Knicks Showing Much-Needed Offensive Improvement

The New York Knicks shocked a lot of people when it was announced they were parting ways with head coach Tom Thibodeau after advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals. Management thought that things had run their course with Thibodeau, who helped elevate the franchise from the doldrums of the NBA in his five seasons at the helm.

The rigidity of his rotation and schematics is ultimately what did him in. It took until the Knicks were down 2-0 in the ECF against the Indiana Pacers before changes were made to the lineup to shake things up. Once series didn’t determine his fate, but it certainly felt like the franchise had reached its ceiling under Thibodeau.

Tasked with helping New York break through and get to that next level was Mike Brown. There were certainly some people who doubted the hiring after he was fired by the Sacramento Kings 31 games into the 2024-25 campaign, but he has proven, thus far, to be exactly what the Knicks needed.

Knicks have thrived offensively thus far under Mike Brown

Nov 24, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown looks on during the first quarter against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

A faster-paced offensive game plan was deployed early on, with players still trying to get into a rhythm and figure out Brown’s scheme. There were some bumps in the road, and a few things are still being ironed out, but there have been marked improvements in key areas.

As shared by Tommy Beer on X, there are some statistics that stand out from the team’s first 24 games this season compared to the first 24 games last season. The most important thing is that New York has two more victories, dominating at Madison Square Garden.

Under the hood, there is a lot to like about the team’s performance despite their pace of play not changing much. In the final campaign under Thibodeau, the Knicks were 26th with a pace of 96.7 per Basketball Reference. This year, New York is still 26th with 98.2.

A net rating of +8.6 has been compiled thus far, compared to +6.5 last season. They have improved by 1.6 in their offensive rating and improved a little bit defensively, by 0.5.

Quarterpole update:

Knicks first 24 games last season

vs.

Knicks first 24 games this season pic.twitter.com/bJEy7bQJL5
— Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer) December 10, 2025

Where Brown wanted to see an increase was from the 3-point line. He wants to maximize his team’s potential, and they have responded by attempting 40.8 shots per game from beyond the arc.

Of course, anyone can shoot the ball from long range. Connecting on them at a respectable clip is what is important, and the Knicks are getting the job done in that regard, knocking down 37.8% of their 3-pointers.

New York is generating high-efficiency looks as well, upping their corner 3-point attempts and catch-and-shoot attempts. Miles McBride, Landry Shamet, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby and Josh Hart are all shooting at least 39.4% from long range on at least four attempts per contest.

Despite the increase in 3-point attempts, the Knicks are also getting to the foul line more frequently. They are an impressive 11th, making 79.8% from the charity stripe, despite Mitchell Robinson weighing them down with his historically poor five of 25 showing at the line.

That is what happens when a team averages nearly five more drives per game.

Knicks getting more players involved offensively

Dec 2, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; New York Knicks guard Mikal Bridges (25) reacts after making a three-point basket against the Boston Celtics during the second half at the TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Getting the ball out of All-Star Jalen Brunson’s hands seems counterproductive to improving efficiency, but it has helped. Not having to dribble the ball up the court constantly and initiate all of the offense has opened things up for the star guard.

Ball-handling and playmaking responsibilities have been split throughout the lineup. Sometimes Bridges is bringing the ball up, other times it is Anunoby or Hart.

Brown has also shown a willingness to tinker with lineup combinations, playing Brunson alongside McBride, Jordan Clarkson, Shamet and even Tyler Kolek for spurts.

your knicks are playing beautiful basketball

JB 35 PTS | 4 AST
Josh 21 PTS | 4 AST
Mikal 15 PTS | 2 STL
KAT 14 PTS | 16 REB
OG 13 PTS | 6 REB
JC 12 PTS | 3 REB pic.twitter.com/lsalN9cBZY
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) December 10, 2025

New York’s offense is no longer just hope and prayers that Brunson can create something out of nothing. Their isolation percentage has dropped from 7.30% to 5.80% and their passes per game have increased by 16.5 per game.

Brown has constantly adjusted the game plan offensively as the season has worn on. More pick-and-rolls between Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns have been called, maximizing everyone’s strengths.

The best part about this Knicks offense? They haven’t even seemed to reach their maximum potential yet. Despite that, career years are already being produced by a few players, as the sky’s the limit for this group.

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