a playoff series.

There’s also the question of how much the young players will factor into the series. We know RJ Barrett will play a major role in the series, but he’s still just 20 years old. The only playoff team to count on a player around the same age as Barrett is the Memphis Grizzlies with Ja Morant, and they just played their way into the eighth seed. No one expects them to upset the Utah Jazz.

Immanuel Quickley has proven himself as a viable guard option, but he’s a rookie. The way Thibodeau handles Quickley’s minutes will be something that every fan will have their eyes on.

What about Frankie? Thibs showed that he trusts Frank Ntilikina’s defense as he brought him in at the end of games like a closer in the bottom of the ninth to finish off the other team’s offense. Frank has repeatedly shown he can lock down the most elite guards in the league before — including Trae Young. He deserves a shot here.

It’s safe to assume that Thibs won’t play more than nine guys in this series. I think the nine will be: Payton, Barrett, Bullock, Randle, Noel, Rose, Burks, Gibson, and Quickley. Before you go crazy on me, I’m not saying I want Elfrid Payton, just that I think we’ll be seeing him. At least at first.

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