How Mike Brown’s Bold Experimentation Is Raising the Ceiling for the Knicks
With just under a minute left in the third quarter of the NBA Cup Championship, Jalen Brunson made his way to the scorer’s table. Knicks fans knew the drill - Brunson had just checked out a couple minutes earlier, but with the team trailing, it was time to get their closer back on the floor.
But what happened next wasn’t business as usual.
Tyler Kolek, who had been holding his own in Brunson’s absence, didn’t head to the bench. Instead, Mike Brown kept him out there with Brunson. The two shared the court for the next nine minutes of game time - 12 of the final 14 - and during that stretch, the Knicks flipped a 7-point deficit into a 5-point lead and never looked back, sealing a statement win over the Spurs.
Sure, to most fans around the league, it was just an exhibition. But for Knicks fans, it was a moment of validation.
A sign that the team’s transformation under Mike Brown is more than just a trend - it’s a strategic evolution. One that’s been building for nearly two months.
Brown has brought a new energy to New York, and it’s not just about Xs and Os - it’s about flexibility. After five seasons of Tom Thibodeau’s structured, grind-it-out approach, Brown’s willingness to tinker feels like a breath of fresh air.
Thibs had his strengths - no one questioned his preparation or intensity - but his rotations were set in stone. You knew who was playing, when they were playing, and how long they were staying in.
This season? It’s a different story.
Last year, five Knicks averaged over 35 minutes per game. This year, only Brunson is over that mark - and just barely at 35.1.
Only four players are even logging over 30 minutes. That’s not just a stat - it’s a window into how this team is being built.
Brown is experimenting, testing combinations, and searching for the optimal version of this roster.
Take Karl-Anthony Towns, for instance. Last season, he shared the floor with Josh Hart for 81% of his non-garbage-time minutes.
This year? That number’s down to 55%.
That shift has opened the door for more true five-out lineups - the kind that maximize Towns’ greatest weapon: his shooting gravity.
And Hart? He’s thriving in this new system too.
With fewer total minutes but more lineup variety, Hart has become the ultimate utility piece. In bigger lineups, he’s crashing the offensive glass.
In smaller, faster units without a clear initiator, he’s pushing the tempo and making plays in transition. He’s not being overextended - he’s being optimized.
Mike Brown’s influence goes beyond rotation changes. His lineups are a reflection of intent.
One night the Knicks are playing big and slow, pounding the paint. The next, they’re flying up the floor with a small-ball group that thrives on chaos.
It’s not randomness - it’s calculated exploration. Brown is using the regular season as a laboratory, testing different formulas to see which ones have the highest ceiling.
Look at Brunson’s role. His usage and touches per game are up - no surprise there.
But here’s the twist: his average seconds per touch and dribbles per touch have dropped significantly. Translation?
Brown is getting Brunson off the ball more, letting him attack defenses in motion, and it’s working. Not only is Brunson maintaining his All-NBA level impact, but the ripple effect is lifting the rest of the roster.
OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and Miles McBride are all posting career-best seasons by Estimated Plus-Minus (EPM), per Dunksandthrees.
That’s the kind of development you need if you’re serious about contending.
The Knicks don’t just want to be good - they want to be great. And that means finding a way to elevate the entire roster, not just leaning on Brunson to carry them every night. Brown’s system is doing exactly that.
And here’s the kicker: it’s only December.
This time last year, the Knicks were riding a nine-game win streak in the middle of a 19-4 tear - a stretch that ultimately became the high-water mark of their season. That team felt like it had found its identity.
This one? It’s still searching, still evolving, still throwing darts at the board to see what sticks.
And that’s a good thing.
They’re playing with confidence, but also curiosity. They believe they belong among the East’s elite, but they’re not pretending to have all the answers just yet. Brown is using the regular season to find them, even if it means sacrificing a win or two along the way.
Replacing Thibodeau wasn’t about dissatisfaction - it was about ambition. Knicks fans would’ve gladly ridden out the Brunson era as it was: a tough, gritty team that showed up every night and gave the Garden something to believe in.
But the front office wanted more. They wanted to see what this core could really become, even if it meant introducing some risk.
Even if it meant taking a step back to eventually take two forward.
And that’s exactly what Brown is doing.
He’s not just coaching - he’s exploring. One night, the Knicks roll out a massive frontcourt with Mitchell Robinson, Towns, and Anunoby that overwhelms opponents in the paint (+28 per 100 possessions in 42 minutes). The next, they’re running and gunning with Brunson, McBride, and Bridges, a trio that’s already a +17 per 100 in 180 minutes despite McBride’s injury hiccups.
This roster has the talent to win now. If they wanted to, they could tighten the rotation, stick to what’s worked, and probably rack up a bunch of regular-season wins.
But that’s not the mission. They’re not trying to confirm what works - they’re trying to discover what works best.
That’s a subtle distinction, but it could make all the difference when the playoffs arrive.
Mike Brown is building a team that’s not just ready to compete - he’s building one that’s prepared to adapt, to pivot, and to punch above its weight when it matters most. And if this continues, the rest of the East might want to start paying closer attention.
Because the Knicks aren’t just experimenting for fun. They’re experimenting to win.