The 2025-26 NBA season is here! We’re rolling out our previews — examining the biggest questions, best- and worst-case scenarios, and win projections for all 30 franchises — from the still-rebuilding teams to the true title contenders.
2024-25 finish
-
Record: 51-31 (lost to the Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals)
Offseason moves
-
Additions: Guerschon Yabusele, Jordan Clarkson
-
Subtractions: Precious Achiuwa, P.J. Tucker
(Stefan Milic/Yahoo Sports Illustration)
The Big Question: Can Mike Brown improve these Knicks?
The Knicks pulled off somewhat of a stunning upset, ousting the defending champion Boston Celtics in a six-game second-round playoff series. They ran into their ceiling a round later, losing to the fifth-seeded Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals. They defied expectations, only to fall short of them.
Advertisement
It is a weird situation. On the one hand, nobody figured them for the league’s final four, not with two 60-win teams plying their trade in the East. On the other, they got there and had a real chance to make the Finals. For that, the Knicks decided to part ways with Tom Thibodeau, the coach who got them there.
There is no doubt that over the course of Thibodeau’s tenure the Knicks overachieved. They reached the playoffs in four of his five seasons on the bench, winning four playoff series — more than the franchise’s 13 other coaches this century combined. And their best player, Jalen Brunson, is a 6-foot-2 point guard.
Brunson also happens to be one hell of a player. He averaged 26 points (49/38/82 shooting splits) and 7.3 assists per game at the helm of a top-five offense, garnering MVP votes for a second straight season. He was incredible in the playoffs, making clutch play after clutch play. How much longer he can maintain this pace as an undersized superstar remains to be seen, but at 29 years old he is squarely in his prime.
He is also bolstered by one of the league’s best playoff rotations, featuring Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart and Mitchell Robinson. The additions of Guerschon Yabusele and Jordan Clarkson make the Knicks deeper. With Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton sidelined for the Celtics and Pacers, respectively, New York has as clear a view of the NBA Finals as it has had since 1999.
Advertisement
The Knicks saw a chance and took it. Kind of. Upon firing Thibodeau, the Knicks sought interviews with a handful of employed coaches, all of whom turned them down. In the end, they landed on Mike Brown.
Brown is a good coach. He took what he learned offensively as an assistant for the 2022 NBA champion Golden State Warriors and applied it to the Sacramento Kings, ending the franchise’s 17-year playoff drought. They thought they were better than they were, too, and fired him in the middle of last season.
[Get more Knicks news: New York team feed]
That’s the thing. Sometimes it isn’t the coach. Sometimes it is the personnel. And the Knicks have not had the personnel to reach the Finals. They have what some might consider a fatal flaw — the defense of Brunson and Towns. Neither is a stopper. Not close to it. Only they have to be on the floor together. And together they submitted a middling defense last year. Can Brown scheme around two defensive issues?
Advertisement
More likely, Brown will lean into his team’s incredible offensive prowess, using more Brunson-Towns pick-and-rolls and movement in the offense, hoping to squeeze more from what was already a top-five outfit.
With Tatum and Haliburton out of the picture and the East’s last two champions in a gap year, the path to the Finals is open for the Knicks. They think they have the personnel now, but do they have the coach?
Best-case scenario
Brown coaches the Knicks up as one of the league’s elite offenses and finds a way to field a serviceable defense, perhaps benefitting from the presence of Robinson, who missed a good chunk of last season with an injury. Brunson maintains as one of the league’s elite playmakers. Towns, who has reached the finals of both conferences the last two years, carries that confidence into this season. Bridges and Anunoby find some consistency as reliable two-way performers, and the Knicks are the class of the East.
If everything falls apart
Brunson steps back from the MVP race. He and Towns cannot scrape together a top-10 defense. Bridges and Anunoby are as inconsistent as ever. Yabusele and Clarkson are not playoff difference-makers. Brown is no better than Thibodeau. The Knicks slam their heads against a sub-Finals ceiling once again, even in a watered-down Eastern Conference, and the outlook for the 2026-27 season is no better. Maybe they take another crack at trying to trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo, but do they have the assets to get him?
Advertisement
2025-26 schedule
-
Season opener: Oct. 22 vs. Cleveland
Who else but the Knicks are capable of winning 55 games in the East? The Cleveland Cavaliers? Somebody has to win games, and the road could not be clearer for New York. Take the over.
More season previews
East: Atlanta Hawks • Boston Celtics • Brooklyn Nets • Charlotte Hornets • Chicago Bulls • Cleveland Cavaliers • Detroit Pistons • Indiana Pacers • Miami Heat • Milwaukee Bucks • New York Knicks • Orlando Magic • Philadelphia 76ers • Toronto Raptors • Washington Wizards
West: Dallas Mavericks • Denver Nuggets • Golden State Warriors • Houston Rockets • LA Clippers • Los Angeles Lakers • Memphis Grizzlies • Minnesota Timberwolves • New Orleans Pelicans • Oklahoma City Thunder • Phoenix Suns • Portland Trail Blazers • Sacramento Kings • San Antonio Spurs • Utah Jazz
This news was originally published on this post .
