The Knicks may have found a way to unlock two pieces at once by putting Karl-Anthony Towns at the center of the offense.
During New York’s first-round Eastern Conference Playoffs run, the team was down 2-1 when Towns started functioning as more than a scorer. He wasn’t bringing the ball up to initiate every possession, but he did become the hub of the offense, with the Knicks feeding him and letting the rest of the attack flow from there. That setup gave Towns a chance to work as a playmaker while OG Anunoby attacked with physical cuts and Jalen Brunson kept moving off the ball.
Miles McBride was one of the players that benefited from that structure, even if his playoff numbers never fully took off. He was still working his way back from sports hernia surgery, and his postseason line reflected that.
McBride hit 37.5% of his 3-point attempts, but that came on just 4.2 tries per game, well below the 6.6 he averaged in the regular season. He made only a third of his field goals overall, and his drop in production lined up with both reduced minutes and the limitations that came with recovery.
Tom Thibodeau used to say that "everyone's got something" once the postseason arrives, and McBride was one of the more obvious examples of that idea.
The bigger picture for the Knicks points to next season, when McBride should be fully healthy from the start and entering a contract year. The deal many fans saw as an all-time bargain is now nearing its end, and the timing lines up with a team that already sounds eager to keep leaning into Towns as a creator.
Alan Hahn reported that an assistant coach could barely contain themselves while talking about what the offense could become if Towns keeps handling possessions that way.
McBride still brings plenty to the table. He’s an elite defender, one of the Knicks’ best 3-point shooters in recent memory when both accuracy and volume are part of the equation, and his mentality has stood out even without much spotlight. But he isn’t the kind of guard who lives by breaking down the defense and firing passes all over the floor.
That’s where the fit gets interesting. McBride is the kind of teammate Towns can keep finding, and if the Knicks keep building around that look, the 2026-27 campaign could be a big one for both of them.
In Other News...
Adam Silver Just Put The Knicks Title Window Under Pressure
Adam Silver did not exactly hide the leagues intentions when he said shortened title windows are part of the salary-cap design, and that general managers are supposed to be juggling basketball decisions with business realities. For the Knicks, that lands like a warning shot. Their current core has put them in position to chase big things, but the same roster strength that makes them dangerous also pushes them toward the financial line that can make keeping everyone together much harder.
Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns sit at the center of that squeeze, with the Knicks trying to map out how long this group can stay intact without triggering the kind of penalties that force painful choices. The front office may be able to keep the window open only by asking for sacrifices somewhere, whether that means contract flexibility, roster reshuffling, or losing a useful piece along the way. The challenge is not just building a contender in the present, but finding a way to avoid the cap trap that could make the next round of decisions even tougher. [Read more 🡒]
Andre Drummond Already Sounds Like A Knick Defending Captain Brunson
Andre Drummond is barely into his Knicks tenure and already sounds like he understands the room he walked into. Signed to fill the backup center role left by Mitchell Robinson, Drummond brings a different look to New Yorks frontcourt, with his calling card still centered on offensive rebounding and physical work around the basket.
The fit, though, comes with the usual tradeoffs. Robinsons touch near the rim has long been a strength for the Knicks, while Drummonds value has more often come from extra possessions than finishing efficiency, so the comparison is not a simple one-for-one swap. Even so, Drummond has already shown a willingness to publicly back Jalen Brunson in the kind of way that tends to play well with a fan base that has embraced its captain. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Fans Finally Got The Brunson Update They Needed
Jalen Brunsons offseason has already taken a turn that matters to the Knicks, even in the wake of the championship celebration. The guard had surgery on his left wrist shortly after the title run ended, and any time a lead ballhandler is dealing with a hand or wrist issue, the early stages of recovery tend to draw extra attention from a team that will lean on him heavily again.
There is reason for optimism around Brunsons path back, especially with the way similar offseason injuries can go in the NBA. The comparison to Jalen Williams serves as a reminder that these situations can become tricky if the recovery stalls, but so far Brunsons outlook appears to be the more encouraging one, which is exactly the kind of update Knicks fans were waiting to hear. [Read more 🡒]