Kurt Rambis will continue to bring Arron Afflalo off Knicks’ bench

CHICAGO — Kurt Rambis said the Knicks have “battled” all year to have a more balanced second unit and that’s the reason he’s continuing to start Sasha Vujacic at shooting guard and bringing Arron Afflalo off the bench.

Afflalo started the first 56 games he was able to play. But Rambis replaced him with Vujacic after Afflalo suffered a strained abdominal in Denver two weeks ago that forced him to miss two games.

He has come off the bench in three of the last four games. Afflalo started the previous game against Sacramento on Sunday with Carmelo Anthony out with a migraine. But Anthony will return Wednesday night against the Bulls so Rambis said Afflalo would come off the bench.

“This is not a punishment,” Rambis said before the Knicks’ morning shootaround. “I think it’s more his natural position coming off the bench and it helps us distribute some of our scoring. He’s a player that can provide a lot of defensive energy and offensive punch.”

Rambis said the Knicks have three main scorers — Anthony, Afflalo and Kristaps Porzingis — and they’ve tried to figure out how to “spread those guys out so that we can have a second unit that has an opportunity to play defense and have some scoring.”

Afflalo came into Wednesday night’s game third on the Knicks in scoring, averaging 13.7 points per game. The Knicks signed him last summer to a two-year, $16-million contract, but Afflalo can opt out after this season.

Vujacic’s deal is only for one season. With the Knicks close to being eliminated from the playoffs it makes sense to give more time to young players Langston Galloway and Jerian Grant and try to develop them. But Rambis likes them playing with the second unit.

By Al Iannazzone

al.iannazzone@newsday.comAl_Iannazzone

Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.