Why Mike Brown won’t ‘overhaul everything’ despite Knicks’ 7-10 record since NBA Cup

NEW YORK – The New York Knicks lost their third-straight game on Saturday night, with the Phoenix Suns winning 106-99. It was the eighth game they’ve dropped in their last ten, bringing their record since the NBA Cup to 7-10. Just three weeks remain until the trade deadline, after which team president Leon Rose’s options for change are limited.

As for the players on the roster, head coach Mike Brown told reporters after the game that no sweeping changes are inbound.

“You don’t want to lose games at all, but, you know. Especially going 2-8 in the last 10. So there’s concern there, but not to the point where we’re gonna overhaul everything,” the coach shared following a 17-turnover outing.

Brown is taking a 479-321 record as an NBA head coach into Monday night’s game against the Dallas Mavericks. His accountability fueled the Knicks’ bounce-back efforts from an early three-game skid. If this slump is going to be an inflection point, he knows what it has to look like.

“We got to work. Like I said, look in the mirror, see how we can individually help the group, starting with me, and then we got to get in the gym. We got to work as much as we can. And we got to keep trying to fight like we did tonight, and if we do, we’re going to give ourselves a chance,” he told media on Saturday.

There was no single strategic tweak that Brown underlined as key to a turnaround. He seemingly just needs to see consistency, grit, and a desire to improve. Those are the factors that players and coaches can control at this point in the season.

Brunson, Hart’s Knicks returns coming at the right time

As of Monday morning’s 5 a.m. injury report, both Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart carry “questionable” designations as the Knicks prepare to host the former player’s former team.

Brunson exited Wednesday night’s game in Sacramento after just five minutes after twisting his right ankle. That’s the same ankle that he sprained in November, causing him to miss two games, and last March when he missed almost a month.

Hart sprained his right ankle on Christmas Day against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He missed eight games before returning against one of his former teams in the Portland Trail Blazers. Brown told reporters on Saturday that the 30-year-old was sitting out of caution, not necessity.

“He’s just a little sore, so we’re just going to be cautious. Especially this time of year,” the coach explained.

This is normal for these Knicks, who sat Mitchell Robinson in Thursday’s loss to the Warriors. It’s part of the plan to manage his workload throughout the season. The injury management decisions are akin to the willing utilization of the team’s first and second-year players in regular season action.

Brown is holding to his preseason promises to play as many players as he can and generally manage their workloads. Brunson is hovering around the 34-minute-per-game goal his head coach set for himself ahead of the regular season.

Bridges is averaging 35, one above that goal. Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby are averaging about 32 minutes per game each while the league’s leader last season in Hart is playing just over 30.

Even as losses pile up, it’s key to remember what “time of year” it is in the NBA calendar and which direction the Knicks shifted their philosophy toward over the offseason. Discord between Brown and Towns is worth monitoring, but it’s likely not time to panic just yet.

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