Jericho Sims was used primarily as a center last season, but it appears he will see more time at power forward, The Athletic’s Fred Katz writes. Sims logged the majority of his 26 minutes at the four during the Knicks’ preseason opener Monday while Josh Hart missed the game. Hart will be Julius Randle’s primary backup after New York traded away Obi Toppin this summer, but coach Tom Thibodeau plans to hire Sims in that role as well.
“We wanted to take a look at this with Sims on the floor,” Thibodeau said. “With Josh out and Julius Randle playing limited time, it was a good opportunity to do it.”
Katz notes that Sims played just 139 minutes last season alongside either Mitchell Robinson or Isaiah Hartenstein. Thibodeau could use these combinations more often against bigger lineups, although it limits what the team can do offensively. Lack of space was a concern in Monday’s game, Katz notes, as Sims was left virtually unattended in the corner as the Pilots encountered multiple defenders in the area.