Andre Drummond may have offered the clearest sign yet that the Knicks are planning to play with more juice this season.
When the veteran big man talked about getting ready to join New York this summer, he said he went straight to Mike Brown and asked what he needed to improve before the 2026-27 campaign. Brown’s answer was simple: come back “in shape” and spend a lot of time “run”ning during summer workouts.
That detail stands out because it points to the kind of season the Knicks may be preparing to play. If Brown’s first priority for Drummond is conditioning and running, it sure sounds like the reigning champions want to push the tempo more than they have in recent years.
And that would be a noticeable change for a team that has spent a long stretch near the bottom of the league in pace. Since the Jalen Brunson era began in 2022, New York has regularly finished in the bottom six in pace, and last season was still only good enough for 25th.
The postseason told a different story. During the Knicks’ 16-3 run to the NBA Championship, they led the league in fastbreak points at 16.8 per game. That kind of production makes the case for turning defense into offense and getting out before the halfcourt defense can get set.
The roster fits that style, too. Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby and Jalen Brunson all bring real quickness, which gives Brown more options if he wants New York moving instead of grinding.
Brown had already been pushing transition offense early in his first season with the team, and Drummond now looks like he’s stepping into a group that may spend a lot more time running the floor than it has in the past.
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Andre Drummond May Be More Important To The Knicks Than Expected
Andre Drummonds first preseason turn in a Knicks uniform offered a quick glimpse of why Mike Brown sounds intrigued by what the veteran big man could bring. In 12 minutes against Minnesota, Drummond chipped in four points, four rebounds, three blocks and a steal, but Brown was just as focused on the communication and defensive presence he brought to the floor.
For a second unit that still needs to sharpen its overall defense, that sort of stabilizing voice could matter more than the box score suggests. Brown views Drummond as a possible organizer on that end, and the real question now is how clearly that role gets defined once the games start counting and how quickly his impact shows up in the regular season. [Read more 🡒]