Reviewing Mike Brown’s first 20 games as New York Knicks’ head coach

The New York Knicks just got smacked by the Boston Celtics, and with that, Mike Brown has coached his first 20 regular-season games for New York to a 13-7 record. When the Knicks moved on from long-time head coach Tom Thibodeau after their defeat in the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals, many fans had questions over the decision. However, New York’s upside is much higher under Brown rather than Thibodeau.

Offensive Improvements for the Knicks

One of the greatest improvements the Knicks made under Brown is the offensive production. New York is currently third in points per 100 possessions with 123.1, slightly below the Denver Nuggets and Houston Rockets. Last season under Thibodeau, the Knicks finished sixth with 119.5 points.

The biggest shift in identity in Brown’s offense is the volume of three-point attempts. New York ranks fifth in attempted threes per game, with 41.4. Now drop that number by 7.8; that’s the amount of shots taken from behind the arc under Thibodeau last season, with 33.6, ranking 28th in the league. The Knicks also rank first in corner threes attempted per game.

Although the effective field goal percentage is slightly lower than last year, the offensive structure that Brown has brought to New York aligns with the NBA identity of the 2020s and provides the upside needed to win a championship.

The passing numbers are also a significant improvement compared to last season. Under Brown, the Knicks complete 300.0 passes per game, roughly 20 more than in the 2025 season. Even though the assist numbers are almost identical, the offensive fluidity is a nice sign to see moving forward. 

Defensive Woes

In year two of this core, the defensive struggles continue to haunt this team, even more so than last season. Although the Knicks make a lot of threes, they also give up some of the most in the NBA. New York’s opponents shoot 37.5% from three, a recipe that will kill you come playoff time.

The defense metrics are slightly worse than last year; however, the injury of OG Anunoby early into the season hasn’t helped New York’s cause. When the Knicks’ best defender returns in the coming weeks, expect those metrics to improve as the season carries on.

Offensive Rebounding Dominance

The Knicks are having one of the most dominant offensive rebounding seasons of the past decade. At 32.7%, New York’s offensive rebounding percentage is the highest since their 05/06 season, meaning the Knicks rebound 32.7% of their own misses.

You can credit Mitchell Robinson for that. Robinson is averaging a whopping 9.36 offensive rebounds per 36 minutes, a figure that would smash the all-time NBA record in that category. Karl-Anthony Towns is also a plus offensive rebounder, meaning whoever New York has on the court, they’re going to get fantastic rebounding production from their big man. 

The verdict

Although the Knicks have dealt with injuries and inconsistencies to start the season, the offense is a large improvement compared to Thibodeau’s New York. However, under Brown and Thibodeau alike, the defense needs to be better if the Mecca wants to realize a championship for the first time since 1973.