About the author
Shohei Ohtani VS Babe Ruth: Has the Greatest Ever Been Replaced?
In the movie “The Sandlot,” the kids in the movie get in a dilemma of having lost a baseball signed by Babe Ruth. One of the co-stars in the movie who does not know a whole lot about baseball has no clue who Babe Ruth was. That is until his friends remind him that he is considered the greatest baseball player ever. “The Great Bambino.” “The Sultan of Swat.” “The Colossus of Clout.” Those are the nicknames Babe Ruth was known by and since he retired, he is considered the greatest of all time. Now we have Shohei Ohtani playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers and has already helped them win another World Series title in his first year with the team last season. The Dodgers are heading back to the Fall Classic after wiping out the Milwaukee Brewers in […]
Maxi King in pursuit of Newcastle crown
We have a busy day's racing on Tuesday with flat action from Newcastle and Yarmouth, live on Sky Sports Racing...4.50 Newcastle - Maxi King and Bragbor contest openerFive go to post in the opener at Newcastle on Tuesday and Kevin Philippart De Foy's five-year-old Maxi King will bid to defy top weight in this Join The Midnite Movement Handicap. Having previously contested races like the Group Two Princess Of Wales's Stakes last year, this gelding brings a high level of form to the race and could prove hard to beat.€400,000 breeze-up Bragbor will be seeking a third win this year having already won twice at this track. He was unraced at two and three but has been in good form this year for George Scott, making the top three in all four runs.Ralph Beckett saddles 450,000gns yearling Cape Breton, who […]
Gibbs delivers monster performance as Lions beat Buccaneers
Jahmyr Gibbs scored two touchdowns to lead the Detroit Lions in a 24-9 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night. Gibbs scored on a long 78-yard sprint in the second quarter, a five-yard spinning plunge in the third and accounted for a career-high 218 yards from scrimmage to lead the Lions to victory. The Lions (5-2) bounced back from a loss as they have done flawlessly for nearly three years, extending their NFL-long streak of 51 games without dropping two straight in the regular season. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs gallops through the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense for an electrifying 78-yard touchdown run Tampa Bay (5-2) was outgained by more than 200 yards in the first half, but trailed 14-3 because Detroit had an interception, fumble, turned […]
NBA returns: Will LeBron-Luka combo work for Lakers, could Giannis be traded?
Ahead of the NBA's return on Tuesday evening, here are several key storylines to look out for during the 2025-26 season.Will LeBron-Luka combination work for Lakers?The most shocking moment of the previous NBA season came when Luka Doncic, one of the biggest stars in the league, was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers by the Dallas Mavericks. The stunning move, which saw the Mavs actively seek to trade away a 26-year-old superstar, created a blockbuster pairing of the Slovenian alongside the legendary LeBron James, who is embarking on his 23rd NBA campaign. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player LeBron James spoke about his NBA future during the LA Lakers media day ahead of his 23rd season in the NBA. The mid-season move failed to pay off in last year's playoffs as the Lakers went down 4-1 […]
‘The unluckiest man in British boxing’ starts his fightback
Calum French must be the unluckiest man in British boxing.But French is now looking to put misfortune behind him after linking up with a new trainer, former world champion Anthony Crolla. He returns to action on Saturday, fighting at the Rainton Meadows Arena near his hometown of Gateshead.French was previously a stellar amateur boxer, who went on a fine run at lightweight for GB on the international circuit.He kept himself in that division as his friend, a clubmate as well as international team-mate, Luke McCormack had the spot in the division above. But his dream of going to the Olympics was snatched away when his whole weight class was eliminated from the Tokyo Games. Image: French with amateur team-mates Pat (left) and Luke McCormack "You should have seen what I was going through on GB, what I was eating to […]
Who is Noah Caluori? Saracens and England’s 19-year-old overnight sensation
On Saturday, a 19-year-old by the name of Noah Caluori stunned the rugby world by remarkably scoring five tries for Saracens against Sale Sharks on his first ever Prem Rugby start.Who is this overnight sensation and what is being said about him? An imposing and pacy winger despite his tender years, at 6ft 4ins and 100kg Caluori demonstrated his remarkable spring and ability aerially to devastating effect against Sale.Indeed, he forced one penalty try purely due to the freakish ability of his leap - soaring so high his hips were above head height of Sale full-back Tom O'Flaherty.His finishing to score five more tries demonstrated his lethal ability, pace and confidence. Twice he rounded 102-cap George Ford to score like he wasn't there as Saracens scored 65 points in victory. Image: Caluori's high ball ability and leap was absolutely sensational […]
Related
Shohei Ohtani VS Babe Ruth: Has the Greatest Ever Been Replaced?
