Can this version of the New York Knicks win the East?
These are not the Knicks of the Thibs era. Is that good? AM850 Insiders analyze New York’s irregular start to the season.
A sigh of relief was hidden behind a smile immediately after the debut of Mike Brown as coach of the New York Knicks. After replacing Tom Thibodeau and start the season with the expectations of summer, something that had not been seen for decades, Brown needed a good start.
“Good first win,” Brown said after the Knicks’ victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in it opening match of the season, “knowing that we have a lot of room for improvement.”
The last year has been a succession of changes in the Madison Square Garden starting in September 2024 with the surprising transfer of Julius Randle to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Karl-Anthony Towns on the eve of training camp. (Randle returns to New York for the second time this Wednesday; 7:30 p.m. ET on AM850.) So far, only the forward Michael Bridges He seems completely comfortable in Brown’s system, which prioritizes ball circulation and a faster pace of play. Bridges, who is averaging the best percentages of his career in field goals and three-pointers, seems like a different player than the one who seemed insecure in his first season as a Knick and who no longer depended on the influence of the All-Stars Jalen Brunson and Towns.
However, the essence of the Knicks remains a mystery. Brown’s new system still looks slow and sluggish at times, putting them among the ten worst teams after seven games. Towns, for his part, is adjusting to Brown’s offensive system after an All-NBA first season in New York under Thibodeau.
But opening night marked a major change from last season. Before their surprising second round victory against the reigning champions, the Boston Celtics, the Knicks were 0-8 against the East’s two best teams last season. The win against the Cavs was a sign that they have the ability to lead a conference that lacks a truly dominant team. After the first few weeks of play in New York, where are the Knicks in that search? Could injuries get in his way?
Let’s break down what’s new, what works, and what’s still in development as the new-look Knicks continue their latest evolution.
–Vincent Goodwill
What do scouts and executives see in New York?
Considering that it took more than a month for the Knicks to hire Brown as Thibodeau’s replacement — and that after several failed attempts to sign contract candidates with other teams — it should not be surprising that the adjustment process between the coach and his players has been slow. Brown was the best option available, but not the perfect one. And, as the Knicks adjust to this start to the season, they have had to deal with some ups and downs in the first seven games.
“A big part of the problem is that they need time to understand the offensive system,” an East executive told AM850.
The adjustments begin with All-Star center Towns, who scored a season-high 33 points on Monday against the Washington Wizards, but he has an astonishing 40.8% field goal percentage, almost 8% lower than any other season in his 10 years in the NBA. His statement, which stated that he was still unaware of his role in Brown’s offensive system, caused surprise just before the start of the season, and during the first weeks he dedicated himself to testing the waters to adapt to the new system.
“He certainly had a defined role (with Thibodeau),” said one Western Conference scout, “and he’s made it clear that he’s not too thrilled about the lack of a defined role now.”
Josh Hart A key part of Thibodeau’s rigorous system, he played a lot of minutes (at least 40 in 23 regular-season games last year) as a key part of New York’s path to the playoffs. Eastern Conference finals.
Now, Hart is adjusting to a substitute role permanent as he deals with a nerve injury in his right shooting hand, a consequence of a relapse of a finger injury he initially suffered in May.
Similar concerns surround the center Mitchell Robinson, who has a well-documented injury history and has already been put through a load management plan to try to get him through the regular season and into the playoffs. Since the start of the 2023-24 season, Robinson has only played 50 games.
Every time he falls to the ground in pain — as he did during Sunday’s victory against the Chicago Bulls, when he appeared to twist his ankle on a seemingly harmless play — Knicks fans are holding their breath, given the impact Robinson has on the team in terms of protecting the rim and rebounding when he’s available.
“The operational aspects will work out well,” an Eastern Conference evaluator told AM850. But will they have enough energy to make it to the end? Much of that depends on Mitchell Robinson and Josh Hart being healthy.
Those players, and their level of physical intensity night after night, are crucial. However, despite everything, the Knicks are still in the East. With all the doubts that can be found about his position as one of the favorites to reach the NBA Finals for the first time this century, who should take his place?
The Cavaliers, the other pre-season favorite, also have to deal with a plague of injuries. He Orlando Magic and the Atlanta Hawks, the two favorites to finish in the top four behind New York and Cleveland, are also off to a poor start. And, when asking several league sources in recent days who they would prefer over New York to get out of the East, no one could give a definitive answer.
