The New York Knicks enter the 2025-26 season under new leadership. Head coach Mike Brown is taking over following Tom Thibodeau’s departure, and he’s already talked about making changes. Previously, Brown expressed that his vision for the team centers on speed, and the goal is to turn the Knicks into a squad capable of playing at an elite tempo.

However, preseason numbers so far have not been encouraging. Of 34 teams that participated in the preseason, including four international squads, the Knicks ranked 31st, with Melbourne United and South East Melbourne Phoenix ahead of them. The only NBA team that ranked behind them was the LA Clippers, which employs the oldest roster in NBA history at an average age of 33.2. The indicator is alarming for the Knicks, who must translate Brown’s philosophy into action.

Brown’s approach is grounded in both pragmatism and experience. With his previous team, the Sacramento Kings, he implemented a fast-paced system, ranking first in offensive rating in 2023 at 119.4. Brown spoke recently on the execution for this kind of offense, saying, “Anybody can run fast in this league… if you have the mental toughness to consistently do it 10 out of 10 times, you’ll be a guy who is faster three out of 10 times,” Brown said.

Brown, whose offensive vision was influenced by his six years with the Golden State Warriors, also used this system with the Nigerian national team. Brown spoke about his inspiration, saying, “You can’t replicate what Steve Kerr and Draymond [Green] and Steph [Curry] and Klay [Thompson] and those guys do there… But try to take a lot from them and form my own system,” he said.

One particular point of emphasis for Brown is drive-and-kick actions to generate open looks from the three-point line. Brown expressed that he wishes the team to run 17-18 of these “spray” plays.

Offensively, the Knicks’ stars will need to buy into this system. Jalen Brunson’s ability to operate on and off the ball will be tested. Karl-Anthony Towns has been pegged by Brown as a playmaking hub, similar to Domantas Sabonis in Sacramento.

The whole team will have to improve their conditioning to keep the pace up and pressure defenses when they’re not set.

Final Cuts Set Mike Brown’s Rotation for the 2025-26 Season

Ahead of the Knicks’ opening night matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers, New York made a series of cuts, trimming the squad to fit Mike Brown’s vision for the team.

After a busy preseason plan designed to experiment with rotations and build chemistry, the team made difficult decisions while balancing financial restrictions.

Brown’s goal is clear: push the pace, space the floor, and enable a deeper rotation than last year. Every choice is made with the ideal of sustaining the style, giving the stars room to thrive.

Amongst the final roster decisions, Garrison Mathews, Alex Len, and Matt Ryan were waived. While promising during the preseason, while averaging 6.8 points, Mathews will now hit free agency, drawing attention from teams looking for reliable floor spacing.

Len and Ryan saw limited impact last season and were cut to free up roster spots. Knicks insider Ian Begley said, “Knicks will waive Garrison Mathews ahead of Saturday’s 5pm deadline… NYK was impressed by Mathews play, but club’s financially restricted by 2nd apron.”

The Knicks also lost veteran guard Malcolm Brogdon to retirement and waived Ibrahima Diallo, Romeo Langford, Adama Bal, Isaiah Roby, and Donovan Williams.

To fill their final roster spot, the Knicks signed Landry Shamet, who was with the team during their Eastern Conference Finals run last year, including a crucial 12-point performance in Game 6, where he made four three-pointers.

Now that the roster is set, the team’s championship aspirations will hinge on how well the players adapt to Brown’s system.