David Fizdale is dreaming of super-sized Knicks lineup

As David Fizdale attempts to bring the New York Knicks back to relevance, he’s dreamt up a unique lineup combination.

The NBA is generally going smaller and position-less, with at least four of the five guys on the floor at any time for most teams a threat to shoot and make three-pointers. As he goes through his first offseason and approaches his first season as head coach of the New York Knicks, David Fizdale will have to work with the pieces he has ahead of a likely big free agent splash in the summer of 2019.

To that end, via Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic, Fizdale has laid out a unique lineup combination that would go against the current league template. He spoke to the ability to use Kristaps Porzingis at different positions, and one most specifically as he envisions it in a hypothetical lineup:

"I might play [Porzingis] at what you call a small forward and go him, Luke [Kornet], Mitch [Mitchell Robinson] and put a whole bunch of wingspan with Kevin [Knox] at two. And see how teams deal with that at the rim and with our length. I can’t lock [Porzingis] into nothing. I see a lot of places I can use him to be dynamic for us."

Fizdale said he can’t lock Porzingis into anything. That also includes availability, unfortunately, as Porzingis works his way back from a torn left ACL. The rest of the frontcourt in this big lineup would be Luke Kornet, a 2017 undrafted free agent who spent most of his rookie season in the G-League (20 games for the Knicks) and Mitchell Robinson, a rookie second-round pick who did not play college basketball last year.

The backcourt in Fizdale’s super-sized lineup would be 2018 No. 9 overall pick Kevin Knox and 2017 eighth overall pick Frank Ntilikina. That group of five guys would present enviable size and length, but beyond Porzingis (assuming full health) it is far more promise than proven production right now.

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Here’s a look at the measurements and wingspan for each guy in Fizdale’s big lineup.

SF-Porzingis: Height: 7-foot-3, Wingspan: 7-foot-6
PF-Kornet: Height: 7-foot-1, Wingspan: 7-foot-2
C-Robinson: Height: 7-feet, Wingspan: 7-foot-5
SG-Knox: Height: 6-foot-9, Wingspan: 7-feet
PG-Ntikilina: Height: 6-foot-5, Wingspan: 7-feet

Porzingis made 39.5 percent of his three-pointers before being injured last season, and Knox made just over 34 percent on 4.5 attempts per game from beyond the arc at Kentucky last year. Kornet, in a small sample, converted at just over 35 percent from beyond the arc for the Knicks last season. So these five might not be a disaster offensively, once Porzingis is healthy and able to participate.

Fizdale will have to think outside the box to get the most out of his Knicks’ team in 2018-19. But five guys with seven-foot wingspans and plenty of question marks in one lineup, however briefly it might be used, looks like step too far as an exhibition of creativity.