The 2025-26 New York Knicks are clearly different than last season's iteration of the team. New York's talent has not been the problem in the recent past. But coach Tom Thibodeau's unwillingness to play his bench might have created a degree of burnout among starters. Well, coach Mike Brown talked a big game about wanting to utilize a number of reserves.
Despite being without two major rotation players on opening night, Brown put his money where his mouth is in his first regular-season win, 119-111, against the Cleveland Cavaliers. And if the trend of Brown playing reserves for longer stretches continues, it could foreshadow a major improvement for the Knicks.
How Mike Brown succeeded in utilizing his bench
Brown succeeded in using his bench in a way that fans clamored for from Thibodeau. After stating to the media in the pre-season that he hoped to play nine or 10 guys per game, Brown ended up playing a whopping 11 players—in a game that came down to the final minute. Furthermore, 10 of those players played 10 minutes or more.
In total, the Knicks' bench scored 35 points in last night's win. For comparison's sake, New York’s bench ranked last in the NBA in bench scoring last season, averaging 21.7 points per game.
With Mitchell Robinson and Josh Hart out for the game, Brown turned to the final pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Ariel Hukporti, to start at center. He also played Miles McBride 26 minutes, Jordan Clarkson 13 minutes, and Guerschon Yabusele 12 minutes. Second-year guard Tyler Kolek received significant time, as well, collecting seven points and two assists in 14 minutes. Landry Shamet also played a meaningful 14 minutes. And even center Trey Jemison III logged time (eight minutes).
How does Mike Brown's strategy help raise Knicks' ceiling?
Brown's strategy should yield near-immediate results by way of allowing the starters to play fewer minutes are remain rested for important games later in the season. For example, Knicks' captain Jalen Brunson played only 34 minutes, compared to 35.4 last season. Mikal Bridges played 33 minutes compared to the 37 he averaged in 2024-25. And Towns (game-time decision due to a quad strain) played 31 minutes—or three fewer than he averaged last year. Only OG Anunoby played more (38 minutes vs. 36.6 in 2024-25).
Ironically, it was Anunoby who addressed the bench's role on opening night.
“We have a deep team,” Anunoby said after the game. “Everyone who came in is capable of making an impact. That showed (tonight).”
This could have a meaningful impact. In the 2025 playoffs, Robinson, Hart, and Towns were all dealing with various ailments, which presumably hurt their ability to execute. And the 2024 playoffs were even bleaker, as Anunoby, Brunson, and Robinson all suffered injuries against the Indiana Pacers. But this season, the Knicks could be fresher come the playoffs—and that would be bad for the rest of the Eastern Conference.
The Knicks are hopeful that this season could be the one in which they finally end their 52-year championship drought. And coach Brown is ready to help them achieve exactly that by putting his stamp on the team. For what it's worth, recent NBA champions have leaned into their depth. And Brown seems to firmly understand the importance of doing so.
Granted, the NBA season is long. And a lot can happen that is out of a team's control (e.g., injuries). But the Knicks appear to finally grasp the importance of relying on their bench. And that could pay major dividends come the 2026 NBA Playoffs.
