Mike Brown has only coached the New York Knicks for a few games, and is already leaving his stamp on the offense. While most of the focus is being devoted to the three-point volume, ball movement, and overall pace, an equally major reveal continues to fly under the radar: Three-guard lineups are going to be a staple.
New York has spent much of the preseason with at least three of Jalen Brunson, Deuce McBride, Malcolm Brogdon, and Landry Shamet on the court. Josh Hart’s injury has in some ways necessitated these smaller looks. Brown may not be preparing to play three-guard units for seven to 10 minutes every half.
Reading between the lines, though, these lineups appear here to stay.
The Knicks have been hinting at three-guard interest for a while
The rumor mill divulged Brown’s three-guard plans before players ever took the court. New York has become a team to watch on the trade market, because it’s attempting to create the room necessary to guarantee contracts for two of Malcolm Brogdon, Landry Shamet, and Garrison Mathews.
Know what all of them have in common? They’re guards.
Pushing to sign additional backcourt bodies makes no sense if the Knicks don’t plan on leaning into three-guard alignments. Sure, you are free to take it as an indictment of Tyler Kolek’s readiness. But Brunson, Clarkson, and McBride are already on the roster. That’s enough to get by, or to target one guard rather than two.
Clearly, there is going to be an emphasis on triple-guard arrangements. That aligns with Brown’s penchant for offensive dynamism, and overall speed. These setups also make it easier for the Knicks to deploy five-out spacing, another area of emphasis under the new head coach.
Mike Brown is giving Knicks fans what they want
Fans should be thrilled. Brown is already giving the Deuce-plus-the-starters lineup a more thorough look than his predecessor Tom Thibodeau. Steering into three-guard combinations is yet another welcomed departure from the offensive approach of the past few years.
Looking at 2024-25 specifically, the Knicks wound up playing 9,716 possessions across both the regular season and playoffs. Three-guard lineups accounted for roughly 6.3 percent of that court time (613 possessions). That is…nothing. Especially when those units outscored opponents by 6.9 points per 100 possessions, despite shooting under 34 percent from beyond the arc.
In Thibs’ defense, New York’s personnel last year did not exactly lend itself to three-guard arrangements. Shamet missed extensive time with a shoulder injury, and entrusting Delon Wright and Cameron Payne with rotation minutes is a shakier proposition than turning to a healthy Malcolm Brogdon.
We also can’t yet be sure the three-guard experiment will work. Forfeiting size could hurt the Knicks on defense, and will certainly have an adverse impact on their rebounding.
No one’s saying Brown views three-guard lineups as a crutch, though. He sees them as a cause worth exploration—another potential tool in his belt. That flexibility on its own is a positive development. And the additional use of three-guard combos just be, too.