The New York Knicks lost Mitchell Robinson to the Boston Celtics, and turning to Drew Eubanks to shore up their center depth will end up the same way it once did for the Phoenix Suns. A disaster.
Eubanks not at the level needed when trying to contend
The 29-year-old has bounced around the NBA, and for good reason. He works best as a backup (that much was discovered years ago) and is not on the level to help a fringe contender embark on a deep playoff run.
The Suns were forced to add Eubanks when they were in the second apron, doing what they could to surround Kevin Durant and Devin Booker with as much cheap talent as possible. But it speaks volumes that Jusuf Nurkic was a much better option than Eubanks on both ends of the court despite being an incredibly flawed and injury-prone center in his own right.
New York is looking to defend their championship and expecting Eubanks to be a regular part of their 10-man rotation if he makes the roster is asking for trouble. Karl-Anthony Towns will need help over the course of a long regular season, and Eubanks would only be able to chip in occasionally, depending on the opponent.
Suns beat Knicks to backup big punch with Duop Reath signing
It is ironic that the Suns managed to nab a better-qualified center in Duop Reath recently to help their own depth in the wake of Mark Williams requiring shoulder surgery. Khaman Maluach won't be happy about this addition, but everybody else in The Valley will.
Reath is capable of starting if required, is a better defender than Eubanks, and has managed to shoot over 41 percent from deep. He will likely begin the campaign coming off the bench behind Oso Ighodaro (assuming he comes through training camp and makes the team), but he will have the opportunity to grow into a bigger role.
As a bustling ball of energy down low, he is everything the Knicks would have wanted at the back of their own rotation.
The fact that teams are still talking themselves into Eubanks is great for his own career, but we all know how this is going to go. He will have a couple of decent showings and show an ability to battle bigger opponents down low before exiting the rotation completely by the All-Star break, if he even makes the standard roster.
Phoenix has been there and done that.
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