The addition of Donte DiVincenzo to an already-crowded backcourt hasn’t changed the lineup.
At least until more data is accumulated during preseason and training camp, Quentin Grimes remains the starting 2-guard.
“The big thing when you look at last season and you look at what our starting group did, you go in with the idea that’s where we’re going to start,” Thibodeau said of his team that went 37-22 to end the season.
“Now of course, you haven’t played any games, and nothing has unfolded yet. So you base your decisions on the information you have. And that’s the information that we have, and we’re going to go from there.”
Grimes, 23, a two-way threat, supplanted Evan Fournier in the lineup early last season and became a catalyst to the team’s postseason push.
He suffered a shoulder injury in the first round against the Cavaliers and was benched briefly for Josh Hart in the following series against Miami.
The other starters are Jalen Brunson, RJ Barrett, Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson.
With Grimes, that lineup played 526 minutes together last season with a +6.7 net rating.
But the backcourt bench is in line for heavy minutes.
DiVincenzo, a 26-year-old guard, signed a $50 million deal in the summer and averaged over 26 minutes last season.
Immanuel Quickley emerged as a Sixth Man of the Year candidate.
“We’ll mix and match some, too,” Thibodeau said. “RJ will be with the second group at times. Donte will be with starters some. Mix and match.”
Randle said he just wanted to get closer to his teammate.
The Knicks All-Star changed agents in the offseason, leaving longtime rep Aaron Mintz of CAA to sign with Bill Duffy of WME.
Duffy also reps Barrett.
“Aaron was great. He’d been with me the majority of my career, and he did a great job during that time,” Randle said. “For me, it was, like I said, I just wanted to be closer to RJ.”
Randle’s answer about Barrett might’ve included some sarcasm as both players smiled at each other. But the agent switch was noteworthy because Randle left CAA, the agency with close ties to the Knicks.
Knicks team president Leon Rose and executive vice president and senior adviser William Wesley were both agents at CAA before joining the Knicks’ front office. Much of the Knicks’ executive and coaching staffs are repped by the power agency.
Does that mean Randle’s move symbolizes a level of separation from the organization? Tough to say, but multiple sources say Randle has a powerful supporter in team owner James Dolan, who has been busy opening the Sphere, a multibillion-dollar live-entertainment venue, in Las Vegas.
Barrett and Randle are entering their fifth year as teammates.
“Just realized that I’ve only known NBA basketball with Julius Randle,” Barrett said. “That’s actually pretty cool.”