The New York Knicks have hired Mike Brown to modernize their offense, extend their rotations, and ultimately lead the franchise further than the Eastern Conference Finals. It’s a tall task for the veteran head coach to take on, but the Knicks have grand ambitions for the future and a historically significant season in their rearview.
The greatest hurdle standing in Brown’s way, however, is ensuring that Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns adjust to their new roles in his system.
Brown will need to tweak his system to fit his personnel if he hopes to get the most out of his tenure in New York. The players will need to adjust to the changes he’s soon to implement, however, and that starts with the All-NBA stars of the show.
The Knicks must continue to maximize the value of both Brunson and Towns, but with a deep rotation of shot creators, Brown would be wise to alleviate pressure where he can.
A big part of taking the pressure off of the stars, however, is convincing them to sacrifice in ways that permit such an outcome. Brunson is a high-volume scorer and playmaker who makes use of the full shot clock, while Towns can find himself on the opposite end of the spectrum as perhaps too unwilling to assert himself.
With this in mind, Brown must convince Brunson and Towns to buy in—whether that means doing less or playing with a more aggressive mentality.
Mike Brown needs Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns to embrace change
The silver lining of Brunson’s unfortunate late-season injury in 2024-25 was the rise of OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges as high-level scoring threats. Anunoby averaged 22.9 points per game after Feb. 1, including 23.2 on .476/.392/.872 shooting during the 15 outings Brunson missed.
Bridges, meanwhile, averaged 20.5 points and a surprising 4.9 assists without Brunson, thus showcasing an intriguing ability to create for not only himself but others.
For Brown, creating a balanced offense that emphasizes the strengths of each of his top four scorers will be essential. Not only will it take pressure off of Brunson and Towns, but it would make the Knicks less predictable.
There’s enough talent in New York to score in isolation against set defenses that anticipate their every move, but the goal should always be to simplify the process of scoring.
Furthermore, Brown must find a way to better utilize Miles McBride. McBride regressed from a stellar 2023-24 campaign in which he shot the lights out at .452/.410/.860, sliding to a far less efficient clip of .406/.369/.813 in 2024-25.
One of the primary reasons he struggled was the constant uncertainty in regard to the manner in which he would feature into the Knicks’ plans on a nightly basis.
Knicks have elite scoring depth, but will it be properly utilized?
Variance is inevitable, but stability will be essential as the Knicks attempt to bring the best out of a player with the talent to compete for Sixth Man of the Year. On that note, the Knicks added former award-winner Jordan Clarkson in free agency and will need to find the right place for his offense, as well.
Compounded by the addition of crafty hybrid forward Guerschon Yabusele and the versatility Josh Hart provides, Brown will have an abundance of talent at his disposal—and only so many shots to go around.
The good news is that Brunson is an unselfish, team-first player who’s proven willing to sacrifice in the pursuit of victory. Taking the ball out of an All-NBA’s players hands will simply always be a risky endeavor.
The bigger concern is whether or not Towns can spread the wealth without backsliding into the issues that have prevented him from tapping into his full potential.
Thankfully, Brown is the perfect coach to bring elements of Towns' game into the spotlight that may have been previously overlooked. That includes his proficiency as a passer, which could ultimately come to simplify the game for his teammates if he can consistently operate out of the high post.
No matter what else transpires in New York, the bottom line is simple: Brown's most important goal must be getting Brunson and Towns to buy into their new roles within his system.