Knicks Face Early Challenges Under Coach Mike Brown

Mike Brown is curious to see how the Knicks handle adversity this season.

It looks like he may not have to wait long for an answer.

In the last two seasons under Tom Thibodeau, the Knicks didn’t manage to lose three games in a row until after the holiday season. Now, with heightened expectations and a roster filled with experienced players, Brown faces potential struggles before the Halloween festivities even begin. If the Knicks, currently standing at 2-3, drop their game against the undefeated Bulls at Madison Square Garden, it would mark their first four-game losing streak since the 2023-24 season.

“You want some adversity, coach? Here it is,” one might say.

“This is a great test for us,” Brown remarked. “It might feel a bit early to say this, but we want to see how resilient our group can be.”

Considering the Knicks’ mediocre performance on the road, it’s tough to predict how they’ll fare in Sunday’s matchup against Chicago. While they have been solid at home (2-0), various issues became apparent in away games, prompting Brown to stress the importance of making the right moves.

He pointed out that they allowed too many free throws against Miami and faced a barrage of transition points from Milwaukee.

When facing Chicago, Brown noted that the team’s one-on-one defense fell short of expectations. He expressed confidence in his coaching but emphasized the need for accountability: “We’ve got to keep being honest with them and coaching them. I’ll keep working to position them for success. But we also have to take pride in our defense—stopping our opponents from getting to the free-throw line, for instance.”

While he didn’t single out any players in his critique, some were clearly underperforming.

• Karl-Anthony Towns seemed out of sync with Brown’s up-tempo style. His performance in Milwaukee was disappointing, and he failed to sink three straight open three-pointers, contributing to the loss in Chicago.
• Despite the praise for the Knicks’ depth, their three defeats came against teams with weaker rotations. Josh Hart appears to be struggling the most. Gershon Yabusele was ineffective and sat out the latter half of Friday’s game due to injury. Tyler Kolek didn’t appear ready for the backup point guard role, and Jordan Clarkson’s shooting is notably poor at 32%. The Knicks’ bench has been outscored 131 to 60 over the last three games.
• Mitchell Robinson’s load management seems pointless unless he faces setbacks, a reality no one seems willing to confront.
• Mikal Bridges has carried over some defensive inefficacy from last season, having been outmatched by players like Norman Powell and Josh Guidi. A Western Conference assistant coach noted that Bridges struggles with strength on screens and defensive responsibilities.
• Brown, prioritizing defense, also faced challenges on offense. As of Saturday, the Knicks were ranked 17th in offensive stats and 14th defensively, with a shooting percentage of just 42.4%, putting them at 28th in the league.

It wouldn’t be surprising if the Knicks still don’t meet a decisive expectation. The sample size of their current performance isn’t large, after all.

Yet, in that limited time, they fail to resemble a team poised to dominate the conference.

“Going 0-3 on a road trip is unacceptable for a team at our level,” Towns admitted.

The road woes began ominously, as their flight to Miami was delayed several hours due to a medical incident with the crew. The subsequent losses followed from matchups against Erik Spoelstra’s team, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Guidi.

Now, they return to Madison Square Garden for two weeks and seven games—their longest home stretch of the season. It kicks off with a rematch against the Bulls, which will certainly test the Knicks’ resilience.