In the movie “The Sandlot,” the kids in the movie get in a dilemma of having lost a baseball signed by Babe Ruth. One of the co-stars in the movie who does not know a whole lot about baseball has no clue who Babe Ruth was. That is until his friends remind him that he is considered the greatest baseball player ever. “The Great Bambino.” “The Sultan of Swat.” “The Colossus of Clout.” Those are the nicknames Babe Ruth was known by and since he retired, he is considered the greatest of all time. Now we have Shohei Ohtani playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers and has already helped them win another World Series title in his first year with the team last season. The Dodgers are heading back to the Fall Classic after wiping out the Milwaukee Brewers in […]
Maxi King in pursuit of Newcastle crown
We have a busy day's racing on Tuesday with flat action from Newcastle and Yarmouth, live on Sky Sports Racing...4.50 Newcastle - Maxi King and Bragbor contest openerFive go to post in the opener at Newcastle on Tuesday and Kevin Philippart De Foy's five-year-old Maxi King will bid to defy top weight in this Join The Midnite Movement Handicap. Having previously contested races like the Group Two Princess Of Wales's Stakes last year, this gelding brings a high level of form to the race and could prove hard to beat.€400,000 breeze-up Bragbor will be seeking a third win this year having already won twice at this track. He was unraced at two and three but has been in good form this year for George Scott, making the top three in all four runs.Ralph Beckett saddles 450,000gns yearling Cape Breton, who […]
A man in a woman’s world: Inside John Mitchell’s World Cup-winning Red Roses camp
John Mitchell's appointment as head coach of England Women in late 2023 came with a crystal-clear objective.He took over a Red Roses side that had been all-conquering at Six Nations level but remained the nearly team of women's rugby on the world stage - perennial in both name and nature. While no nation had reached more Women's Rugby World Cup finals than England (eight), none had lost as many (six). Their victories in 1994 and, most recently, in 2014 were exceptions rather than the rule.Mitchell was tasked with applying the World Cup-winning finishing touches to a project that already had all the ingredients for success - but those ingredients needed assembling by a coach willing to start from scratch.His wealth of experience in almost every conceivable role within men's rugby ensured a best-in-class appointment, but his leadership would be defined […]
Who is Noah Caluori? Saracens and England’s 19-year-old overnight sensation
On Saturday, a 19-year-old by the name of Noah Caluori stunned the rugby world by remarkably scoring five tries for Saracens against Sale Sharks on his first ever Prem Rugby start.Who is this overnight sensation and what is being said about him? An imposing and pacy winger despite his tender years, at 6ft 4ins and 100kg Caluori demonstrated his remarkable spring and ability aerially to devastating effect against Sale.Indeed, he forced one penalty try purely due to the freakish ability of his leap - soaring so high his hips were above head height of Sale full-back Tom O'Flaherty.His finishing to score five more tries demonstrated his lethal ability, pace and confidence. Twice he rounded 102-cap George Ford to score like he wasn't there as Saracens scored 65 points in victory. Image: Caluori's high ball ability and leap was absolutely sensational […]
‘The unluckiest man in British boxing’ starts his fightback
Calum French must be the unluckiest man in British boxing.But French is now looking to put misfortune behind him after linking up with a new trainer, former world champion Anthony Crolla. He returns to action on Saturday, fighting at the Rainton Meadows Arena near his hometown of Gateshead.French was previously a stellar amateur boxer, who went on a fine run at lightweight for GB on the international circuit.He kept himself in that division as his friend, a clubmate as well as international team-mate, Luke McCormack had the spot in the division above. But his dream of going to the Olympics was snatched away when his whole weight class was eliminated from the Tokyo Games. Image: French with amateur team-mates Pat (left) and Luke McCormack "You should have seen what I was going through on GB, what I was eating to […]
NBA returns: Will LeBron-Luka combo work for Lakers, could Giannis be traded?
Ahead of the NBA's return on Tuesday evening, here are several key storylines to look out for during the 2025-26 season.Will LeBron-Luka combination work for Lakers?The most shocking moment of the previous NBA season came when Luka Doncic, one of the biggest stars in the league, was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers by the Dallas Mavericks. The stunning move, which saw the Mavs actively seek to trade away a 26-year-old superstar, created a blockbuster pairing of the Slovenian alongside the legendary LeBron James, who is embarking on his 23rd NBA campaign. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player LeBron James spoke about his NBA future during the LA Lakers media day ahead of his 23rd season in the NBA. The mid-season move failed to pay off in last year's playoffs as the Lakers went down 4-1 […]
Be the first to leave a comment