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Mike Brown Deserves Credit for Taking Knicks Offense to Next Level

The New York Knicks' offense has been reshaped for the better by Mike Brown.
Kenneth Teape|
Jan 27, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown coaches against the Sacramento Kings during the fourth quarter at Madison Square Garden.
Jan 27, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown coaches against the Sacramento Kings during the fourth quarter at Madison Square Garden. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

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New York Knicks

There are a lot of differences between the New York Knicks under head coach Mike Brown compared to how things looked previously under Tom Thibodeau.

A comparison of the first 50 games of Brown’s tenure to the first 50 games of the 2024-25 season showed a lot of differences in how the team was operating, especially on the offensive side of the ball.

He has reshaped and modernized the team’s offense, which has led to some very impressive results. Heading into the All-Star break, the Knicks had an offensive rating of 120.0, which was third in the NBA.

What has been done to help the team reach new heights? A focus on 3-pointers attempted has certainly been a contributing factor.

Mike Brown has reshaped Knicks' offensive game plan

New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown giving instructions to players
Feb 8, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown watches from the sideline as they take on the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. | David Butler II-Imagn Images

New York has increased their number of 3-point attempts. As shared by DJ Zullo on X, their shot charts, via BBall Index, look drastically different.

Under Thibodeau, there were a lot more attempts from the midrange and at the rim. Their 3-point frequency was at 38.2%. Historically, Brown-led teams turn up the 3-point shooting volume, and that has been the case with the Knicks.

Before their games against the Indiana Pacers and Philadelphia 76ers to close out the first half, in which they attempted 46 and 44 3-pointers, their frequency was already much higher at 43.7%.

Not only is New York attempting more 3-pointers, with an emphasis on attempts in the corners, but they are also making more. They connected on 36.9% of 3-point attempts in 2024-25 and were up to 37.8% before the Pacers and 76ers matchups.

Because of the more free-flowing system that Brown has implemented, there are other stark differences between this year’s offense and how things operated with Thibodeau at the helm.

One of the stats that stood out in the 50-game comparison was the number of passes per game. The ball was moving more, which meant less isolation basketball being played and more players involved, getting up shots.

As shared by Jonathan Marcri of Knicks Film School, the team’s assist percentage has been continually moving in the right direction since they landed Jalen Brunson in free agency.

One of the knocks against the Knicks since Brunson’s arrival was their reliance on him to carry the offense. He didn’t earn the Clutch Player of the Year Award by accident, continually putting the team on his back.

While those heroics are still needed at points, he isn’t being put into positions to do all of the heavy lifting on his own. Their spot in the assist percentage leaderboard has steadily moved in the right direction during his tenure with the team.

A trickledown effect of the ball moving around more is that New York becomes much more difficult to defend. Yes, Brunson is still the offensive hub, but other players are stepping up with regularity.

As shared by Steve Novak of MSG, there have already been six different Knicks players who have led the team in scoring on a given night: Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Miles McBride and Jose Alvarado.

That already matches the total that the team had during the 2024-25 season. And, the sixth occurrence didn’t come until the final game of the season, when virtually all of the regulars were held out of the game, and Landry Shamet scored 29 points against the Brooklyn Nets.

Before the calendar even flipped to 2026, New York already had 10 different players score at least 20 points in a game. That number has grown to 11 with Alvarado making an immediate impact since being acquired from the New Orleans Pelicans ahead of the NBA trade deadline.

Mohamed Diawara fell two points short of that threshold, scoring 18 against the Pelicans on Dec. 29.

Having the ball in the hands of their best player less seems counterproductive, but getting others involved has made the Knicks an even more dangerous team.

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Kenneth Teape
KENNETH TEAPE

Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at teapester725@gmail.com.

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