Knicks Turn to Preseason Minutes After Late Offseason Start

The Knicks are getting a bit of a late jump on their offseason training, prompting head coach Mike Brown to ramp up the playing time for starters in the preseason.

In Thursday’s game, they faced the Wizards and experienced a narrow 111-109 defeat. Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart were the notable performers, each scoring 13 points.

This game followed their earlier exhibition against the 76ers, which they lost as well. It appears Brown’s strategy is to give his top players significant minutes in two of the last three preseason matchups.

While other teams are being cautious about their star players in the preseason, Brown feels the Knicks are in a unique position, especially after their championship win.

“You have to consider that we played deep into last year, meaning our offseason was quite short. The guys needed some time away from the game—essentially, they needed to recharge,” Brown explained. “Our situation isn’t the same as other teams. I’ve spoken with other coaches who have their players involved in training camps since July or August, whether that’s here, overseas, or in places like Los Angeles and Miami.”

“We did encourage our guys to come back by the end of September, but it wasn’t mandatory. I told them to take the time they needed to come back when they felt ready.”

In the game against the Wizards, Brunson made 6 of 12 shots overall but struggled beyond the arc, hitting only one of six attempts while contributing three assists.

Hart had a more effective outing, shooting 5 for 8 and showing promise while driving towards the basket.

On the flip side, players like Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns faced difficulties, with Bridges recording only two points on 1-of-6 shooting and Towns finishing with eight points, going 2 of 7 and committing three turnovers.

Andre Drummond stood out from the bench, collecting nine rebounds in just 20 minutes, with five of those being offensive boards.

James Wiseman also made a case for a final roster spot with a solid performance over his nine minutes of play.

For the second consecutive year, all Knicks players successfully passed their conditioning tests. While Brown isn’t entirely sure about the exact details of the test, he emphasized that passing it is the only requirement he’s concerned about. And for those who fail?

“They won’t practice until they pass,” he stated. “What they do in that interim is up to them and the performance team. But rest assured, they won’t be allowed back on the court until they meet the standard.”