The Whiteboard: Does Julius Randle present an in-house solution to the Knicks center problems?

The New York Knicks are on the shortlist of Eastern Conference contenders heading into the 2024-25 NBA campaign. Nonetheless, the lone glaring hole in their rotation became more apparent in light of the news surrounding seven-footer Mitchell Robinson -- lacking center depth.

Robinson re-aggravated the left ankle injury that limited him to 31 games last season in New York's first-round playoff battle against the Philadelphia 76ers. He underwent two surgeries because of the issue, the second in mid-May, which will reportedly sideline him until December or January, per SNY's Ian Begley.

Last season, the solution to Robinson's extended absence was easy: Isaiah Hartenstein stepped in and did an incredible job. The latter was so remarkable that he landed a three-year, $87 million contract from the Oklahoma City Thunder in free agency this summer.

Since then, the Knicks have failed to replace Hartenstein adequately. They exercised 2021 second-round pick Jericho Sims' club option for the upcoming season. Moreover, New York re-signed Precious Achiuwa, who's primarily a power forward but can operate as the five in small doses. But can you feel confident about that duo?

It may not be a much better option, though there's another alternative the Knicks can try to avoid leaning heavily on Sims/Achiuwa. While it's not something head coach Tom Thibodeau has shown much interest in doing, they can use All-Star big man Julius Randle at center. Desperate times call for desperate measures. And with New York's title hopes in the balance, the team must get creative.

Mitchell Robinson's extended absence should yield more lineups with Julius Randle at center for Knicks

Thibs has ostensibly warmed up to the idea of Randle at the five, albeit not for "long stretches." That alone is a massive development and suggests he knows the Knicks will have to take an outside-the-box approach sans Robinson.

Of course, it'd be a situational tactic. You can't expect Randle to match up with true centers like Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic (no one can). However, the Knicks have a trick up their sleeves on nights when there's no opposing dominant interior presence on the court.

Randle isn't the most efficient three-point shooter, posting a 33.3 percent clip from beyond the arc for his career. Regardless, the mere threat of him from long distance allows the Knicks to spread the floor and play a five-out brand of offense. The two-time All-NBA veteran has attempted at least 5.3 triples per game since 2020-21, forcing defenses to respect him from that range.

If you're going to pull someone away from their natural position to take on more center minutes, why not Randle instead of Achiuwa? That way, the Knicks can utilize combinations of lineups where their five or six best players function alongside one another. And with how the roster is currently constructed, there may not be a better opportunity to do it.

With OG Anunoby and prized offseason acquisition Mikal Bridges clogging up the wings, Randle's life as a center becomes much easier. Pair the trio with superstar floor general Jalen Brunson and one of Donte DiVincenzo or Josh Hart, and you get a potential "death lineup." This group can provide a suffocating and overwhelming amount of versatility and energy that'd be difficult to combat.

While there'd undoubtedly be defensive challenges to Randle being used as a center, it'd be counteracted by offensive advantages. Considering the former lottery pick is a monster on the boards, he'd have no problem corraling rebounds and getting out in transition. His ability to handle the rock and create for others enables the Knicks to implement a more uptempo play style.

Despite entering the league as a center, Randle has transitioned to a power forward as his career progressed. He hasn't logged more than seven percent of his annual minutes at the five in five seasons with New York. But at 6-foot-8, 250, the 29-year-old has the build and strength to handle himself in the paint.

Ultimately, it comes down to how much Thibodeau is willing to step out of his coaching comfort zone. But given Robinson's health (or lack thereof) and the depth chart situation, Randle at the five makes sense and is worth a shot.

Subscribe to The Whiteboard, FanSided's daily email newsletter on everything basketball. If you like The Whiteboard, share it with someone you love! If you don't like The Whiteboard, share it with someone you loathe!

NBA news roundup:

• The Brooklyn Nets will retire Vince Carter's No. 15 jersey at the Barclays Centers for his contributions to the franchise. On Jan. 25, 2025, when the squad hosts the Miami Heat, there will be a ceremony to honor the Hall of Famer. He spent five seasons with the organization from 2004-09 when they were in New Jersey. During that span, the 22-year pro averaged 23.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.2 steals per game with .447/.370/.809 shooting splits.

• Fans were disappointed by the recently leaked 2024-25 NBA "City Edition" uniforms for each team. Nevertheless, the Memphis Grizzlies continue to have some of the best throwback jerseys in basketball, and they're paying tribute to that this year. In honor of when the franchise played in Vancouver, they're breaking out the old-school threads.

• With a new head coach comes a new staff. The Detroit Pistons hired J.B. Bickerstaff as their sideline general this past June and just announced who his assistants are, per an official team press release. Luke Walton, Sidney Lowe, Fred Vinson, Vitaly Potapenko, Kevin Burleson, Jerome Allen, Josh Estes, Jarrett Jack and Steve Scalzi round out the group.