Just-Released Two-Way Center Could Be Right Up Knicks’ Alley

Last season through the New York Knicks’ first dozen games, third-string center Ariel Hukporti had played 56 minutes. This season over the same stretch, third center James Wiseman has played 26. 

Admittedly, some of Hukporti’s minutes were due to the team keeping Mitchell Robinson out of back-to-back games. Wiseman doesn’t have that benefit, but Andre Drummond isn’t exactly blowing everyone away, which has caused eyes to look elsewhere for potential big man help.

In case the Knicks are open to shaking up the bottom of their roster, they have a new option to consider in two-way center Lawson Lovering, who was released this week by the Lakers and unclaimed off of waivers.

Though Los Angeles didn’t given him much run and felt better letting him go, his release might be less about him and more their depth chart at the five with backups Sandro Mamukelashvili and Jarred Vanderbilt blocking any path for the less experienced Lovering.

Regardless of why the Lakers move on from a healthy big man, LA’s loss could be New York’s gain.

Lawson Lovering could make sense as Knicks center addition with early frontcourt returns mixed

A true seven-footer with a 7-foot-5 wingspan, the Wyoming native sets screens, rebounds, rim-runs, dunks and protects the paint. He’s the Sherman tank of NBA bigs: not the fanciest, nowhere near best-in-class, but if you have enough of them you’re tough to beat.

That matters, because when Karl-Anthony Towns isn’t on the court right now, the Knicks are taking a risk at the five-spot.

Drummond, improbably, has been even more impressive on the boards than expected. For all New York’s offensive struggles, it’s scary to think where they’d be without what Drummond gives them on the glass. But it’s where he most differs from Robinson that there’s an opening for Lovering.

When Isaiah Hartenstein came to New York after flashing a three-point touch with the Clippers, the Knicks said thanks but no thanks. Drummond showed good form from deep last year, but so far has taken only one three-pointer.

Outside of Towns, the Knicks don’t want their centers taking threes; they want them hitting the glass the second a shot goes up. Wiseman’s minutes have been sporadic, but per-36 minutes he’s gobbling up more offensive rebounds than anyone, 50% more than even Drummond. He knows where the bread gets buttered. 

Lovering’s lack of shooting isn’t a problem when “don’t shoot” is one of the job requirements.

KAT has mostly carried on with the defensive acumen he debuted in last year’s playoffs. Defensive rebounds matter, and there are intangibles the Knicks benefit from every game thanks to Drummond’s basketball IQ and physicality. Speed, however, is tangible. And it’s somewhere Drummond is tangibly lacking.

Not in a way that’s likely to make a huge difference over 82 games. But the devastating injuries the Thunder have been dealt increases the likelihood that if the Knicks are defending their title come June, it will be against the team they won it against. If it’s late in Game 7 and Towns lands awkwardly on his ankle, and they need one stop to win it all again, how much faith do you have in Drummond’s foot speed?

Lovering doesn’t need to be as well-rounded as Drummond or as dominant as Mitch. If you had to bet on him or Wiseman being in the league in 2030, even Lovering himself might bet on Wiseman. If Lovering watched the Knicks on ring night, he couldn’t have missed the warm reception Hukporti received from fans and former teammates. A year from now, maybe that could be Lovering.

It’d likely take letting go of Jaden Akins from his two-way spot to get Lovering in the door, but given the surplus of guards New York has right now, there isn’t much of a need for Akins’ abilities. Meanwhile, Lovering could be another potential answer to center problems plaguing the Knicks early on.

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