The NBA Has A New York Knicks Problem…

The NBA Has A New York Knicks Problem…

When you look at this team, these guys have great personalities. They’ve obviously had great success this past season. There’s not a ton of tweaking that needs to be done. Yes, you mentioned it in your talks. Getting over the hump, that will be on the shoulders of Mike Brown. But in terms of having an organization that is already committed to winning, that has been well established. Two seasons ago, the Knicks broke through to the conference semifinals. Last season they went even further, reaching the conference finals for the first time in over two decades. Took it the other way. Under three to play in the third. Brunson with a three. Get it. And the foul. And the foul. And now for the first time since the year 2000, the New York Knicks are staring down the possibility of an NBA Finals run. Because this isn’t the same old Knicks team. This is a team that’s modern, dangerous, and deep. Led by a coach who knows exactly how to squeeze every ounce of potential out of its roster. With continuity, firepower, and an EN conference that’s never been more vulnerable, the Knicks are in a position to do something we haven’t seen in a generation. And the NBA is not ready for it. The Knicks entered the 24-25 season with something they hadn’t felt in a long time, real championship expectations. A blockbuster off season landed them both male Bridges and Carl Anthony Towns, giving New York the kind of roster built for a deep playoff run. With Tom Thibido leading a defensiveminded, battle tested squad, the Knicks rolled through the regular season, winning 51 games, locking up a top three seed in the East and closing the year on fire with 10 wins in their last 13 games. Their opening round matchup was with the young and hungry Detroit Pistons. and the Knicks dropped game one at Madison Square Garden, but the Knicks responded, taking the next four of five games to close the series in six. Next up was the conference semi-finals against their long-term rivals, the defending champion Boston Celtics. Despite entering the series as underdogs, New York delivered one of the biggest statements of the postseason, pulling off a 4-2 upset to advance to their first conference finals in over two decades. Waiting for them was the fourth seated Indiana Pacers and the Knicks finally ran out of steam as Indiana closed them out in six games, ending what was both a historic and imperfect season. On one hand, the 2025 Knicks were a clear success story as they fell just two wins short of the NBA finals, and this was still the most successful Knicks season in decades. On the other hand, the opportunity was there. New York had enough talent to get past Indiana, but they never looked like they fully tapped into their ceiling. Their biggest flaws showed when it mattered most. Over reliance on the starters and a lack of reliable depth. Once their main lineup became predictable and the offense slowed, they simply had no extra gears to run to. The Knicks shortcomings came down to coaching choices and front office mishaps. They added Carl Anthony Towns and MueL Bridges, but lost toughness and depth with Isaiah Hartenstein and Dante Danchenzo gone, taking rebounding, muscle, clutch shooting, and intangibles with them. That left the starters carrying a massive load, logging 940 minutes together, the most of any lineup in the league by far. Meanwhile, the bench was non-existent, averaging the fewest minutes and points in the NBA. As magical as the playoff run was, it only exposed the same flaw. New York needed bench scoring and never had it. Going into the off season, the Knicks knew exactly where they stood. The Eastern Conference was already thinning out with multiple contenders set to miss stars for most of next year. The younger team still had to prove they were ready to make the leap. And even after falling to Indiana, New York had something few others did, a veteran roster stacked with players in their prime. with a screen. Brunson step back. Got it. And a foundation strong enough to compete right now. So the goal wasn’t fireworks. It was fine tuning. Keep the core intact and finally fix the one flaw that haunted them all season long. Depth. Because the starters were already legit. The problem was what happened when they sat. and a bench that can actually hold or even extend leads is the difference between being a contender and being a champion. So far, that’s exactly what they’ve gone out and built. The Knicks added instant scoring off the bench by signing Jordan Clarkson on a vet minimum deal. They brought in forward Gershon Yabisale on a 2-year contract. And in late free agency, they created a competition for the final roster