If you take a look at the teams in the NBA playoffs, there’s one thing some of them have in common: the use of two big men in the lineup. It’s a strategy most teams have strayed from in favor of small-ball rotations — spacing the floor with shooters at every position — but lately, going big is quietly making a comeback.
Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen have thrived as the Cleveland Cavaliers’ “twin towers,” while Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren made sweeping the Grizzlies look like a layup drill. Even last season, the Dallas Mavericks played some of their best basketball with Dereck Lively and Daniel Gafford sharing the court.
This isn’t a gimmick. It works. High-level rebounding and interior defense win playoff games. And heading into their Game 6 matchup against the Detroit Pistons, the New York Knicks need to realize this approach might be their missing link.
The Knicks are missing a chance to overwhelm the Pistons with size
In the small sample size where Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson have shared the floor, the Knicks have outscored their opponents by 1.4 points per 100 possessions this postseason. Add Jalen Brunson into that mix, and the differential jumps to +8.8.
Tom Thibodeau’s frantic rotations — trying to plug holes as they appear — have made this series more drawn out than it needed to be. Ironically, the starting lineup alone hasn’t produced the most consistent results, but lineups featuring Robinson or Cameron Payne have injected energy and impact.
Playing two bigs shouldn’t be controversial. Having two 7-footers on the floor boosts rebounding, interior defense, and physicality. The hesitation may lie in Robinson’s minutes restriction or the risk of re-injury, but when the data clearly shows improved performance with both on the court, there’s really only one choice.
The Pistons have dominated the glass in every game of the series, including a 34–24 rebounding advantage across Games 1 through 3. Jalen Duren, who’s gotten increased minutes due to Isaiah Stewart’s injury, has hauled in 31 rebounds in Games 4 and 5 alone — mostly because the Knicks haven’t committed to crashing the glass.
Towns and Robinson have shared the floor for just 37 minutes this postseason. That’s not just a small gap in strategy — it’s an enormous missed opportunity. Thibodeau might still get out of the first round, but if something isn’t broken, fans are pleading: don’t fix it.