Mike Brown doesn’t have to rebuild the Knicks’ defense from scratch this season. That continuity has been the backbone of their early success, even while the offense has taken a little longer to find its footing.
By the time the Knicks were deep into their title run, the defensive overhaul Brown and his staff had put in place was already paying off. Early in the year, players and coaches were pointing to Darren Erman, the holdover assistant from Tom Thibodeau’s staff, for helping reshape the team’s defensive approach with defensive coordinator Brendan O’Connor. That work carried through the playoffs and into the championship push, when New York flipped a 2-1 deficit against the sixth-seeded Atlanta Hawks by leaning into Karl-Anthony Towns’ playmaking on offense and Josh Hart’s on-ball defense.
Now, with the Knicks opening their 2026 title defense, Brown has more freedom to tinker. He’s been experimenting with offensive roles and even adjusting the depth chart. But on defense, the group has looked locked in through 10 games.
That’s the advantage of keeping so much of the championship core together. Brown can keep testing schemes, and the regular season will eventually wear on players and create mistakes. Still, the basic structure the staff settled on by February is already second nature to the returning roster.
The offseason did bring one major change. Mitchell Robinson signed a three-year contract with the Boston Celtics, leaving the Knicks unable to match his market because they refused to go past the salary cap’s apron.
Leon Rose’s front office responded by bringing in Andre Drummond. Beyond the Mount Vernon native, though, the roster remains largely intact from the championship team.
That familiarity matters on both sides of the ball. Brown has been giving players like OG Anunoby more room to create offense, and Tyler Kolek has been making things interesting for Jose Alvarado with his play off the bench. But opposing teams still know what New York wants to do defensively, and the Knicks have still managed to stay a step ahead for the most part.
After dropping their first three games, New York has won six of seven and entered Wednesday night’s matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers on a four-game winning streak, with each of those wins coming by double digits.
In Other News...
Knicks Are Taking Another Intriguing Swing Fans Will Want To Watch
Rob Dillingham is headed toward another stop in his young pro career, and it could give Knicks fans a closer look at one of the more intriguing guards from the 2024 draft. The eighth pick is expected to join the Westchester Knicks, pending the NBA waiver process, after spending the stretch since late September unsigned. Toronto reportedly looked at bringing him in on a two-way deal before going in another direction, a reminder that teams around the league still see some upside even if his early path has been uneven.
For New York, the move adds another name worth monitoring in the organizations development pipeline. Westchester has become a useful landing spot for players trying to rebuild momentum, and Dillingham arrives with the kind of talent that can make a G League stint more than just a placeholder. The next step will depend on the waiver process, but the broader picture is clear enough: the Knicks are taking a low-risk swing on a player whose long-term appeal still has plenty of believers. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Could Benefit From A Bucks Problem No One Saw Coming
Milwaukees offseason suddenly has a cloud hanging over it, and for the Knicks, that kind of uncertainty can create opportunity. The Bucks are reportedly under investigation for cap circumvention tied to Gary Trent Jr., with league insiders expecting a guilty finding that could cost them future draft picks. If that happens, the ripple effect could be bigger than any single punishment, especially if Milwaukee is pushed into a more cautious posture with its roster.
For New York, the appeal is obvious: a team that may need to reset could put useful frontcourt pieces on the market, and names like Jericho Sims and Kelel Ware would fit the kind of depth the Knicks are always hunting for. The question is what it would take to get involved, with Tyler Kolek or Miles McBride among the kinds of players New York could dangle if the Bucks decide to listen. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks May Be Sending A Bigger Message With Jordan Clarkson
Jordan Clarkson has quietly become one of the more interesting pieces in the Knicks early-season puzzle. He has appeared in nine of the teams first 10 games and, even as New York has gone through its share of mixed results, he has yet to post a negative plus-minus in any outing. For a roster still sorting out roles under Mike Brown, that kind of steady presence has made Clarkson worth watching beyond the usual scoring flash.
Browns handling of Clarksons minutes has also hinted at something bigger than a simple bench-scoring arrangement. The veteran guards versatility gives the Knicks another way to piece together lineups, and it comes at a time when the roster could still be in flux around both the backcourt and the front line. With trade chatter always hovering around guards and big men, Clarksons early usage may be telling us as much about the teams long-term thinking as it does about his own fit. [Read more 🡒]