So much about the New York Knicks’ decision to hire Mike Brown was rooted in his ability to construct an offensive ecosystem that wouldn’t stagnate the way it did under Tom Thibodeau. Despite a bunch of feel-good developments, the jury remains out on whether this bet is paying off—uncertainty that’s more prominent than ever right now.
Anyone who even semi-occasionaly followed the Knicks last season knew they belched out a league-average offense after January 1. Bathing in ordinary waters was considered unacceptable. The payroll, the assets expended, and the quality of talent on the roster necessitate a much higher bar.
New York has at times looked like it’s ready to meet those expectations. Though its offensive rating and rank are eerily similar to last year, the process by which these results have been achieved seems better. From the exploration of depth to improved three-point balance to more functional variance, these Knicks just feel like an upgrade from the 2025-26 iteration.
This isn’t suddenly untrue. Yet, the offense is officially struggling enough, again, to reopen the nooks and crannies through which doubt creeps.
The Knicks offense is traveling in the wrong direction
Prior to the All-Star break, the Knicks ranked third in points scored per possession (1.20), with a top-eight rating in the half-court. Since their midseason sabbatical, they are 15th in points scored per possession overall (1.15), and 16th in half-court offensive rating.
Granted, the margins between a top-five attack and 15th-place arrangement are slim. But that’s not really an excuse.
You know what else is slim? Margins for error in the playoffs. Entire series are won and lost on the back of small samples—moments and micro developments that can be the difference between making the NBA Finals, and going home early.
The Knicks know this. They lived it, over and over, last season. Falling flat on the offensive end for any sort of extended stretch is thereby at least concerning, if not tracking toward a crisis.
There are times in which the latest Knicks rut can feel more hopeless than previous ones. It is permeating so much of the roster, including (and especially) their venerated captain.
At the same time, this isn’t an aimless stagnation. The offense isn’t so much bogging down as going cold. A lot of principles Brown has instilled persist. Instead, New York is suffering most from a case of “Missing Shots We Normally Hit.”
New York’s slump has a clear culprit
The Knicks are converting just 34.8 percent of their three-pointers since the All-Star break. That is down from 37.9 percent beforehand. This three 3.1-point drop is the difference between ranking fourth (pre-All-Star), and 17th (post-All-Star.)
Quality of looks isn't the issue, either. On the contrary, a larger share of New York’s three-point attempts are coming unguarded. It’s simply hitting those wide-open jumpers at a 34.9 percent clip—a bottom-fiveish mark during this span.
Whether this induces a sense of calm or anxiety is in the eye of the beholder. OG Anunoby (29.4 percent), Jose Alvarado (23.8 percent), and Josh Hart (20.7 percent) are all canning under 30 percent of their unguarded treys during this span. That won’t hold forever. The same goes for Jalen Brunson nailing just 35.7 percent of his (scant few) wide-open three-balls.
Then again, the struggles have come amid a Karl-Anthony Towns renaissance, and relatively strong play from Mohamed Diawara and Landry Shamet. And this offensive rut is deep enough that Brown is turning back to the largely forgotten-about Jordan Clarkson, and Tyler Kolek. Deuce McBride isn’t walking through that door anytime soon, either.
More to the point, the Knicks are supposed to be above this type of concern, the protracted unease of an offense schlepping through mud. In that way, this year’s team is no different from its predecessor. If these Knicks want to really separate themselves, they’ll have to do what they couldn’t last season: climb out of this offensive hole, and more critically, never return.