The Knicks are back at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night, and even with the ring night and banner raising still set for the regular-season home opener on Oct. 20, there’s plenty to watch when they face the Washington Wizards in their first game at the building since winning the title.
For New York, this preseason game is less about the scoreboard and more about the minutes. Sunday’s game at Philadelphia gave a pretty clear read on how Mike Brown is sorting things out: the starters each logged 13-15 minutes, returning reserves got the better share of the backup run and, outside of Andre Drummond, a rotation lock, no newcomer played more than Bruce Brown’s 10 minutes.
That kind of distribution should keep shifting as the preseason goes on. The starters are expected to see their minutes rise, and familiar rotation pieces like Miles McBride and Landry Shamet should also get more run.
The real clues, though, will come from the players fighting for spots. With every game, the evaluation gets sharper and the margin for error gets thinner.
That puts James Wiseman and Ochai Agbaji squarely in focus. If either is going to make a serious push for a job, a strong night against Washington would help. How Brown chooses to use them - or limit them - could say a lot about where the competition stands.
Pacome Dadiet is another name worth tracking closely. The third-year Knick played 18 minutes Sunday, more than anyone else on the roster, and that number has only happened twice before in his career: once about a month into his rookie season and once in the final game of his second year.
If he keeps seeing that kind of time, it would mark the closest thing he’s had to consistent opportunity. Dadiet is still the youngest Knick and appears to be at the end of his rookie contract, which leaves New York with two clear paths: he makes a major leap and starts looking like part of the future, or he becomes part of a trade package for someone who better fills a need.
The 76ers game showed both sides of Dadiet’s profile. For long stretches, he was barely noticeable.
Then he hit a three and later knocked down a long two with almost casual ease. That’s been the story with him for the last few years: flashes that catch your eye, followed by stretches that don’t quite stick.
Thursday gives him another chance to make a case, whether that’s for his place in New York or for someone else’s interest.
The Wizards may not be able to say they’re tank-free, but their offseason moves - drafting AJ Dybantsa, trading for Anthony Davis and extending Trae Young - make the direction pretty easy to read. Washington is back to trying.
That should make this a useful test for the Knicks. They’ve already shown their starters and top bench pieces can handle the work.
Now comes a better chance to measure the rest of the group against a more serious opponent. Anthony Davis and Alex Sarr should tell New York a lot more about James Wiseman than Dean Wade and Saint Thomas ever could.
If the Wizards bring more resistance than the Sixers did, the Knicks should come away with even better information on the players still battling for their place. And for a defending champion, that’s the real point of a preseason night like this.
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 🡒]
OG Anunoby Is Suddenly At The Center Of A Viral Knicks Debate
OG Anunoby has become an unexpected talking point beyond the court after screenshots began circulating online that appear to show direct messages from the Knicks forward to digital influencer Erika Calabrese. The images have fueled a fresh round of online chatter because they suggest an invitation to New York City, and the buzz has quickly spread among fans already used to seeing Anunoby make his case in a far more straightforward way on the floor.
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 🡒]