“They’re going to come out ahead and win a lot of games because of their talent,” the Western Conference scout said, “but there’s a lot more drama than I think they would have imagined for the first week of November.”
–Tim Bontemps
What the stats say about the new Knicks
Many triples for the Knicks…
The Knicks’ most notable stylistic change lies in their shot distribution, as they have incorporated the 3-pointer more frequently than ever under Thibodeau.
Last season, New York ranked 28th in 3-point attempt percentage, but in the 2025-26 season, they rank fifth, with 48% of their shots coming from beyond the arc. Only the Cavaliers, Celtics, Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns — who were also among the teams that attempted the most three-pointers last season — have recorded a higher percentage of three-pointers compared to their total attempts than New York.
Curiously, apart from the centers Robinson and Ariel Hukporti, The team’s two lowest three-point percentages are Towns (35% of his shots) and Brunson (37%), indicating that the Knicks’ role players are primarily dedicated to space the floor around stars.
As a team, the Knicks made 36.9% of their three-pointers last season, and so far in the 2025-26 season they are at 36.5%. But the increase in attempts means they have gone from 24th in 3-pointers made to a tie for third.
…And for his opponents
The same dynamic has also been seen on defense: New York allowed the sixth-lowest percentage of three-point attempts last season, but this season they have allowed the fourth-most; 46% of their rivals’ attempts have been from beyond the arc.
New York does not allow more three-pointers because it has intensified its defense near the rim. Instead, their rivals have converted a portion of their low-value mid-range attempts into higher-value three-pointers. And those opponents are taking advantage of those extra attempts, making 39.6% of their three-pointers, the second-highest percentage in the NBA.
It is worth mentioning that this data could be conditioned by the schedule, since the Knicks have already faced the Cavaliers and the Celtics, who rank first and second in percentage of three-point attempts, respectively, without facing any team from the bottom of the league. Still, it’s worth watching to see if the Knicks’ defense can better stop the onslaught of 3-pointers as the season progresses.
A less dominant Brunson with the ball
On an individual level, no one controlled the ball more than Brunson last season. According to GeniusIQ’s tracking system, 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 stats have declined across the board; these figures have fallen to 431 dribbles, 7.7 minutes and 4.8 seconds, respectively.
A related change is the drastic decrease in how often Brunson takes pick-and-rolls. According to GeniusIQhandled the ball on 55 picks per 100 possessions last season, second most in the NBA, trailing only Bring Young. But this season he ranks 12th among highest-volume ball handlers, with 43 picks per 100 possessions, as Brown attempts to democratize the offensive load.
More passes at hand
One of the most evident stylistic features of the attack of the Sacramento Kings under Brown’s direction was the pass to the hando, and the Knicks have followed suit with their new coach. They ranked 14th with 23 handoffs per 100 possessions last season, according to GeniusIQ, but this season they have moved up to first place with 43 handoffs per 100.
Brown’s Kings relied so much on the hand pass thanks to Domantas Sabonisthe offensive axis, who has led the league individually for five consecutive years. However, in New York it is more of a collective effort, using all types of hand passes to initiate their plays.
Towns and Brunson have more than doubled their number of handoffs from last season. Mikal Bridges has almost quadrupled it. The new substitute center, Guerschon Yabusele, has joined the trend, and Robinson is recording the highest frequency of his career in the first two games.
As part of their increased emphasis on sharing the ball, the Knicks have gone from 18th in passes per game last season to fifth in the 2025-26 season.
Bad luck in shooting
You’d expect greater diversification to translate into better results for New York, but the Knicks are just 4-3 with the 12th-best offense in the league, having finished last season with 51 wins and the fifth-best offense. There’s no reason to panic, however, as the Knicks are likely to move up the ranks quickly as their fortunes improve.
According to a GeniusIQ data analysis, the Knicks have scored 47 points less than expected based on shot quality and type of shooter, while their opponents have exceeded the expected point total by 45 points. In short, the Knicks have had bad luck on both ends of the court; their -92 point differential, based on shooting luck, is by far the largest in the league. (The second worst difference is Indiana Pacers with a balance of 1-6, with -62 points).
–Zach Kram
