Knicks Underrated Depth Showcased in One Impressive Stat

One of the biggest issues that the New York Knicks teams of recent years ran into was how top-heavy the roster was.

The Knicks were overreliant on their stars. Too often, their offense would be stagnant, awaiting Jalen Brunson to create something out of nothing to bail them out time and time again. It is a major reason that the front office made a move to acquire Karl-Anthony Towns from the Minnesota Timberwolves.

New York now had a bona fide No. 2 option to pair with Brunson, who could carry the offense for stretches. Alas, that wasn’t enough to get the team over the hump either, with the Knicks losing in the Eastern Conference Finals to the Indiana Pacers.

A major gripe that fans had with previous head coach Tom Thibodeau was how rigid he was with his rotation. He was set in his ways, relying heavily on the starters and only a few key bench players.

Knicks have better depth than given credit for

Nov 19, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) and guard Landry Shamet (44) celebrate after Shamet makes a go ahead three point basket against the Dallas Mavericks during the fourth quarter at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

No one knew if the Knicks truly had enough depth or not because the coaching staff was not comfortable giving them minutes in meaningful games until it was too little too late in the postseason.

Through the first 30 games of Mike Brown’s tenure as New York’s head coach, that has been one of the many bright spots. He has shown a willingness to throw guys into the fire, seeing how they respond to different situations.

The results, thus far, have been fantastic. The Knicks are 21-9 and in second place in the Eastern Conference, 2.5 games behind the Detroit Pistons. His willingness to experiment has led to unearthing a lot of depth, as evidenced by a post made by Empire Sports Media's Dylan Backer on X.

There have already been 10 New York players to score at least 20 points in a game this season. That would not have occurred in years past. Not necessarily because the talent level is better on the roster, but because guys outside of the rotation weren’t given chances to showcase their abilities.

Knicks most points scored in a game this season:

🔶 Jalen Brunson: 47
🔶 Karl-Anthony Towns: 40
🔶 Landry Shamet: 36
🔶 Mikal Bridges: 35
🔶 OG Anunoby: 28
🔶 Jordan Clarkson: 25
🔶 Deuce McBride: 25
🔶 Josh Hart: 22
🔶 Mitchell Robinson: 21
🔶 Tyler Kolek: 20

In just 30 games… pic.twitter.com/5JXcDrLAaW
— Dylan Backer (@DylanBackerESM) December 25, 2025

There have been several times this season already that Brown has played double-digit players in his rotation on a given night, not even including blowouts. 10 different players are averaging at least 12.8 minutes per game.

14 different players have already appeared in double-digit games this season. Some of that has been out of necessity, with several key members of the rotation suffering injuries.

OG Anunoby, Landry Shamet and Miles McBride have all missed at least 10 games already this season. Everyone except Mikal Bridges and Jordan Clarkson, who have appeared in all 30 games that count to their record and the 2026 NBA Emirates Cup Championship against the San Antonio Spurs, has missed multiple games already.

In recent years, that would be viewed as a major deterrent to the team finding success. Starters would be run into the ground playing extended minutes in games before Christmas.

Mike Brown helping build confidence of Knicks role players

Dec 5, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks forward Mohamed Diawara (51) at Madison Square Garden. | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Thankfully, that is no longer the case. Brown’s willingness to experiment during the marathon regular season is paying major dividends and will continue to do so late into the campaign.

Ariel Hukporti and Mohamed Diawara may not have 20-point games on their resume, but they are also receiving opportunities to prove themselves and grow into larger roles. Think of where the Knicks would be without Tyler Kolek being allowed to play through mistakes and grow into a prominent part of the rotation.

New York’s depth is excellent, with a deep roster capable of being mixed and matched by Brown to compete against whatever their opponent throws at them.

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