How things will look different for the Knicks at center on Opening Night

The New York Knicks will showcase a revamped center rotation on Opening Night against the Philadelphia 76ers following Mitchell Robinson's departure in free agency to the Boston Celtics. With Karl-Anthony Towns starting, 33-year-old Andre Drummond steps into the primary backup role against his former team. Head coach Mike Brown noted that Drummond is not expected to duplicate Robinson's play style, requiring the broader team to provide additional effort defensively and on the glass.

In addition to Drummond, the Knicks added former second overall pick James Wiseman as their third-string center following a training camp competition. Coach Brown, who previously coached Wiseman as an assistant with the Golden State Warriors, expressed confidence that lower expectations in New York will assist Wiseman's development. Meanwhile, Philadelphia's frontcourt enters the contest dealing with injuries after backup center Ariel Hukporti tore his Achilles during the preseason.