There was a sigh of relief hidden behind the smiles immediately after Mike Brown’s debut new York Knicks coach. To replace Tom Thibodeau and begin the season with summer expectations for the first time in decades, the Browns needed a smooth start.
“Nice first win,” Brown said after the Knicks’ season-opening win. cleveland cavaliers“Knowing that we have a lot of room to grow.”
There has been one change after another inside Madison Square Garden over the past year, starting with a shocking trade in September 2024. julius randall till minnesota timberwolves For carl-anthony town On the eve of training camp. (Randall returned to New York for the second time on Wednesday; 7:30 pm ET on ESPN,
So far, only double wing mikal bridges Brown’s system seems completely intuitive, prioritizing ball movement and quick pace. Bridges, who is averaging career-highs in field goals and 3-point percentage, looks like a different player than the one who was erratic in his first season as a Knicks and is no longer obligated to match the seriousness created by All-Stars. Jalen Brunson And towns.
However, what the Knicks are up to overall remains a mystery. The Browns’ new system still seemed slow at times, leading to a bottom-tenth place finish after seven games. Towns, meanwhile, is holding his own in the Browns’ offense after an All-NBA first season in New York under Thibodeau.
But opening night marked a significant change from previous seasons. Before they lost to the defending champions in the second round boston celticsLast season, the Knicks went 0-8 against the top two teams in the East. The win against the Cavs was a sign that they have the potential to lead a group in a conference devoid of really dominant teams. Based on the first few weeks of action in New York, where do the Knicks stand in that goal? What injuries could get in the way?
Let’s see what’s new, what’s working and what’s a work in progress as the new-look Knicks continue their latest developments.
–Vincent Goodwill
What are scouts and executives looking for in New York?
Given that it took more than a month for the Knicks to hire Brown as Thibodeau’s replacement — and this was after several failed attempts to get candidates under contract with other teams — it shouldn’t be a big surprise that the adjustment process between the coach and his players has taken time. Brown was the best option available, but not perfect. And, as the Knicks are navigating these early season waters, there have been some rough seas to deal with through seven games.
“In a lot of these cases, it’s taking them time to find the crime,” an East executive told ESPN.
The adjustment starts with All-Star big man Towns, who broke out with a season-high 33 points on Monday. washington wizards But he is shooting a shocking 40.8% from the field, which is about 8% lower than in any season during his 10 years in the NBA. He raised eyebrows just before the season when he announced he did not yet know his role in the Browns’ offense, and began feeling his way in the new system in the early weeks.
“He certainly had a clear role [Thibodeau],” said one Western Conference scout, “and he’s made it known that he’s not too excited about his lack of role anymore.”
josh hartJoe was synonymous with Thibodeau’s rigorous system, and he regularly played big minutes (at least 40 in 23 regular-season games last year) as a key cog in New York’s run to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Now, Hart is adjusting to a full-time bench role He had nerve problems in his right shooting hand while playing This is the result of a re-aggravation of the finger injury he suffered earlier in May.
Similar concerns surround the Center Michelle RobinsonJoe has a long history of injuries and has already been put on a load management plan to try to get him through the regular season and playoffs. Robinson has played just 50 games since the start of 2023-24.
Every time he goes on the field in pain – as he did during Sunday’s win Chicago BullsAppearing to twist his ankle on what seemed like an innocuous play – Knicks fans collectively held their breath, given the impact Robinson has had on the team from a rim protection and rebounding standpoint when he’s available.
“The system stuff will be fine,” the Eastern Conference scout told ESPN. “But do they have the strength to get there in the end? A lot of that depends on Mitchell Robinson and Josh Hart being healthy.
“Those guys, and their overall level of physicality on a nightly basis, really matters.”
But despite all this, the Knicks still live in the East. For all the shortcomings that currently exist in their preseason spot as the co-favorite to advance to the NBA Finals for the first time this century, who should replace them?
The other co-favorite, the Cavaliers, will have to manage injuries before the season. orlando magic And atlanta hawksThere are also two trendy picks out of the gate to finish in the top four, following New York and Cleveland. And, when asking multiple league sources in recent days who they would take over for New York to escape the East, no one could give a concrete answer.
