The Knicks’ championship starting five did not exactly announce itself with a thunderclap in the opener.
Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Mikal Bridges all took the floor together against the Philadelphia 76ers, and the result was rough. In 12 combined minutes across 19 different lineups used by Coach Mike Brown, that group posted an offensive rating of 54.6, per NBA.com’s Advanced Stats page. The Knicks’ main unit was outplayed by a different look that put Drummond in for KAT and Deuce McBride in for Hart, with that group putting up an 83.3 OFFRTG in six minutes.
Philadelphia’s top group also found a way to mesh quickly. LeBron James, Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey, and V.J.
Edgecombe logged 16 minutes together and posted a 93.9 OFFRTG. That cohesion helped the Sixers erase a double-digit deficit and win the game.
Now the Knicks move on to Boston, and their starters get another early chance to sort themselves out against a different revamped opponent. It’s not the kind of night that should send alarms blaring. The opener came on a banner-raising, ring-wearing night, and the bigger point of the regular season will be figuring out what clicks and what doesn’t.
Boston brings its own question marks into the matchup. The Celtics are still sorting through life in the post-Jaylen Brown era, and they let a 22-point lead slip against the Detroit Pistons before falling 121-113. Detroit closed with a 23-0 run.
For New York, the hope is simple: the starting five starts looking more like the group that posted a 115 OFFRTG last year. If Boston’s defense keeps wobbling the way it did in Game 1, this could be a good spot for the Knicks to get rolling.
The focus starts with Brunson, who went 6-for-19 for 21 points in the opener, and Anunoby, who had a rough shooting night of his own. He hit just 1-for-9 from deep and finished 3-for-12 in 31 minutes, scoring 10 points.
That duo matters as much as any piece of this puzzle. Brunson and Anunoby shared the floor for 27 minutes against Philadelphia and turned in a 72.1 OFFRTG, a far cry from the 119.3 they carried last year.
The sample from 2025/2026 is larger, but the contrast is still stark. Both players are too good to stay that cold for long.
The Knicks also had success against Boston last season. With Towns, Anunoby, Hart, Bridges, and Brunson on the court together, they posted a 146.5 OFFRTG against the Celtics. That’s the kind of pop they’re chasing again, especially after the sluggish showing against the Sixers.
For now, it’s still one game and one emotional night. There’s a long season ahead, and plenty of time for Brown’s main unit to settle in. It’s only the first season of the week, after all.
In Other News...
Knicks Ring Ceremony Drama Took An Even Stranger Turn Under Dolan
Before tipoff against the 76ers, the Knicks had all the trappings of a standard ring ceremony, with players and coach Mike Brown receiving their rings as expected. But in the middle of what should have been a straightforward celebration, the night apparently took on a more awkward edge for parts of the staff, with some Knicks assistants said not to have gotten theirs on the floor.
James Dolan added another layer to the weirdness with a phishing test email sent to employees as part of cybersecurity training, and anyone who clicked through was required to attend a mandatory class. The odd timing fit a night that already had a few strange wrinkles, including reports that some Oklahoma City Thunder staff members also had delays of their own in receiving rings. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks May Need A Rotation Change Boston Already Saw Coming
The Knicks are already tweaking their rotation as they head into another matchup with Boston, and Mohamed Diawara is a name worth watching. After missing the season opener, the young forward could be in line for a larger role, especially after showing he can hold up well in a previous game against the Celtics. New York just locked him into a four-year contract after a promising rookie season, so this is more than a spot-start discussion. It is part of the teams bigger effort to find the right mix around the edges.
Diawaras value has been tied to his defense, and that matters against a Boston group that can expose weak links quickly. If the Knicks decide to lean into that, it could mean some shuffling elsewhere, with minutes for players like Jordan Clarkson and Landry Shamet also potentially shifting. The exact rotation answer is still in flux, but Boston has already shown New York where the pressure points are, and the Knicks may be ready to respond. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Interest In Former First Round Wing Creates A Roster Squeeze
Dalton Knechts availability has created a small but interesting market, and the Knicks are among the teams keeping tabs on the former first-round wing after the Lakers waived him because of roster constraints. New York is not alone in the chase, with the Kings, Timberwolves and Raptors also showing interest in bringing him in on a two-way contract.
For the Knicks, the appeal is obvious, but the timing is tricky. They already have three players on two-way deals, which makes any move for Knecht a question of roster math as much as talent evaluation, and it leaves New York weighing whether it can create room if it decides he is worth the squeeze. [Read more 🡒]