spots with Landry Shamut and Malcolm Brogdom battling it out. Given their limited resources, the Knicks managed to retool their bench and check off their biggest weakness. And they did it without breaking apart the core. Starting with Jordan Clarkson, his production has dipped a bit since his peak years in Utah, going from nearly 21 points per game as a starter to about 17 a night in 28 minutes off the bench over the last two seasons, shooting around 40% from the field. But even with that decline, Clarkson still brings exactly what the Knicks have been missing, scoring off the bench. Since 2020, no player in the NBA has scored more points as a reserve. Clarkson has racked up 4,589 bench points in that span, which is 707 more than the next closest player. And when it comes to big nights, very few bench scorers in NBA history can match him. Clarkson has scored 40 or more off the bench four times. the second most ever and has dropped 30 or more off the bench 17 times, tied for the fifth most in league history. This is what he does. For New York, the fit couldn’t be clearer. Last season, the Knicks ranked dead last in bench scoring at just 21.7 points per game. The former six-man of the year now fills that void. And if he can give them that same kind of offensive spark he provided for years, Clarkson could be the missing piece that finally stabilizes New York’s second unit. Something they’ve been searching for ever since Emanuel quickly left two seasons ago. But at 33 years old, with injuries limiting him to just 153 games over the past three seasons, Jordan Clarkson does come with some risk. The Knicks recognize that, which is why they also brought in Malcolm Brogden. Brogden getting downhill goes up strong and the pitch goes nut giving themselves another layer of stability in the back court. Brogden is the polar opposite of Clarkson where Clarkson is splashy. Brogden is surgical. Over nine NBA seasons, he’s averaged 15 points, nearly five assists, and four rebounds per game. Thriving in both on ball creation and offball shooting roles. Last season in Washington was rough. Just 24 games played, a career low, and a career worse, 29% from three. But zoom out a little, and the numbers tell a different story. From 2022 to 2024, Brogden shot 43% from three, the fourth best mark in the league amongst players with at least 300 attempts. What makes him valuable is his versatility. He thrives in the pick and roll, makes the simple read, and punishes defenses that leave him open. He can run the second unit, slide into the starting lineup as an offg guard, and he won’t crumble in late game situations. Plus, his resume speaks for itself. Rookie of the year in 2017, six-man of the year in 2023. For the Knicks, he provides exactly what they’ve lacked. A reliable secondary ball handler, a steady late clock decision maker, and a bench piece that raises the team’s floor. And while he isn’t expected to cut into Clarkson’s minutes, Brogden gives New York something they haven’t had in years. Insurance. If Clarkson misses time, the offense doesn’t fall apart. And to round out their bench additions, the Knicks signed Gershon Yabasale. Just 14 months ago, Yabasale was still carrying the draft bust label. A 2016 lottery pick out of France. He never lived up to the hype in Boston. In 74 games across two seasons, he averaged just 2.3 points and 1.4 rebounds. And before long, he was out of the league. From there, he bounced around. A season in China, then a few years back in Europe with Lyon and Real Madrid. But everything changed on France’s silver medal run at the Olympics where Yaba Sele turned heads with a huge performances. 22 points against Canada, 17 against Germany, and 20 against team USA. Suddenly, NBA teams started calling again. The Sixers took the gamble with a one-year $2.1 million deal, and it paid off. Yabisle averaged 11 points, six rebounds, and two assists while shooting 50% from the field and nearly 38% from three. When Joel Embiid went down, Yabis slid into a small ball five roll, spacing the floor, punishing Mitch matches, and holding his own defensively. That run earned him his first real NBA payday. A 2-year 11.7 million contract with the Knicks. At £240, Yabisle is a versatile big man who can score inside, stretch the floor, and defend multiple positions. He can bully smaller players in the post, body up against bigger forwards, and give the Knicks the flexibility they didn’t have last season. And coming off another strong Euro basket performance this summer, Yaba Sale looks ready for the challenge. None of these moves were splashy, but together they directly addressed one flaw that derailed the Knicks last season. And that’s the difference. For the first time in decades, the