The New York Knicks’ coaching search following the firing of Tom Thibodeau wasn’t exactly the smoothest process, but the early returns from the Mike Brown regime have given fans reason for excitement and optimism. With the necessary caveat that it’s only been two preseason games, there are obvious stylistic changes on the offensive end — an area where the team occasionally went stagnant under Thibs.
While the Knicks had the fifth-best offense in the entire NBA during the 2024-25 regular season, their production dropped significantly in the playoffs — from 117 points per 100 possessions to just under 113. When Jalen Brunson had his infrequent and brief stints on the bench during the postseason, the offense cratered to a dismal 100 points per 100 possessions, surely a factor in team president Leon Rose making the decision to part ways with Thibodeau.
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Enter Brown, who engineered one of the most aesthetically appealing offenses in the league with the Sacramento Kings, finishing first in offensive rating in their magical 2022-23 season. Brown got creative, using center Domantas Sabonis as a hub, surrounding him with dribble hand-off options and constant player movement.
In their two preseason games in Abu Dhabi, the Knicks have already looked more dynamic and unpredictable offensively.
“A lot more player movement, ball movement,” Knicks guard Miles McBride said of Brown’s offense on Media Day. “Last year, at times, we got stagnant and we depended on a lot of isolation shots, which is tough down the stretch. This year, it’s going to be a little more freedom with the movement and a lot of guys cutting, guys getting active.”
To McBride’s point, check out this possession from last postseason, in which Brunson dribbles around for 18 seconds while the other four Knicks stand virtually motionless watching him go to work.
Obviously, there was much more to Thibodeau’s offense than that, but too often the Knicks relied on Brunson — one of the league’s best isolation scorers — to create buckets entirely on his own. With players like Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby surrounding him, it only makes sense that they would share more of the offensive burden. That would not only give Brunson some much-needed relief, but it would also keep opposing defenses on their toes.
“He’s starting to adjust. You can see it,” Brown said of Brunson after the Knicks’ 113-104 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday. “I think this is going to be good for him, because you can see how much space he has when he brings the ball.”
You can see here how Brown is attempting to empower Towns — a 7-footer with guard skills — to be more assertive on the perimeter, as he was at times with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
“We’re going to move him around a lot. He’s not just going to play the five,” Brown said of Towns. “He’ll be all over the floor. His ability to shoot the basketball will show because we’re going to move him around.”
Brown also wants to push the pace more than the Knicks did under Thibs. Last season, New York ranked in the middle of the pack with 16 fast-break points per game. In their two preseason outings thus far, they’ve logged 19 and 24, respectively. Brown said he wanted his team to play even faster after the preseason opener, and he thought the pace was better in their second game. Watch here as Anunoby gets the rebound and feels Philadelphia 76ers forward Kelly Oubre Jr. on his hip. Since nobody stops him, he turns on the afterburners and gets all the way to the hoop, where he feeds Mitchell Robinson for the easy dunk.
Will the newfound emphasis on pace and ball movement last throughout the season? Who knows. It might not even last until opening night. But it’s clear that Brown has come in with a different offensive game plan, and that’s a large reason why he was hired.