Karl-Anthony Towns

Knicks Notes: Hart, Brunson, Shamet, Diawara, Towns, More

November 22nd, 2025 at 3:59pm CST by Rory Maher

Knicks wing Josh Hart had the best year of his career in 2024/25 playing under Tom Thibodeau, starting 77 games while leading the NBA in minutes per game (37.6) and posting career highs in rebounds (9.6), assists (5.9) and steals (1.5) as well as his second-best averages in points (13.6) and field goal percentage (52.5).

While his per-36 averages are very similar to last season’s, Hart is coming off the bench and playing far fewer minutes (25.8 MPG) in ’25/26 under new head coach Mike Brown, writes Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News. Hart’s reduced role is partly due to being hampered by back spasms during the preseason, and his workload has increased lately with OG Anunoby out with a hamstring strain.

“I hope [I play more],” Hart said before Wednesday’s win in Dallas. “Before [Anunoby] went down, I think I was playing the least minutes of my career.”

According to Winfield, the 30-year-old concedes he keeps tabs on his minutes — but only when he’s angry.

“When I’m mad, yeah,” Hart said. “But I’m ready to have to always do what needs to be done to help the team get wins.”

For his part, Brown has nothing but good things to say about Hart.

“They’re not the same player, but he’s such a glue piece like Andre Iguodala was in Golden State,” Brown said. “He just ties everything and anybody together. He does so many things out there that are just really simple that makes the game easier for everybody… And he can definitely do that for us and probably play more minutes, but at the end of the day, we have a good team, and I’m gonna try to spread [the minutes] around as best I can.”

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Hart recently told Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (subscriber link) that he tried to find a way to to land with the Wizards during his 2021 restricted free agency because of his respect for Russell Westbrook, who was a member of the team at the time. “His competitiveness, his passion — he’s one of the guys I definitely admire,” Hart said. Bondy’s story is centered on Hart being the top rebounder in the league for his size.
After missing two games with a Grade 1 right ankle sprain, star point guard Jalen Brunson returned to action on Wednesday and helped lead the Knicks to a victory against his former team, per Steve Popper of Newsday (subscription required). The two-time All-NBA member recorded 28 points, five assists and three rebounds in 35 minutes during the two-point win.
Brown didn’t personally know Landry Shamet prior to landing the Knicks job, but he had long admired the veteran sharpshooter’s game and “pushed” to keep him on the roster before the ’25/26 campaign began, Bondy reports (subscriber link). Brown’s decision is looking shrewd in the early going, Bondy writes, as Shamet — who is on a non-guaranteed contract — has thrived under his new coach. “I was a big fan of him, watching [him] play last year and even prior, and so it was, for me, having him a part of this team, completed the group,” Brown said. “Now we have a lot of diverse guys. He’s just doing, in my opinion, what he’s capable of doing.”
Brown’s management of the bench has been paying dividends so far in ’25/26, according to James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. “It’s so early in the season, the reality of it is that I don’t want to gas my guys this early in the season,” Brown said. “If the minutes can be respectable across the board, especially at this time of the year, then we can increase the minutes come playoff time or late in the season. Getting these guys reps in case (*knocks on wood*) someone gets hurt or in case we have to throw someone in the game. There is a comfort level that they have, and not only that they have, but I have, the staff has and everybody else has with someone new on the floor.”
Brown says he’d like to find more playing time for French forward Mohamed Diawara, having praised the rookie for his contributions over the past couple games (story via Bondy). “I would’ve loved to play Mo out there a little longer,” Brown said after Diawara played two minutes in Wednesday’s win. “Mo has done a great job in short minutes he played and to try to get him some minutes during this time of year, especially while OG is out, to keep us long and athletic would be ideal. And I’m going to keep searching to try to do it.”
While Karl-Anthony Towns is off to a slow start in Brown’s offensive system, he says he’s “having fun with it” and is confident his subpar percentages will normalize over time, as Winfield relays. “I want to find different ways to impact this team winning, and just continue to figure everything out. We all are,” Towns said. “So definitely on my part, I could do a better job hitting some shots. But I’ll get to that. Numbers will always number out. So I’m just staying confident.”
In a mailbag article, Ian Begley of SNY.tv predicts the Knicks will prioritize finding a backup point guard prior to the trade deadline. He also expects the front office to have conversations with the Mavericks in the coming weeks to discover their asking price for Anthony Davis.

