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Knicks fans, we might have just found the cheat code to dominating the East
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Carl Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson sharing the floor together, the numbers are ridiculous
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And yet, Tom Thibodeau has barely used it, so the question is
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should the Knicks go all in on this double big lineup, let's break it all down
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In just 19 minutes together over the last 4 games, Cat and Mitch have put up an absurd 145.9 offensive rating
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and a lockdown 100 defensive rating. That is elite on both ends of the floor, small sample size you may ask, sure, but these numbers aren't random, they make sense when you look at how they complement each other
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Towns gives the Knicks something they haven't had in years, a legitimate floor spacing big who can knock down threes, attack off the dribble and even create for others
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Then you add in Mitch, one of the best rim protectors in the league, a dominant rebounder and an absolute menace in the paint
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Together, one stretches the floor, the other dominates inside. It's a natural fit
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Now let's talk defense. With Towns playing through an injury, he's had some struggles defending quicker guys at the four
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but that's where Mitch makes all the difference. Robinson's presence allows Towns to guard less mobile bigs, reducing his defensive load
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Meanwhile, Mitch can anchor the defense and erase mistakes at the rim
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And let's be real for a second, before Mitch came back, the Knicks defense was starting to crack
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Having him in there changes everything. Now here's the big question, will Tom Thibodeau actually play them together for extended minutes
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because right now it's only happening in short spurts. Historically speaking, Tibbs has loved playing two traditional bigs
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but he also values spacing and switchability on defense, so it's a balancing act
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Right now the Knicks are running a lot of small ball with Josh Hart or Precious Achua at the four but let be honest this team is at its best when they dominate inside And here why this really matters Come playoff time
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matchups decide everything. If the Knicks face the Celtics in the second round, they might need
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Mitch to counter Porzingis' size inside. Against the Cavs, a double big lineup could neutralize
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Mobley and Allen. And if Giannis is in the way, Mitch gives you another elite rim protector to
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slow him down. And during his post-game press conference after the Miami Heat game, Carl Anthony
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Towns stated that the lineup of him and Mitch definitely quote caused some problems against the
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Heat. But at the same time, we have to acknowledge Miles McBride's play defensively as the starter
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He's probably an even bigger reason as to why the Knicks defense has improved so much as of late
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Because you subbed out Jalen Brunson, who's not a good defender, for Myles McBride, who is an elite defender
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And in my opinion, he's definitely making a good case for himself to start alongside Jalen Brunson
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But at the same time, you definitely can't leave out Mitch for that conversation
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because he's also proving himself as the days go by. So it'll be interesting to see if Tibbs will actually adjust the starting lineup
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once Jalen Brunson comes back. And maybe he can include Mitchell Robinson instead of Josh Hart
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or Deuce McBride is another option as well. But bottom line, this duo of Carl Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson
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has been elite in limited minutes. The question is, will Tibbs lean into it more as we push toward the playoffs
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What do you guys think? Should Mitch and Cat be the frontcourt of the Knicks moving forward
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Drop your thoughts in the comments below. And as always, if you did enjoy this video
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make sure to hit that like button and subscribe to the channel for more Knicks news and updates you won't want to miss
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it's been KNYT here and I'll see you guys in the next one
