A sigh of aid was shrouded behind a smile within the speedy aftermath of Mike Brown’s debut as New York Knicks coach. Changing Tom Thibodeau and starting the season with summer season expectations for the primary time in many years, Brown wanted a easy begin.
“Good first win,” Brown stated following the Knicks’ season-opening victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, “figuring out that we have numerous room to develop.”
It has been change after change over the previous yr inside Madison Sq. Backyard, starting in September 2024 with the surprising commerce of Julius Randle to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Karl-Anthony Cities on the eve of coaching camp. (Randle returns to New York for the second time Wednesday; 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.)
Up to now, solely two-way wing Mikal Bridges appears absolutely snug in Brown’s system that prioritizes ball motion and a sooner tempo. Bridges, who’s averaging profession highs in discipline objective and 3-point percentages, seems to be like a unique participant than the one who was not sure in his first season as a Knick and not relegated to feeding off the gravity created by All-Stars Jalen Brunson and Cities.
What the Knicks are as a complete, although, stays a thriller. Brown’s new system nonetheless seems to be like a slog at occasions, resulting in a bottom-10 tempo by seven video games. Cities, in the meantime, is discovering his footing in Brown’s offense after an All-NBA first season in New York beneath Thibodeau.
However opening night time marked an vital change from final season. Earlier than their second-round upset of the defending champion Boston Celtics, the Knicks had gone 0-8 in opposition to the East’s two high groups final season. The win in opposition to the Cavs was a sign they’ve the power to steer the pack in a convention devoid of a really dominant group. Primarily based on the primary few weeks of motion in New York, the place do the Knicks stand in that pursuit? Might accidents get in the way in which?
Let’s study what’s new, what’s working and what stays a piece in progress because the new-look Knicks proceed their newest evolution.
— Vincent Goodwill
What are scouts and executives seeing in New York?
Contemplating it took the Knicks greater than a month to rent Brown as Thibodeau’s substitute — and that was after a number of failed makes an attempt to land candidates beneath contract with different groups — it should not come as an enormous shock that the acclimation course of between the coach and his gamers has taken time. Brown was the most effective obtainable selection, however not an ideal one. And, because the Knicks are navigating these early season waters, there’s been some uneven seas to cope with by seven video games.
“Loads of it’s simply taking them time to determine the offense,” an East govt informed ESPN.
The changes start with All-Star huge man Cities, who broke out for a season-high 33 factors Monday in opposition to the Washington Wizards however is taking pictures a reasonably surprising 40.8% from the sector, practically 8% decrease than any season throughout his 10 years within the NBA. He raised eyebrows simply earlier than the season, when he declared he did not but know his position in Brown’s offense, and proceeded to really feel his means into the brand new system within the opening weeks.
“He actually had a transparent position beneath [Thibodeau],” a Western Convention scout stated, “and he is made it recognized he is not overly enthusiastic about his lack of a task now.”
Josh Hart, who was synonymous with Thibodeau’s rigorous system, recurrently performed enormous minutes (at the least 40 in 23 regular-season video games final yr) as a important cog in New York’s run to the Jap Convention finals.
Now, Hart is adjusting to a full-time bench position whereas taking part in by a nerve subject in his proper taking pictures hand that is a results of a reaggravation of a finger harm he initially suffered in Could.
Comparable considerations encompass middle Mitchell Robinson, who has a well-chronicled harm historical past and has already been relegated to a load administration plan to try to get him by the common season and to the playoffs. For the reason that begin of 2023-24, Robinson has performed simply 50 video games.
Each time he goes to the bottom in ache — like he did throughout Sunday’s win over the Chicago Bulls, showing to tweak his ankle on what seemed like an innocuous play — there is a collective holding of breath amongst Knicks followers, given Robinson’s impression on the group from a rim safety and rebounding standpoint when he is obtainable.
“The system stuff will likely be fantastic,” an Jap Convention scout informed ESPN. “However have they got the legs to get there ultimately? A lot of that comes all the way down to having Mitchell Robinson and Josh Hart wholesome.
“These guys, and their total degree of physicality on a nightly foundation, actually matter.”
However regardless of all that, the Knicks nonetheless reside within the East. For all of the holes that may presently be poked into their preseason place as a co-favorite to advance to the NBA Finals for the primary time this century, who ought to supplant them?
The opposite co-favorite earlier than the season, the Cavaliers, have their very own spate of accidents to handle. The Orlando Magic and Atlanta Hawks, the 2 stylish picks to complete within the high 4 behind New York and Cleveland, have additionally stumbled out of the gate. And, in asking a number of sources throughout the league in current days who they might take over New York to flee the East, nobody may produce a agency reply.