Knicks don’t just have a strong starting five. They have one of the deepest benches in the NBA. Here comes Clarkson. Clarkson wiggles into a three and hits. And that depth could be what pushes them from a Eastern Conference Finals team to the favorites to come out of the East. But as solid as their bench upgrades were, the Knicks most consequential move came at the very top after falling to the rival paces in six games in the Eastern Conference Finals. New York decided it was time for a coaching change, firing Tom Thibido. Despite delivering the franchise’s most successful season since 1999, their coaching search was messy, full of misses on luring away sitting head coaches. But ultimately, the Knicks landed Mike Brown, a two-time NBA coach of the year and one of the league’s most respected voices. Brown had actually interviewed for the Knicks job back in 2020, leaving a strong impression even though Thibido was already the favorite. Two summers later, he took over the Kings and delivered their best two-year stretch in nearly two decades. In his first season as Sacramento’s head coach in 2223, Mike Brown orchestrated one of the most remarkable turnarounds in recent memory. The Kings won 48 games, their most since 2005, and claimed the third seed in the West, snapping the longest active playoff drought in North American pro sports. Even more impressive, they did it with a historic offense, averaging 118.6 points per 100 possessions, the most efficient attack since play-by-play tracking began in 9697. They also put up 120.7 points per game, the highest mark since the 8384 Denver Nuggets. Brown’s efforts earned him his second NBA coach of the year award, and he became the first coach ever to win it by unanimous vote. The following year, Sacramento still reached 46 wins, but a sluggish 13-8 start to the 24-25 season cost Brown his job. Even so, his resume speaks for itself. Beyond Sacramento, he has coached the Cavaliers and Lakers and built a winning pedigree as an assistant on championship teams in both San Antonio and Golden State. He was on the Spurs bench for the 2003 title and with the Warriors for their 2017, 2018, and 22 championships, famously going 12-0 as acting head coach during the 2017 postseason when Steve Kerr was sidelined. Overall, Brown owns a 454 to 304 career record across 11 seasons with seven campaigns of at least 45 wins. Now he takes over a Knicks team with real championship aspirations and Brown’s first priority will be reshaping the team’s offensive identity. Under Thibido, the Knicks leaned heavily on Brunson’s isolation scoring, ranking near the bottom of the league in ball and player movement. Brown, by contrast, has long emphasized space, pace, and ball movement, an approach that fueled Sacramento’s rise. And that that is three turnovers in the last four possessions to start. Oh wow. Expect more cutting, passing, and off ball action designed to generate easier looks and reduce the offensive burden on Brunson. During his time in Sacramento, Mike Brown made pace a priority. His Kings didn’t just look to score in transition. They pushed the ball up the floor early in possessions to open up options. That’s something recent Nick Knicks teams badly needed. Under Thibido, New York ranked in the bottom five in pace every season, and they were among the league’s slowest at initiating offense. According to Second Spectrum, it took them 4.54 seconds on average to reach the front court, the fourth slowest in the NBA. That delay meant less time to create good looks, and as a result, 21.9% of their shots came in the final 6 seconds of the shot clock. In the playoffs, that number jumped to 26.7%. And while the Knicks held their own in late clock situations, efficiency across the league plummets in those moments. Browns Kings by comparison cross the front court in just 3.99 seconds, the fastest mark in the league. It wasn’t just about running. It was about mindset. Playing with pace was ingrained into their team identity and Brown will look to instill that same approach in New York. Defensively, the adjustment may be even more crucial. Under Thibido, both Jaylen Brunson and Carl Anthony Towns were frequently exposed in pick and roll actions. Tibs rarely countered with zone coverages, and it showed in the conference finals when Indiana relentlessly attacked those matchups. Brown, however, has shown more flexibility. In Sacramento, his teams ranked just 20th in total zone possessions, but still played zone 34 times more than the Knicks did during the same span. That willingness to mix coverages could be a key to protecting Towns while limiting his exposure on the perimeter. With Mitchell Robinson back healthy, Brown may also lean into bigger lineups. Towns