“They will be successful and win a lot of games because of the talent,” said the Western Conference scout, “but there will be more drama than I thought in the first week of November.”
–Tim Bontemps
What the stats say about the new-look Knicks
Lots of 3s for the Knicks…
The most notable stylistic change for the Knicks is their shot distribution, as they have embraced the 3-pointer more than before under Thibodeau.
New York ranked 28th in 3-point attempt rate last season, but in 2025-26, they have the fifth-highest 3-point attempt rate, with 48% of their shots coming from beyond the arc. Only the Cavaliers, the Celtics, Golden State Warriors And phoenix sun – Who were one of the most 3-happy teams last season, have taken more 3s as a percentage of their total attempts than New York.
Interestingly, apart from the centers Robinson and ariel hookportyThe two lowest 3-point attempt rates on the team belong to Towns (35% of their shots) and Brunson (37%), meaning all of the Knicks’ role players are primarily spacing the floor around the stars.
As a team, the Knicks made 36.9% of their 3s last season, and they’re at 36.5% so far in 2025-26. But an increase in attempts means they’ve jumped from 24th to tied for third in 3-point makes.
…and for their opponents
The same dynamic has also appeared on the defensive end, where New York allowed the sixth-lowest 3-point attempt rate last season, but has given up the fourth-highest attempts this season; 46% of their opponents’ attempts have come from beyond the arc.
New York isn’t allowing as many 3s as it has made a more concerted effort to block the rim. Instead, its opponents have converted a portion of their low-value midrange efforts into high-value 3s. And those opponents are capitalizing on those extra attempts, making 39.6% of their 3-point attempts, second-highest in the NBA.
Granted, there may be a schedule caveat to the fact that the Knicks have already played the Cavaliers and Celtics, who rank first and second in 3-point attempt rate, while not facing either team ranked near the bottom of the league. But it’s worth seeing if the Knicks defense can do a better job of shutting down the 3-point flood as the season continues.
Brunson less effective on the ball
On an individual level, no one had more ball control than Brunson last season. According to GeniusIQ tracking, he led the league with 524 dribbles per game, 8.8 minutes of possession per game and 6.1 seconds per touch.
But this season, Brunson’s possession numbers have declined across the board; Those figures dropped to 431 dribbles, 7.7 minutes and 4.8 seconds, respectively.
A concerning change is Brunson’s dramatic drop in pick-and-roll frequency. According to GeniusIQ, he was a ball-handler for 55 picks per 100 possessions last season, which was second in the NBA. trey youngBut he ranks only 12th among high-volume ball handlers this season, with 43 picks per 100 possessions, as the Browns try to democratize the offensive load.
more handoffs
One of the most obvious stylistic indicators of Sacramento Kings‘The offense was a handoff under Brown, and the Knicks have followed suit under their new coach. According to GeniusIQ, they were 14th last season with 23 handoffs per 100 possessions, but this season they have moved up to first with 43 handoffs per 100.
Brown’s Kings teams frequently used handoffs due to the offensive center Domantas SabonisWho has led the league in individual play for five consecutive years. But it’s a team effort for New York, which is using all kinds of handoffs to start its sets.
Towns and Brunson have more than doubled their handoff rates compared to last season. Mikal Bridges has approx four times Its handoff rate. new reserve big gershon jabusele Acting has gotten involved, and Robinson is setting a career high in handoff frequency through two games.
As part of their greater emphasis on sharing, the Knicks have jumped from 18th in passes per game last season to fifth in 2025-26.
bad shooting luck
One might hope that more diversification would lead to better results for New York, but the Knicks are just 4-3 with a 12th-ranked offense after 51 wins and a fifth-place finish last season. However, there is no need to panic, because as the Knicks’ fortunes begin to change, they will likely move up in the rankings.
According to an analysis of GeniusIQ data, the Knicks have performed 47 points below their “expected” total points based on shot quality and shooter identification, while Knicks opponents have performed 45 points above their expected total points. Basically, the Knicks have been unlucky on both ends; Their minus-92-point margin based on shooting luck is by far the largest in the league. (The second worst difference is 1-6 Indiana PacersOn minus 62 points.)
– Zack Cram
