Do Knicks Need A Starting Lineup Change?

At Mike Brown’s New York Knicks introductory press conference, he was asked about last year’s much discussed starting lineup.

"I'm looking forward to putting a plan in place and working with those guys on both ends of the floor,” Brown said back in July, per SNY. “Implementing my vision is very exciting for me."

Last season, Tom Thibodeau stuck with the starting unit of Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns up until he was forced to shake things up the middle of the Eastern Conference Finals. Facing a two-game series deficit, Thibs inserted Mitchell Robinson in place of Hart, who even suggested it was time for a different look.

Despite some in the national media suggesting New York's starting five was one of the best in the league last year, it was simply the most used. According to Esfandiar Baraheni of the Athletic, the group posted a -1.5 net rating in 379 minutes after January 1, the second-worst lineup in the league that played more than 250 minutes together during that span. For the season, the unit played 940 minutes and had just a +3.3 net rating, per NBA.com. That number crated to a -6.2 differential in 335 playoff minutes.

The Starting Lineup Has Long Been An Issue

Many cited the fall off to Thibodeau running the group in the ground while chasing meaningless regular season games and opposing teams starting to guard Hart with their center to cramp spacing. The lineup hasn't worked for over a year and spanning two different coaches. It's time Brown favors the mountains of data suggesting that it's time for change. But is it the data not computing or politics?

In 201 minutes together this season, the fivesome have a paltry +0.9 net rating, per NBA.com. Last night against the Toronto Raptors, the group started the game down 7-0 and didn't score their first points until a Hart three at the 8:53 mark of the first quarter. The Knicks were down 14-5 before the first substitution was made at the 6:50 mark of the first.

The lineup of Brunson, Bridges, Anunoby, Robinson and Miles McBride finished the game against Sacramento two nights ago on a 21-9 run and have a whopping +41.8 net rating in just 32 minutes together this year, putting up 135.6 points per 100 possessions while allowing 93.8 points, as per NBA.com. That group shared the court for just over 50 minutes last season, but buffers Brunson’s defensive limitations and is worth taking a longer look at.

Coach Brown Has Experimented With Different Lineups To Finish Games

In the game before that against Philadelphia, Brown closed with Towns, who had five fouls, and Bridges on the bench. The lineup of Brunson, McBride, Hart, Anunoby and Landry Shamet played zero minutes together all year before finishing the final five minutes of the fourth quarter and securing the 112-109 victory.

The Knicks need to lean into defensive/rim protecting lineups behind Brunson or one's with the captain surrounded by three shooters and the offensive rebounding threat of Robinson. Meanwhile, Robinson and Hart plus any combination of Brunson/McBride/Bridges/OG and Towns can work together. The only units where Hart’s impact is suppressed is when he's the only non-shooter on the floor with Towns at center. This isn't a Hart or Towns specific issue.

Courtesy of NBA.com, the Knicks' net rating of 2-man lineups this year with Brunson and McBride is +13.8. With Brunson and Robinson that number is +12.0. Yet with Brunson alongside Towns is just +1.8. This speaks on the difficulties of having two defensive liabilities with the starters.

Jan 9, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) with guard Miles McBride (2) against the Phoenix Suns at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Knicks are simply a better basketball team with McBride on the court. This was most glaringly exemplified during the playoffs, with the Knicks having a +5.96 net rating with him on the floor in 341 minutes as compared to -4 with him on the bench in 533 minutes. He maximizes the spacing of the starting lineup and brings much needed perimeter defense.

The starting lineup last year worked well enough to help win more playoff games for the franchise than at any point since 2000, however, it was quite possibly the largest reason the team didn’t get further. While it matters more who finishes games, ignoring this five-man investment's diminishing returns is no longer up for debate.

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