and Robinson shared only 47 regular season minutes last year, but logged 165 playoff minutes together. The results were mixed offensively, but defensively the Knicks allowed just 105.2 two points per 100 possessions in those stretches and crushed opponents on the glass. With Brown’s tactical flexibility, expect him to explore frontcourt combinations that both mask weaknesses and maximize New York’s size advantage. When it comes to maximizing stars, Mike Brown has a proven track record, and now he has two elite scorers to work with in Jaylen Brunson and Carl Anthony Towns. Both are already among the league’s most dangerous offensive weapons. But in a high-powered system like Browns, their value could climb even higher. Just look at what he did in Sacramento where Darren Fox and Deontis Sabonis powered an offense that ranked first in points per game and offensive rating in 223. Despite having less overall talent than this Knicks roster, all in all, expect Brown to import elements from Sacramento’s system. The Kings thrived on pace and spacing, often creating transition threes by sprinting into set positions. That could mean MueL Bridges and OG Anobi flying to the corners, Brunson spotting up more often, and Towns trailing for open threes. The Knicks, who finished bottom three in three-point attempt rate last season, should see that number spike under Brown’s direction. The formula is simple. Faster pace, more movement, more spacing. The Knicks already have the core talent and improve depth. Now, the biggest X factor is Brown himself. If he can coax more flow offensively and add just a touch of creativity defensively, the Knicks won’t just be contenders, they could be the team everyone else in the East is chasing. And speaking of steamrolling the league, it will never be easier than this season for the Knicks given the level of competition in the Eastern Conference. Take Cleveland for example. They went 64 and 18 last year. the best record in the conference, but once again they failed to reach the Eastern Conference Finals. Add in the injuries to Garland and Struce and suddenly a loaded roster looks vulnerable. Orlando is next in line. They added Desmond Bane and Tus Jones and they’re deeper than ever. But as good as this team looks on paper, the real question is whether Paulo Banchurro is ready to lead a legitimate contender just yet. Atlanta is the wild card. Porzingis gives them a new weapon and their core has been revamped. but they’re a complete mystery box. They could be a top four team in the East or a playing team all over again. Then there’s Detroit. Young, exciting, and finally with some shooting and wings to balance their lineup. They’re probably a year away from really scaring anybody, but don’t be surprised if they sneak up on a few teams this season. And of course, the Bucks. No Damian Lillard this time around, and they’ve reloaded with Miles Turner. As long as Giannis is healthy, Milwaukee will always be a threat. But compared to years past, this is the lightest the East has looked in a long time, which is exactly why the Knicks are primed to take advantage. The Knicks should seize this moment because they look stronger and more complete than any team in the East. Jaylen Brunson cemented his superstar status last season, averaging 26 points and 7.3 assists while taking home Kia Clutch player of the year. Carl Anthony Towns wasted no time fitting in, earning his fifth all-star nod as a versatile scoring big. On the wings, OG Anobi, Mikuel Bridges, and Josh Hart formed one of the league’s toughest perimeter trios, combining defense, toughness, and timely offense. With the core locked in and the bench finally reinforced, New York enters the season armed for a deep run. After years of scrapping for relevance, the Knicks aren’t just knocking on the door anymore. They’re ready to blow it off the hinges. This isn’t just about talent. It’s about timing, opportunity, and belief. For the first time in 25 years, New York has its best chance to take over the East. Last season’s gritty run reignited hope at Madison Square Garden. Now, Knicks fans are daring to dream of banner number three. But what do you think? Are the Knicks true contenders this season, or is there still another step to take? Drop your take in the comments, and don’t forget to like and subscribe. And if you enjoyed this video, maybe you could check out one of the ones on your screen right now.

The New York Knicks are officially back — and the NBA has a serious problem. In this video, we break down how the Knicks have transformed into one of the most dangerous and exciting teams in basketball, powered by Jalen Brunson’s rise to superstardom.

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