9 Knicks Whose Stocks Are Up or Down After 1st Week of Season

The Knicks' 0-3 start has been a product of a myriad of things: a tough schedule, coaching decisions, losing on the margins, and a championship hangover. But a lot of it has just simply come down to the players, as many have have underperformed in the early going.

That being said, some of them have had a nice start to the season. It's only been three games, but let's take a look at which Knicks have seen their stocks rise or drop so far.

1. Jalen Brunson: Down

Jalen Brunson has done so much good for this franchise that it's, at times, felt like he could do no wrong. But that also means that he's set incredibly lofty expectations. And thus far, Brunson has failed to meet them.

He is averaging 22.7 ppg, which would be his lowest mark since joining the Knicks in 2022. He's also shooting just 39.1% from the field, 26.7% from three, and 70% from the free throw line.

It isn't just the scoring though. One of the things that's always made Brunson such a reliable offensive engine is his ability to be such a high-usage player while keeping his turnovers low. Through three games, Brunson is not only averaging just 3.7 apg, but he's averaging a career-high 2.7 turnovers per contest.

Brunson will very likely bounce back in the near future. But it's been a pretty uncharacteristically bad start for the captain.

2. Karl-Anthony Towns: Up

The big man had an auspicious start to the season, quickly finding himself back in foul trouble just minutes into opening night. But Karl-Anthony Towns ended the night on a positive note and has carried it over in the Knicks' past two games.

He's the only Knick who has looked good in every single game so far, averaging 21 ppg, 12 rpg, and 2.7 apg while shooting a ridiculous 62.2% from the field and 45.5% from three.

The turnovers have been a bit of a problem, as has unsusually low free throw percentage. But Towns has been the team's best and most consistent player and he's managed to do that amidst a very public extension negotiation.

3. Mikal Bridges: Down

Many, including myself, believed that Mikal Bridges might've been the biggest beneficiary of the Knicks winning a championship. Maybe it would take the pressure off and he'd be able to play confidently. And the argument made plenty of sense. So far, though, it's looked nothing like that.

Bridges has played with the same hesitancy and lack of aggression at times. And even when he has looked to score, he's had very little luck finding the bottom of the net. It's starting to look like this is just who Bridges is during the regular season, and brings into question his long-term fit if he's going to constantly be leaving the team wanting more.

4. OG Anunoby: Up

I do realize he's shooting an abysmal 28.6% from three and the defense has been a slight tick below what we're used to seeing. But I have a very difficult time believing that we doesn't see significant positive regression from the career 37.6% three-point shooter. If and when it does, the league should be put on notice.

Despite his early season shooting struggles, OG Anunoby is averaging 17.3 ppg, thanks in large part to his newfound ability to get to the line more frequently. On a team with Brunson and Towns, two players who have a knack for getting to the line, it's actually Anunoby who leads the team in free throw attempts per game.

Anunoby's career-high in FTA/G prior to this season was 3.3 attempts per game. Through three games, he's currently averaging 7.3 attempts per game. Even if that number comes down, which it inevitably will, his eventual shooting regression will make up for it.

And as if that wasn't enough, Anunoby has also seen more on-ball reps and is even averaging 3.3 apg, which is just 0.4 short of leading the team. He hasn't been quite as consistent as Towns, but he's not far behind as the team's best player thus far.

5 Landry Shamet: Down

Coming off of an incredle regular season followed by a postseason run that included many timely baskets and memorable moments, Landry Shamet entered the 2026-27 season with high expectations. And early on in the preseason, he looked poised to meet them.

But through three games, Shamet has gone AWOL on the offensive end. He's shooting an ugly 36.8% from the field and just 35.7% from three while scoring a measly 6.3 ppg. He still battles defensively and some of the threes he has hit have been big. Yet, he's provided such little offense right now that it just hasn't mattered enough.

6. Miles McBride: Down

Miles McBride has been put in a tough position over the last few months. A rough playoffs and becoming an expiring contract subjected him to constant trade rumors. Now, playing in what is likely his final season in New York, McBride has started the season seeing significantly less minutes in two of the Knicks' first three games.

He had a very strong outing against the Celtics and is shooting 46.7% from the field and 58.3% from three. But with every game in which he plays a less significant role, he is starting to look more and more like the trade candidate some predicted.

Even though he actually isn't playing that bad, it's difficult to say that his stock hasn't gone down seeing as his minutes are.

7. Jose Alvarado: Down

The backup point guard was never expected to put up extraordinary numbers, but Jose Alvarado was expected to play a pivotal role. In the two games he's played, he's playing 13.5 mpg, almost 3.5 mpg less than he averaged during his time as a Knick last season.

And in the minutes he has been on the court, it's been a mixed bag. He had a nice opening night, but left a lot to be desired against the Celtics. He should be fine going forward, as his overall play hasn't been that bad. But with Tyler Kolek (we'll get to him in a bit) looking good in his season debut, and Alvarado recently missing some time, he's facing some real pressure.

8. Mohamed Diawara: Down

Many expected Mohamed Diawara to be featured in the Knicks' rotation to some capacity this season. While there's still plenty of time for that to end up being true, he's been nowhere to be found during the first three games.

Not only is he not prominently featured, he hasn't played a single second. For a player the Knicks seemed to regard so highly during the offseason, it's been a strange turn of events.

9. Tyler Kolek: Up

Just a couple weeks ago, Tyler Kolek seemed like a likely trade candidate. He was entrenched behind Brunson and Alvarado and had looked lackluster for much of the preseason. His shot was inconsistent and his defense left a lot to be desired.

But with Alvarado missing the team's last game against the Magic on Sunday night, Kolek was inserted into the rotation. Notably, the third-year man njected some much-needed pace, ball movement, and energy into an offense that has struggled so far.

It's difficult to predict what his outlooked will be going forward when Alvarado returns, but he's earned the right to at least be in the rotation conversation for now, which is a major step in a positive direction for the seldom-used PG.

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