Entering the 2025-26 season, many New York Knicks fans were curious to see the changes made during the offseason. One of the biggest changes the Knicks made was to replace former coach Tom Thibodeau with Mike Brown and to bolster their bench.
Under Brown, the Knicks were expected to play much faster than they did last season, but the opposite has happened thus far. During the preseason, the Knicks had the slowest pace in the NBA, worse than even their 26th-ranked pace from last season.
Preseason but. ...after Mike Brown pushed playing fast as his most important pillar, the Knicks are 31st in pace in preseason, ahead of only one NBA team and behind two teams from Australia.
— Stefan Bondy (@SbondyNBA) October 19, 2025
Obviously, it's only the preseason, but that might not be a good sign for New York's offense this season.
The New York Knicks' offense is already struggling
Through five preseason games, the Knicks ranked 27th in offensive rating, leading to concerns about whether they will struggle this season. Preseason isn't always predictive, with teams often playing unusual lineups, but the early returns of a Brown-led offense haven't been encouraging.
According to Brown, he plans to have a nine- or 10-man rotation, which will include several new players. That will lead to some growing pains as they work to incorporate those players as well as the team learns a new offense.
In the long run, they could be better off with New York previously having a smaller than average rotation. Playing more players puts less wear and tear on their starters, something that was a big concern during the Thibodeau era.
They will also have Mitchell Robinson to start the season after he missed the first three months of last season. That is a huge deal, considering it gives them more options.
A deeper New York Knicks team will be better off in the long run
They could start Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Robinson, giving them a massive front court. Last season, that lineup was better defensively than the lineup featuring Josh Hart, while the Hart lineup was better offensively.
With plenty of guard depth and the addition of Guerschon Yabusele, who can play alongside Towns or Robinson, depth won't be a problem. Brown can mix and match as needed without sacrificing production.
The offense is definitely a work in progress, with the Knicks hoping to become less Brunson-centric. That could pay off in the playoffs with them hitting a wall. Tweaking their offense to eventually play faster and focusing less on one player could be just what they need to do.
With the Eastern Conference wide open, they have a real chance of making the NBA Finals for the first time in more than 25 years, but only if their offense kicks into high gear.