The New York Knicks entered the 2025–26 season with significant changes to both their roster and coaching staff. Following the dismissal of veteran head coach Tom Thibodeau, the Knicks appointed former Sacramento Kings coach Mike Brown to spearhead a fresh chapter in New York's basketball history.
Along with the coaching change came a series of offseason additions, including free agents Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele. With a deeper rotation and renewed emphasis on player development, Brown has prioritized getting more players involved early in the season—something Thibodeau was often criticized for avoiding.
In the Knicks' initial five matchups, Brown has utilized at least 10 players per game, distributing playing time more uniformly compared to the coach before him. Nevertheless, the outcomes have been varied. After starting 2–0 with wins against the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics—two of last season’s top Eastern Conference teams—New York has dropped three straight games, falling to 2–3 overall.
More depth means fewer minutes for some of the team’s established veterans, including Josh Hart, who has been a consistent presence on both ends of the floor since joining the Knicks.
Hart recently spoke candidly about the adjustment, saying, “There’s going to be days where I’m just like, ‘Man, that’s some bull.’ You know what I mean? But it’ll be a constant thing of fighting that, but making sure I know that this is what’s best for the team and locking in on that.”
Known for his energy, defense, and rebounding, Hart’s competitive nature may make a reduced role difficult to accept. Still, many analysts believe Brown’s approach will pay off later in the season—especially when the playoffs demand a deeper bench.
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