Knicks keep Mo Diawara on the bench as Mike Brown leans on veterans

Mohamed Diawara signed a new contract with the Knicks over the summer, but so far it hasn't come with minutes. Mike Brown has told reporters he will rely on a veteran rotation until the Knicks are back on track, and only then start working in his younger players. Stefan Bondy of the New York Post reported that this has left the second-year forward almost entirely out of the games.

The Post's framing puts it plainly: this isn't how Brown pictured Diawara's role. As a second-round pick last season, the long forward played his way into the rotation, which surprised some people, before he lost his spot ahead of the playoffs. In June he signed a four-year, $11.3 million deal, and only half of it is guaranteed. The Post noted that the Knicks first put him on a standard contract mostly because his low salary helped them stay under the second apron.

With everyone healthy, Brown's bench has been a fairly stable nine or ten players. Jose Alvarado and Miles McBride handle the guard minutes, Landry Shamet is on the wing and Andre Drummond backs up at center. The tenth spot, the minutes that might have gone to Diawara, belonged to Jordan Clarkson until Tuesday. Brown used only nine players in the win over Detroit, and Clarkson got his first DNP. Brown has also shown he will make changes. He pulled Drummond for James Wiseman against Orlando, though that lasted only about a half. "Our starting five is what it is," Brown said, according to the Post. He added that the rest of the rotation stays open until something works on a consistent basis.

The larger issue is how few homegrown players the roster has. With Mitchell Robinson now in Boston, McBride is the only Knicks draftee who plays regular minutes, according to the Post. The 2024 draft class has mostly broken up. Pacome Dadiet is out of the rotation and is expected to head for free agency if the Knicks pass on next season's option before Saturday's deadline. Kevin McCullar Jr. was waived last week, and Ariel Hukporti signed with the 76ers. The Post called Tyler Kolek, who has picked up minutes while Alvarado was out with an ankle sprain, possibly the last hope from that group. The apron has shaped those choices too. New York traded out of the first round this year because keeping the pick would have cost more.

What it means for Friday in Philadelphia

Brown's patience depends on results, and the results have started to come. After losing their first three games, to Philadelphia 106-100, at Boston 107-103 and to Orlando 111-97, the Knicks beat Detroit 111-97 and then won 133-127 at Chicago on Wednesday. They are 2-3. The Post's report came out before the Bulls game, and two straight wins are the kind of steadiness Brown said he wanted before he opens up the bench.

Friday's game at Philadelphia, on Prime Video, is a rematch of the season opener. The 76ers won that one by six, and Hukporti is now on their side. If the veterans keep winning, Brown may feel more free to try Diawara or Kolek in short stretches. If the Knicks fall back toward .500 or below, expect the same nine or ten players and more time on the bench for Diawara. For now, a player who earned his way into the rotation as a rookie has to wait for the team to settle before he gets another chance.