Andre Drummond didn’t light up the box score in the Knicks’ preseason opener, and that’s not really the point. The numbers that matter here are the five rebounds and three blocks, because New York isn’t looking for another center to duplicate Karl-Anthony Towns’ offense. It needs someone who can hold things together while Towns sits.
Drummond gave the Knicks at least a reason to keep digging. In Monday’s 120-97 loss to Philadelphia, he posted six points, five boards and three blocks, and Colin Martin’s SNY account had him as one of Mike Brown’s first four players off the bench. Even with other centers in the mix, he got an early look.
That’s where the preseason gets useful. Drummond doesn’t need a big, complicated offensive role.
The cleaner test is whether he can screen, roll, rebound and protect the paint while the guards handle the shot creation. If the spacing around him is good enough, the defense can’t just collapse into the lane without paying for it.
There’s a real payoff if that setup works. Brown could give Towns a breather without forcing the backup center into a version of the offense that isn’t built for him. The bench can score in simpler ways - second chances, pick-and-roll, hustle possessions - while keeping the job description clear.
Drummond also shouldn’t need post-ups to stay engaged. His value is in making life easier for the guards and turning missed shots into extra possessions, not in taking touches away from the players who are supposed to carry the scoring load.
Of course, the defensive questions don’t stop at the rim. Three blocks are nice, but they don’t tell the whole story about pick-and-roll coverage, footwork, or how a center recovers after helping on a drive. That’s part of what the Knicks need to sort out against Washington tonight.
If opponents drag him away from the basket and start finding clean looks, Brown has every reason to turn to someone else or a different lineup. Drummond’s rebounding can’t erase that problem. The role has to work against real matchups, not just in a tidy stat line.
James Wiseman is still in the conversation, too, after finishing the opener with eight points and five rebounds. The Knicks don’t need to treat Drummond’s experience like a trump card, and they also don’t need to reshuffle the pecking order just because Wiseman scored two more points in limited minutes.
Tonight is another chance to see it in motion. Give Drummond an early run, watch whether the Knicks get the stop, finish the rebound and turn it into a decent shot at the other end.
If that keeps happening, Brown has something worth using. If not, the preseason is exactly the time to find out.
In Other News...
Mike Brown Just Gave Knicks Fans Another Championship-Era Moment
Mike Brown is still riding the glow of a title season, and a new off-court clip gave Knicks fans another reminder of the championship aura he has brought to New York. A video making the rounds showed Brown in a loose, celebratory mood alongside a familiar winner from the citys football past, a crossover that fit the vibe of an event built around champions and children.
The scene had the easygoing feel of a room full of winners who know exactly what kind of stage they are on, with Brown fresh off his first NBA championship as a head coach after the Knicks captured both the NBA Cup and the NBA Finals in 2025-26. For Knicks fans, it was a small but fun kind of validation - the sort of moment that does not change the standings, but does reinforce that the coach they watched lift trophies can still command a crowd when the lights are off and the music gets going. [Read more 🡒]
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The larger issue is that none of the social-media intrigue has been verified, and the timing of the alleged messages remains unclear. For Knicks fans, it is another reminder that Anunobys profile only keeps rising after his role in New Yorks 2026 NBA Finals run, even if this latest wave of attention has little to do with basketball and a lot to do with what people think they saw on their screens. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Brown Is Already Sending A Message Knicks Fans Will Notice
A sluggish preseason opener against the 76ers gave Mike Brown an early teaching moment, and he wasted no time using it. After the loss, the new Knicks coach called out the teams physicality and hustle, then carried that message into practice as the competition for rotation spots starts to take shape.
Brown made clear the job security picture is different for the starters than it is for the reserves, and that distinction is already being felt around camp. For the players on the bench, the message is simple enough: nothing is coming easy, and every minute will have to be won the hard way. [Read more 🡒]