Knicks Stick With Blockbuster Starting Five Against Sixers

The New York Knicks are officially rolling out their blockbuster starting five of Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby, and Karl-Anthony Towns on Friday night.

According to Underdog NBA, head coach Tom Thibodeau is sticking with his heavy artillery against the Philadelphia 76ers. On paper, this group looks like an absolute Eastern Conference juggernaut. In reality, they are sitting at a very pedestrian 2-3 record and trying to figure out how to play basketball together.

"Lineup alert: Knicks list starters as Brunson, Bridges, Hart, Anunoby, Towns on Friday. - @UnderdogNBA"

You do not trade a decade of draft capital for Bridges and hand Anunoby a massive contract extension to start the year fighting for your life in the standings. Bridges opened the season shooting so poorly that a random fan selected for a blindfolded half-court heave looked like a safer bet to find the bottom of the net.

Brunson is at least holding up his end of the bargain. The star point guard is averaging 25.8 points and 5.0 assists per game, doing everything he can to drag this expensive roster into a functional rhythm.

Anyone looking at the prop markets for Friday night needs to seriously evaluate whether the New York wings have fully shaken off their early slump. Fading the Knicks' perimeter players felt like the smartest angle a week ago, but they have managed to win two of their last three games by simply outscoring the Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls.

Now they get a real test against a 4-1 Philadelphia squad. If this starting unit gets run off the floor in Philly, the panic in Manhattan will make a rush-hour traffic jam look like a meditation retreat.