The Knicks are heading into a season where every regular-season decision could echo into the spring, and the biggest one may be simple: how much are they willing to sacrifice now to protect home-court advantage later?
New York’s 2026 playoff run showed exactly why that matters. The Knicks entered the postseason as the Eastern Conference’s third seed, drew the sixth-seeded Atlanta Hawks first, and stumbled early by dropping two of the first three games.
They steadied themselves fast, though, winning four straight to take the series. From there, the path got even cleaner: they swept the seventh-seeded Philadelphia 76ers, then completed another sweep against the fourth-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals.
That run set up a Finals matchup with the San Antonio Spurs, and the Knicks finished the job in five games. To some, that was proof they were for real. To others, it was the clearest sign yet that the postseason path they earned - and the home floor that came with it - mattered every bit as much as the roster itself.
Now the challenge looks different. Another offseason has only made the league’s talent more spread out, and the Eastern Conference appears stronger than it did a year ago. If the Knicks want that same kind of playoff setup again, they’re going to have to fight for it.
That’s where the front office and Mike Brown come in. The Knicks brought Brown in partly because they wanted a more collaborative voice in the locker room, and that same approach now applies to the bigger picture. The organization has to decide together how much home-court advantage should shape the way it handles the regular season.
There’s also a practical side to the equation. Mitchell Robinson may not be around anymore to require rest in half of every back-to-back, but the Knicks do have younger players available to help lighten the load.
Mohamed Diawara, Tyler Kolek, and even James Wiseman could be used to give the starters some breathing room. The tradeoff is obvious: that kind of approach could come at the expense of a crucial playoff edge.
That tension is already showing up early. Diawara played just one total minute across New York’s first six regular season games, which makes sense if the team internally believes it can’t afford to give away ground in the standings. Brown has said he wanted to play young players like Diawara and Pacôme Dadiet, but the veterans’ underperformance has left him without the flexibility to test the less-proven options as much as he’d like.
In Other News...
Knicks Keep Getting The Same Jordan Clarkson Question
Jordan Clarkson has already become one of the more curious rotation stories around the Knicks this season. In limited minutes, he has flashed the kind of impact that shows up in the numbers, including a strong plus-minus and net rating, and he gave the team a real lift in a win over the Bulls with 18 points in 17 minutes. Even so, his overall workload has stayed light, with his role still far smaller than the production he has shown in spurts.
For a Knicks team still trying to find consistency, that has kept the same question hanging over the bench: how much more should Clarkson be playing? The coaching staff has been careful with his usage, and the answer has not changed much even as his minutes have been productive. Until that shifts, every strong outing is likely to renew the debate about whether the Knicks are leaving something on the table. [Read more 🡒]
Tyler Kolek Is Running Out Of Time To Claim Knicks Role
Tyler Kolek has gotten a real chance to make his case with the Knicks while Jose Alvarado has been sidelined by an ankle injury, and the early returns have been encouraging in the areas New York needed most. His ball control has looked better, and he has handled more playmaking responsibilities with a steadier hand, giving the coaching staff a glimpse of what he can offer beyond simply filling minutes.
The problem is that the margin for error is still thin. Koleks shooting numbers remain a concern, and Mike Brown has made it clear he leans toward veterans and three-and-D pieces once the roster is whole again. For Kolek, the path to sticking in the rotation now comes down to whether the scoring side of his game can catch up before the Knicks have to make a more permanent decision. [Read more 🡒]
New York Playoff Game Ended With A Finish Fans Still Can't Believe
A New York playoff game ended with the kind of finish that gets replayed for years, as Whitesboro stunned Carthage on the final play with a sequence that unfolded in a blur. The winning drive featured a tipped pass, a catch by Landon Pearsall and then a lateral to Connor McDonald, who took it the rest of the way for the touchdown that flipped the game at the horn.
The score sent Whitesboro into the next round of the playoffs, where Auburn awaits, but the ending is what has kept the game in the spotlight. The play spread quickly on social media, and for anyone who saw it live, it was the sort of chaotic, improbable finish that is hard to process even after the highlight has been slowed down and replayed. [Read more 🡒]