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The New York Knicks acquired Donte DiVincenzo from free agency was their most prominent addition so far. The hot shooting combo guard signed in for a three-year, $50 million deal.
This move reunites DiVincenzo with his former teammates Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart. The trio last suited up together back in 2016-17 as the Villanova Wildcats finished the regular season with a 15-3 record and took home the Big East championship.
Knicks fans had to say goodbye to former Dayton Flyer Obi Toppin, whom they acquired at 8th overall during the 2020 NBA draft. The 25-year-old power forward got buried in the roster and was not given enough playing time behind Julius Randle and Josh Hart. Toppin moved on and signed with the Indiana Pacers where he looks to get the minutes that he was craving for.
DiVincenzo was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks as the 17th overall pick in 2018. He won a title with them during the 2020-21 season averaging 10.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.1 steals in 28 minutes of playing time per game while shooting 42% from the field.
Last season, the Golden State Warriors acquired the two-time NCAA champion during free agency. He averaged 9.4 points and 39.7% from beyond the 3-point line. He also started 36 of the 72 games during the regular season and was not much of a factor during the playoffs. His production dipped to 5.5 points on 37.5% field goal shooting.
Now as part of the Knicks roster, he will most likely come off the bench sans injuries to starters Jalen Brunson and Quentin Grimes. He joins Immanuel Quickley forming a four-man guard rotation.
With DiVincenzo’s play-making abilities, he will most probably play point guard more while Brunson gets some rest.
The Knicks doing away with Obi Toppin and inserting DiVincenzo in the rotation, below is what Coach Tom Thibodeau’s depth chart would look like.
The Knicks would look to go faster with DiVincenzo coming off the bench and his shooting will help spread the floor. Josh Hart has been a very versatile addition to the Knicks as he looks to play both small and power forward.
Donte DiVincenzo brings his championship experience and versatility to the New York Knicks
The New York Knicks came out from mediocrity to finishing 5th in the NBA Eastern Conference standings with a record of 47-35. This team overachieved before falling to the surging Miami Heat in six games during the conference finals.
As a proven winner, DiVincenzo has also shown that he can adjust to running different systems with the Milwaukee Bucks, Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors. With his streaky shooting and decent playmaking skills, the former Villanova Wildcat already looks like a great fit for the Knicks, especially since he is also joining his former college teammates.
The Knicks bench struggled with a fast-paced team like the Miami Heat in the playoffs. They will hope to keep the momentum running when the second unit takes the floor.
