Good morning! Don’t be alarmed…that sound you hear overhead is just LeBron James choppering out of Philadelphia on the first available flight out.
News & Notes
🏀 Ian Begley reported on some adjustments Mike Brown said he’s planning to make this season. He spoke about using Karl-Anthony Towns as more of a facilitator like we saw in the postseason, giving more pick & roll opportunities to OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges, and even potentially giving more minutes to Anunoby as the backup five.
I’m all for more of KAT at the hub, and by all means, pump up those stats for Mikal and OG as much as possible, especially since I’m working up the guts to predict that Anunoby makes his first All-Star team this season. More on that below.
The real eyebrow raiser here is the note about OG at the five. While I don’t think this means the Knicks won’t carry a third center (because the season is long and full of terrors), if we’re thinking of ways that New York can counteract the loss of Mitch when the games really count, Anunoby at the five is easily the best way. This isn’t meant to disparage Andre Drummond, but if you’re playing a real offense, you hope to survive the Drummond minutes. You expect to thrive with OG in the middle.
Speaking of Andre…
🏀 The big man from Mount Vernon stepped to the mic as a Knick for the first time, and he was as delightful as ever. He confirmed that he grew up as a Knicks fan and said how much of an honor it was to put on the jersey on. As far as how he’ll be used this season, Drummond said that while he won’t hunt threes, he’ll take them if they’re there. As for the team he left, he noted that when the Knicks came to Philly during the playoffs, it felt like an away game for the Sixers. That’s a shame.
🏀 According to Mike Brown, the Knick as an organization are still discussing whether or not they’ll become the first team to visit the Trump White House as NBA champions, but that they will make the decision in unison.
🏀 I’m not usually one for team-branded content, but I found these signs to be delightful. My picks for favorite answers:
Funniest favorite food: grilled chicken (Mikal)
Best dream superpower: 100% brain power (Drummond)
Funniest favorite travel destination: Ibiza (Jordan Clarkson, because picturing Clarkson clubbing it up at "F*** Me I'm Famous!" makes me laugh)
Best favorite travel destination: Amalfi Coast (Josh)
Top 3 Knicks Awards Questions
Before we look ahead to this season’s award races, some brief history on how the Knicks have done recently. Last season:
Jalen Brunson finished fifth in Clutch Player of the Year voting one year after winning the award. He received two first place votes out of 100.
OG Anunoby got one second place vote for Defensive Player of the Year (shout out Ric Bucher) and one third place vote (from Knick needler Richard Jefferson, no less!)
Mitchell Robinson got one first place vote for Sixth Man of the Year (stand your ground, Stan Van Gundy)
No Knick received any votes for Most Valuable Player, Most Improved Player, Rookie of the Year or Coach of the Year (despite the fact that more than a third of the league’s coaches received votes)
Jalen Brunson was named to the All-NBA 2nd Team, receiving the 10th most votes (but notably zero votes for 1st Team). Karl Anthony Towns finished in 17th, two spots out of the final 3rd Team spot, but received only 12 total votes, compared to 71 for Chet Holmgren, who took the last 3rd Team spot.
In the six years Leon Rose has been in charge, five Knicks (or Knicks employees) have ever appeared on the final ballot for an award:
Brunson, who won Clutch Player in 2025, finished 5th in MVP voting in 2024, and finished 3rd for Most Improved in 2023
Immanuel Quickley, who finished runner up to Malcolm Brogdon for Sixth Man in 2023 (and should have won, gosh darnit)
Julius Randle, who won Most Improved in 2021
Tom Thibodeau, who won Coach of the Year in 2021
Derrick Rose, who finished 3rd in Sixth Man in 2021
On the bright side, a Knick has made All-NBA in every season of the Leon era but one (2021-22). If Brunson makes it next season, that’ll be four in a row - just two away from a club record shared by Patrick Ewing (‘88-’93) and Walt Frazier (‘70-’75).
Currently, Jalen Brunson is the slight betting favorite to take home his second Clutch Player of the Year trophy, but no other Knick is currently listed among the favorites for any award. Which brings us to our first question…
