Mike Brown is unafraid to play lineups that include neither Jalen Brunson nor Karl-Anthony Towns. He made that much clear during the New York Knicks’ latest playoff run. He then opened this season with the same fearlessness—only to abandon it in the middle of Game No. 2 amid a total offensive implosion.
Fueled in large part by KAT’s foul trouble, the Knicks logged over 10 minutes of action without either him or Brunson on the court, according to Prime Stats. They won those combined stints by one point, but a lion’s share of that success came during Andre Drummond’s first-half heater. We already know that isn’t going to be the norm given how he played in the second half, and how he fared against the Boston Celtics on Friday night.
Speaking of Friday night: The Knicks rolled without both JB and KAT for a little over four minutes in the loss to Beantown. During that time, they mustered three total points, and got outscored by seven overall.
The results were so dire that Brown pivoted away from the experimentation in the second half. And at least for the time being, these no-star lineups need to remain buried.
The Knicks aren’t built to survive on offense with both stars
“No duh, Sherlock” is an acceptable response to this revelation. A team struggles to score without its two best offensive players? Who’d have thunk it?!?
Still, you can see Mikey B’s vision without squinting too hard. Maximizing the time KAT and Brunson spend together boosts their synergy and the overall offense, and gives Brunson more time to develop chemistry with Drummond and James Wiseman—two bigs he’s never played with before.
Yet, while the attempt is understandable, the Knicks aren’t currently built to road-test these looks. At minimum, they need Mikal Bridges to emerge from one of his trademark shooting slumps, and for both Jose Alvarado and OG Anunoby to be more consistent presences at the offensive end.
Even then, it may not be enough. Any lineup without both Brunson and Towns is going to be light on self-creation, and playmaking. The inclination will be to overextend Anunoby, Bridges, and even Josh Hart, while leaning more on Drummond’s least efficient impulses. No thank you.
Mike Brown needs to abandon these lineups…for now
Things can always change, but it’s hard to envision the no-star arrangement surviving on a regular basis.
Internal developments probably don’t carry enough weight. Jordan Clarkson is comfortable creating his own shot, but he was at his best last year playing like an off-ball wing. Tyler Kolek actualizing his floor-general ceiling would go a long way, but he is something like the sixth guard in the rotation—and has yet to play this season.
Maybe the Knicks make a trade that glitzes up the offensive appeal of lineups without Towns and JB. But their most urgent need is another big or backup wing, and secondary offensive hubs at those positions don’t come cheap.
Until further notice, the Knicks’ actual solution is the same as it was during the playoffs: Don’t sit Brunson and Towns at the same time unless you have no choice.
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