Knicks’ projected depth chart with Jalen Brunson

The Knicks had one nightmare of a season last year in Tom Thibodeau’s second campaign as coach in New York. After exceeding expectations and grabbing a first-round bye in 2020-21, the Knicks regressed and found themselves finishing in the basement of their division last season.

The Knicks signed Jalen Brunson to a four-year, $104 million deal to be their starting point guard. Brunson comes in to improve their stagnant offense and could have more help in the way with the team aggressively trying to acquire Donovan Mitchell.

This third season for Thibodeau in New York will be crucial and should give the front office a good idea if he will be the coach of the future, or if they will need to make a change.

Let’s take a look at the likely rotation for the team.

Point Guard

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STARTER: Jalen Brunson

DEPTH: Derrick Rose, Miles McBride

Whether or not the Knicks get penalized for accusations of tampering with Jalen Brunson, he will give them a significant boost in the backcourt. He should give the Knicks a guard that can be the primary ball handler. His per-36 minutes turnover rate sits at an impressive 1.9 and should help Julius Randle cut down on his turnovers.

Derrick Rose should solidify the bench as the primary backup with the ability to play more minutes when he is doing well. Miles McBride is unlikely to see much playing time, especially with Thibodeau’s propensity to log heavy minutes to his starters.

Shooting Guard

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STARTER: RJ Barrett

DEPTH: Immanuel Quickley, Trevor Keels

RJ Barrett’s game has improved in his first three years in the league, seeing his scoring average climb three points each season, and finishing with 20 points per contest in 2021-22. He still can be inconsistent with his shots, but that should improve with more experience.

Immanuel Quickley will likely continue his role as a combo guard off the bench and should provide the Knicks instant…