Knicks head coach Mike Brown said his starters and key rotation players will begin ramping up their minutes as preseason action shifts stateside for the final three exhibition games before Opening Night.
“We’ll try to work it up this third game, try to get the starters a little bit of action in the second half,” Brown said Tuesday after practice at the team’s Tarrytown training facility.
No starter has played more than 18 minutes across the two Abu Dhabi games against the Philadelphia 76ers. That’s expected to change as the Knicks return to Madison Square Garden for matchups against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday, the Washington Wizards on Monday and the Charlotte Hornets in the Oct. 17 preseason finale.
“[We’re] getting closer to the season, getting closer to the real thing,” said team captain Jalen Brunson. “We’re still preparing as well as we need to be. So we’ll continue with that preparation and focus. Obviously minutes aren’t what they would be in a regular-season game [yet].”
HART DAY-TO-DAY
Forward Josh Hart did not practice Tuesday as he continues to recover from lower back spasms sustained in the preseason opener. Brown described the injury as “little spasms” and listed Hart as day-to-day.
Hart initially suffered the injury during the second quarter of the Knicks’ first win over the Sixers and was held out of the second matchup. He was already expected to play the 2025 season wearing a splint on his right ring finger before the back issue arose.
OG Anunoby, who missed the preseason opener with a hand sprain, returned for Game 2 and delivered 13 points on 3-of-5 shooting from beyond the arc.
Brown noted that the injuries have limited his ability to evaluate certain lineups.
“Not really just because of the injuries, but that’s why you have 15 guys and three two-ways,” he said. “Someone goes down, it’s the next man up. OG didn’t play in Game 1 — next guy steps up. Josh didn’t play in Game 2 — next guy steps up.”
“Knock on wood, that’s how it’s gotta be all year. That’s why it’s extremely important for everybody to be mentally locked in. Your number can be called any time. Our guys are extremely professional and they’ll be ready — even if they haven’t played in a game or two.”
KAT, YABUSELE FACING STEEPEST LEARNING CURVE
Brown said Karl-Anthony Towns and Guerschon Yabusele are facing the steepest learning curve on the offensive end as both players are tasked with toggling between the four and five spots in his system.
“They have the toughest job on the team because one, two, three and four are interchangeable,” said Brown. “So when you’re on the floor, you have to know all four of those spots. And then five is completely separate.”
“So Kat and Yabusele have to learn all five spots in everything we’re trying to do now. That’s going to take time.”
Brown said the challenge comes from the fundamental differences in the responsibilities between the four and five positions.
“Sometimes they’re at the five, sometimes they’re at the four — and they’re completely different. It’s going to take them a little longer than everyone else, and the learning curve will be a lot steeper.”
BRUNSON ‘STILL ADJUSTING’ TO NEW SYSTEM
While the Knicks’ floor general can see the benefits of Brown’s faster-paced offensive system, he noted there is still much work to be done for everyone to get on the same page.
“Still adjusting, still learning and there’s still a lot for us to get better at, but I think playing out of the basics of our offense for the first week-ish or two, whatever it’s been — the potential is getting there,” he said on Tuesday. “And what we’re learning and how we’re playing as a team is definitely improving. So still a long way to go, but getting our basics down.”