“They will get by, and win a bunch of video games due to expertise,” the Western Convention scout stated, “however there’s much more drama there than I feel they might’ve thought there could be within the first week of November.
— Tim Bontemps
What the numbers say concerning the new-look Knicks
Numerous 3s for the Knicks…
Essentially the most notable stylistic change for the Knicks is their shot distribution, as they’ve embraced the 3-pointer greater than they ever did beneath Thibodeau.
New York ranked twenty eighth in 3-point try price final season, however in 2025-26, they’ve the fifth-highest 3-point try price, with 48% of their pictures coming from past the arc. Solely the Cavaliers, Celtics, Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns — who all ranked among the many most 3-happy groups final season, as properly — have taken extra 3s as a share of their complete makes an attempt than New York.
Apparently, aside from facilities Robinson and Ariel Hukporti, the 2 lowest 3-point try charges on the group belong to Cities (35% of his pictures) and Brunson (37%), which implies the Knicks’ position gamers are all primarily spacing the ground across the stars.
As a group, the Knicks made 36.9% of their 3s final season, and so they’re at 36.5% to this point in 2025-26. However the enhance in makes an attempt means they’ve leapt from twenty fourth in 3-point makes to a tie for third.
… And for his or her opponents
The identical dynamic has additionally appeared on the defensive finish, the place New York allowed the sixth-lowest 3-point try price final season however have surrendered the fourth highest this season; 46% of their opponents’ makes an attempt have come from past the arc.
New York is not permitting extra 3s as a result of it is made a extra concerted effort to dam off the rim. As an alternative, its opponents have transformed a portion of their low-value midrange makes an attempt into higher-value 3s. And people opponents are cashing in on these further tries, making 39.6% of their 3-point makes an attempt, second highest within the NBA.
Granted, there may be a schedule caveat to this factoid as a result of the Knicks have already performed the Cavaliers and Celtics, who rank first and second in 3-point try price, whereas not dealing with any group that ranks close to the underside of the league. But it surely’s price watching to see if the Knicks protection can do a greater job shutting off the 3-point flood because the season continues.
A much less ball-dominant Brunson
On a person degree, no person managed the ball greater than Brunson final season. In line with GeniusIQ monitoring, he led the league with 524 dribbles per sport, 8.8 minutes of possession per sport and 6.1 seconds per contact.
However this season, Brunson’s possession numbers have declined throughout the board; these figures have fallen to 431 dribbles, 7.7 minutes and 4.8 seconds, respectively.
A associated change is a dramatic decline in Brunson’s pick-and-roll frequency. In line with GeniusIQ, he was the ball-handler for 55 picks per 100 possessions final season, second-most within the NBA behind Trae Younger. However he is solely in Twelfth place amongst high-volume ball handlers this season, with 43 picks per 100 possessions, as Brown tries to democratize the offensive load.
Extra handoffs
One of the apparent stylistic signifiers of the Sacramento Kings’ offense beneath Brown was the handoff, and the Knicks have adopted go well with beneath their new coach. They ranked 14th with 23 handoffs per 100 possessions final season, per GeniusIQ, however they’ve zoomed into first place with 43 handoffs per 100 this season.
Brown’s Kings groups used handoffs so typically due to offensive hub Domantas Sabonis, who has led the league individually 5 years in a row. But it surely’s extra of a group effort for New York, which is utilizing all kinds of handoffs to start out its units.
Cities and Brunson have greater than doubled their handoff charges versus final season. Mikal Bridges has practically quadrupled his handoff price. New reserve huge Guerschon Yabusele has gotten in on the act, and Robinson is setting a profession excessive in handoff frequency by two video games.
As a part of their better emphasis on sharing, the Knicks have jumped from 18th in passes per sport final season to fifth in 2025-26.
Rotten taking pictures luck
One would possibly anticipate that better diversification to result in higher outcomes for New York, however the Knicks are solely 4-3 with the Twelfth-ranked offense after ending with 51 wins and the fifth-ranked offense final season. There’s completely no purpose to panic, nevertheless, as a result of the Knicks will seemingly rocket up the standings as quickly as their luck begins to show.
In line with an evaluation of GeniusIQ information, the Knicks have underperformed their “anticipated” level complete primarily based on shot high quality and shooter id by 47 factors, whereas Knicks opponents have overperformed their anticipated level complete by 45 factors. Basically, the Knicks have gotten unfortunate on each ends; their minus-92-point margin primarily based on taking pictures luck is by far the most important within the league. (The second-worst hole belongs to the 1-6 Indiana Pacers, at minus-62 factors.)
— Zach Kram