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INDIANAPOLIS -- Down 2-0 in the Eastern Conference finals, the New York Knicks are seriously considering a change to their starting lineup for Sunday's Game 3, sources confirmed to ESPN's Shams Charania on Saturday.

Coach Tom Thibodeau is considering moving backup center Mitchell Robinson into the starting five for wing player Josh Hart, sources told Charania.

It would mark the first change all season to the Knicks' starting five of Hart, Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns when each is listed as available and healthy.

It would be easy enough to look at the Knicks' struggles against the Indiana Pacers in this round as the reason for the change. The Knicks' starting five was outscored by 13 points in Game 1 and by 16 in Game 2. The Pacers have shot a blistering 61% from the field and 52% from 3-point range with New York's starters on the floor. The Knicks' defensive rating with the starters in this series -- the points the group has allowed per 100 possessions -- is an alarming 155.1.

But the Knicks, who needed a trio of double-digit comebacks to take down the defending champion Celtics in the second round, have been ineffective to start games for a while now. Their starting five's plus-minus rating is a postseason-worst minus-50. The group was outscored by nine points from Jan. 1 to the end of the regular season.

Asked if he would consider tweaking the Knicks' lineup following their Game 2 defeat, Thibodeau said, "We always look at everything."

The Knicks' starters played a league-high 914 minutes together, far more than any other club. They're seeking to become the first team since the 1987 Celtics to lead the NBA in starters' minutes and make the Finals.

Robinson, who missed the team's first 58 games following an ankle surgery last postseason, would bring greater defensive mobility in the paint and along the perimeter. The Knicks have struggled with the Pacers' pace and ability to force multiple rotations per possession, which has at times exposed Towns' footspeed.

The Knicks have managed to contest 52% of the Pacers' shot attempts with Robinson on the floor compared to 42% when Robinson is on the bench, according to ESPN Research.

SNY was first to report the potential change to the Knicks' lineup.

H_20 wrote:Just a few days ago I would say the majority of yall were saying a change needs to be done to our starting lineup now it's mistake.

Chanel Bomber wrote:I don't think this was necessarily needed.

Thibs needs to play his starting unit less, obviously. We can all agree on that. But I'm not sure upsetting the entire rotation and substitution patterns will be conducive to success, considering he didn't tinker much in the regular season (injuries aside).

I think a more measured solution would've been to shorten the minutes of the starting unit drastically, and increase the playing time of the more successful lineups. Which he should have done much earlier.

It didn't work in 2021. Hopefully it does this time, starting tonight.

Chanel Bomber wrote:I don't think this was necessarily needed.

Thibs needs to play his starting unit less, obviously. We can all agree on that. But I'm not sure upsetting the entire rotation and substitution patterns will be conducive to success, considering he didn't tinker much in the regular season (injuries aside).

I think a more measured solution would've been to shorten the minutes of the starting unit drastically, and increase the playing time of the more successful lineups. Which he should have done much earlier.

It didn't work in 2021. Hopefully it does this time, starting tonight.