TARRYTOWN, NEW YORK – JULY 08: Head coach of Mike Brown of the New York Knicks speaks to media … More during his introductory press conference at Knicks Training Facility on July 08, 2025 in Tarrytown, New York. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images)
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Pace is a catch-all term used by organizations to present a rosier future. It’ll usually come in conjunction with a rebuild, a new coaching staff, or a shake-up to the roster. The vibrancy of the ball pinging around the court and the players zipping up the floor feels like a fresh start, especially when a team has been languishing.
Mike Brown is seemingly going to be bringing that same kind of overhaul to the Knicks this upcoming season. The style that was played during summer league seems to be an indication of what Brown will be trying to institute to the club this year. The “.5 rule” will certainly be in effect, which means that players will have that amount of time to make a decision to pass, shoot or dribble the ball.
While there is certainly a ton of optimism over how it’ll play out there are still legitimate reasons to question its effectiveness.
Reasons for Optimism
Pace is a bit of a nebulous term because it can be showcased in a variety of ways. Just running up and down the court with no true process is not necessarily better just because you’re getting up more shots. There are consequences for playing that way that could result in more turnovers or just poor transition defense.
One of the main components of how pacing would work effectively for the Knicks is with getting into their offense more quickly. They ranked 29th in the NBA in time of possession after the opposition made a shot, which measures out to 18.4 seconds per possession. That’s partially a product of Jalen Brunson, who obviously is the driver of the Knicks’ offense, but the failure to move slowly has had consequences.
The tendency of the team to leisurely get into the first action of the offense hurt them deeply in the playoffs. It reduced the shot quality and led to an issue during the Tom Thibodeau era: limited offensive sets. Taking 10 seconds to run a set puts a lot of pressure on that first offensive play to work, and when it didn’t it often led to the team utilizing the heroics of Brunson or another isolation scorer.
Forcing players like Brunson to speed up the game should help out the team in getting players more involved and out of disadvantaged situations. For example, they may be better served slinging the ball up the court for hit ahead passes that can take advantage of matchups or of poor transition defense. Last season the Knicks took the 4th most shots in the NBA with four seconds or less on the shot clock, which has a lower percent chance of success compared to earlier in the clock. That philosophical change could be transformative for the team.
Mikal Bridges could benefit from more of an opportunity to have a hand in the offense. He wasn’t always efficient in the pick and roll in Brooklyn, but he certainly could stand to be featured more often in New York. Karl-Anthony Towns was notably a no-show when teams used smaller players to guard him. It could be easier to neutralize that tactic if the Knicks are able to run more sets to make sure that the cross matchups creates confusion among the defense and leads to more open shots. Allowing Brunson to cook during the closing minutes of fourth quarters while lessening his burden throughout the rest of the game could be a successful strategy that translates better to the playoffs.
Reasons for Concern
Well, is the offense really a problem? That’s what a reasonable fan could point to. The Knicks have had a top-seven offense in each of the past three seasons. The defense matching those numbers would make them a bonafide title contender without any doubt.
Part of the reason that the team has been able to be so effective on offense has been their ability to hold on to the ball. An offense that caters on less ball movement and running down the clock gives you a higher chance at taking a shot rather than turning the ball over. The Knicks have ranked in the top-10 twice over the past three years in turnover rate, which has helped them be so successful.
Changing that style could lead to more turnovers and a less efficient offense. It could also lead to a lesser version of the Jalen Brunson that has become one of the best players in the NBA. The likelihood is that he’ll be fine, but changing the style has the potential to cause a ripple effect on the team. The playoffs were an indicator of things that needed tweaking with the Knicks, but making the right fixes will be imperative to their success this year.