The Knicks, who traded Jericho Sims right before the trade deadline, and are already without Karl-Anthony Towns, and Mitchell Robinson, took another blow to their frontcourt depth as Ariel Hukporti went down with a knee injury.
The rookie center has become growingly popular among the fanbase for his energy, and defensive instincts, with many believing he deserves more playing time. On Wednesday night, we all got a glimpse of just how good Hukporti is, and could be, given some more time to continue developing. His relentless motor, and ability to play drop coverage, Tom Thibodeau’s preferred scheme, made him a solid bench piece, who could slot in as a spot starter, like he did last night, while also being a third-string center behind Towns and Robinson.