The New York Knicks trailed the Orlando Magic by 13 points with 2:34 remaining in the fourth quarter. Jalen Brunson, Jordan Clarkson, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, and Karl-Anthony Towns—the Knicks' entire five-man lineup at the time—went to the bench in favor of reserves, as New York surrendered. 15 games into his tenure, Mike Brown is showing Knick fans that he has the playoffs in mind and is not afraid to show it, even at the cost of regular season wins.
Mike Brown's Knicks are proudly playing the long game
An intense chase for a Saturday-night win in November over one of the top teams in the conference is the kind of game that would have defined Knick teams from recent years. Former head coach Tom Thibodeau was beloved by the team's fans for instilling a culture that expected effort and demanded cooperation from its players.
That would often manifest in games unexpectedly going down to the wire. It was admirable and genuine, direct proof of good coaching when the Knicks had a far-superior team nervous late in the fourth quarter. It was a problem when tired starters were letting inferior teams hang around much longer than they were welcome in fans' eyes.
In Orlando on Saturday, the Knicks went the opposite route. Despite losing OG Anunoby several games prior and Landry Shamet earlier that night, the team had a puncher's chance contingent on if they got hot from behind the 3-point arc. Instead, they threw in the proverbial towel and subbed in Tyler Kolek, Pacôme Dadiet, Mohamed Diawara, Guerschon Yabusele, and Ariel Hukporti.
Players on this Knick team tell reporters after each game that their focus lies solely on their next opponent. Brown has been unafraid to share that his goal is to prepare the team as best as possible for the postseason before it begins. New York coming back and winning against Orlando would have demonstrated both mental and physical toughness, but Brown clearly valued his starters' health more than the opportunity to chase down the win.
Playoff success would justify all of Mike Brown's experiments
Fans of the team might find themselves frustrated with Brown's decision on Saturday. Many watch sports in general because they enjoy competition and watching those who are among the best in the world at what they do try and best each other. A rotational decision inseparable from a sentiment of 'this game is not worth pushing ourselves to win' will not inspire fans to run through a brick wall.
It is, however, almost certain that those same fans would not care at all about the team's lack of effort at the end of the 15th game of their season if asked about it at a championship parade. Given the celebratory nature of those events, it's fair to assume those fans would not even remember who the Knicks were playing on November 22, 2025.
If this team can go all the way in the playoffs, or even just make the NBA Finals, all of Brown's errors that have occurred amongst his trials would be forgiven. Time will tell if the Knicks and their new coach are headed for that fate.