Knicks Notes: Towns, Shamet, Brown, Brunson

November 16th, 2025 at 10:15pm CST by Eli Cohen

Karl-Anthony Towns scored 31 of his 39 points in the Knicks’ win against the Heat in the first half, and in doing so, provided a reminder of his ability to function as the team’s top offensive option with Jalen Brunson currently out with an ankle sprain, writes Jared Schwartz of the New York Post.

Towns had a relatively quiet second half against the Heat’s swarming double teams, but his first-half heroics set the tone for the team to capitalize against Miami’s defense. At the same time, his willingness to step back allowed reserves Landry Shamet, Jordan Clarkson, and Josh Hart to lead the way against a defense tilted to stop Towns.

“I wanted to do my best to pick up the offense that [Brunson] gives our team,” Towns said. “And in the first half, I did a good job of that. In the second half, I wasn’t trying to force it. I’ve had those days, so I was just letting the game come to me and Landry Shamet is a big reason [for that].”

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Shamet racked up a career-high 36 points as he helped the Knicks take down the Heat for the team’s first win of the NBA Cup. His increased prominence in the rotation is a reward for being willing to fight for a roster spot on a non-guaranteed deal this fall, Schwartz writes. “This is where I wanted to be,” Shamet said. “With the year we had last year, this group of guys, this locker room, this city, these fans, all of it, I only wanted to be here, to be honest. I’m glad it worked out.” Shamet has started three games and seems to be head coach Mike Brown‘s preferred starter when Mitchell Robinson is out. “Is he shooting the pull-up, which he can make, or is he getting to the rim and dunking on you?” Brown said. “You could see that on film last year, and so I was definitely a fan of his.”
Brown was disappointed with the Knicks’ lack of focus against the Magic on Wednesday, telling reporters that the team was too focused on the referees and not enough on the game, Schwartz writes in a separate article. “The thing that I was most disappointed in was in the first half, everything that happened on the court, we blamed the officials,” Brown said. “And that was disappointing to see because we were the culprits of a lot of stuff that happened out on the floor.” The Knicks cut down on the complaining last game, and Towns has mentioned before that not getting distracted by perceived bad calls is a point of emphasis for him.
Brown and Towns credited assistant coach Rick Brunson with Towns’ success in the win against the Heat, Schwartz writes. “Rick Brunson was the first one to say it,” Brown said. “He was like, ‘Hey, keep playing through KAT. Keep playing through KAT. Keep playing through KAT.”

Cade Cunningham, Nikola Jokic Named Players Of Week

November 10th, 2025 at 2:53pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Pistons guard Cade Cunningham has been named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week, while Nuggets center Nikola Jokic has been chosen as the Western Conference Player of the Week, according to the NBA (Twitter links).

Cunningham led Detroit to four consecutive wins during the week of November 3-9 while averaging 31.0 points and 9.8 assists per game on 54.7% shooting. This marks the second time in his career that Cunningham has received a Player of the Week award.

Jokic also led his team to a 4-0 week, with home victories over Sacramento, Miami, Golden State, and Indiana. The three-time MVP averaged a triple-double, with 31.3 points, 13.3 assists, and 11.3 rebounds per contest. His biggest game of the week came last Wednesday against the Heat, when he racked up 33 points, 16 assists, 15 rebounds, and three steals.

Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks), Jalen Duren (Pistons), Kon Knueppel (Hornets), Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers), Norman Powell (Heat) and Karl-Anthony Towns (Knicks) were the other Eastern Conference nominees.

Devin Booker (Suns), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder), Trey Murphy III (Pelicans), Julius Randle (Timberwolves) and Alperen Sengun (Rockets) were also nominated in the West.

Knicks Notes: Towns, Robinson, Hart, McBride, Backup PG, Anunoby, Oakley

November 6th, 2025 at 8:23am CST by Dana Gauruder

More than a year after being traded from Minnesota to New York, Knicks big man Karl-Anthony Towns still has trouble processing the deal.

“I’m still stunned, I mean, I’m still stunned. It’s weird,” Towns said, per Vince Goodwill of ESPN, after the Knicks defeated his former club 137-114 on Wednesday. “I feel more like a Knick now after everything we went through last year, but it’s weird to see that Wolves jersey — especially the fire black one — and not see ‘Towns’ on the back of it.”

Towns believes the Timberwolves will remain one of the Western Conference’s elite teams.

“Built something special there,” Towns said. “It’s different when you’re in process and now you’re going against the process. They’re a great team. To see what they’re doing right now, special, and I expect nothing less than greatness from them.”

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Mitchell Robinson is on a load management plan that has included sitting out games and a minutes restriction when he suits up. He proved why he’s so essential to the club against Minnesota, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post writes. Robinson’s size, rebounding, defense, and rim protection were all impactful in a 16-minute stint. He finished with eight points, 10 rebounds, three blocks and a steal. “I was just out there being me,” he said.
Despite battling some nagging injuries, Josh Hart delivered his best performance of the season, Jared Schwartz of the New York Post notes. He posted a season-high 18 points, five rebounds and four assists. Miles McBride was also key off the bench with 14 points. “I gotta give a lot of credit to Deuce,” coach Mike Brown said. “Deuce was aggressive the right way. He played under control. If they tried to pick up full-court, he drove it by them. He touched the paint. He played off two [feet] and he sprayed it. And guys got great looks when he got us into our offensive. Josh was also a big catalyst in terms of trying to get us to push the pace and play the right way.”
With Brown already losing faith in Tyler Kolek, the Knicks once again find themselves in a familiar spot — seeking a reliable backup to Jalen Brunson. They are now using several players who aren’t true point guards in that role. Bondy identifies Jose Alvarado and Dante Exum as two options the club could consider on the trade market.
OG Anunoby is averaging a career-high 7.3 three-point attempts and making 41.4% of them. The Knicks want their versatile wing to keep firing away. “He’s a good shooter, and we want him to shoot the ball,” Hart told James Edwards III of The Athletic. “The offense is a little bit more ball movement, body movement. We want guys to put shots up and we’ll crash and do that. We want to, obviously, generate 3s.”
Former Knicks star Charles Oakley must pay more than $642K in lawyer fees to Madison Square Garden for deleting text messages during a court battle over his ejection from a game eight years ago, Priscilla DeGregory and Natalie O’Neill of the New York Post report. Oakley filed a defamation lawsuit against the arena firm and Knicks owner James Dolan in September 2017.

Knicks Notes: Towns, Rotation, Robinson, Bridges, Hart

November 4th, 2025 at 9:25pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Karl-Anthony Towns seems to be growing comfortable with new coach Mike Brown‘s schemes. The Knicks big man racked up 33 points, 13 rebounds and five assists in a 119-102 victory over the Wizards on Monday.

“KAT was a monster. He was a monster on the glass, he was really good defensively, he was a monster inside, outside,” Brown said, per Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News. “He’s starting to feel and find his rhythm in what we’re trying to do.”

Towns had scored fewer than 20 points in half of New York’s first six games.

“Really, we’re all figuring it out. Getting better every day, understanding what our roles are and what we’ve got to do,” Towns said. “It’s good, we’ve got two wins in a row but we’re obviously still a work in progress.”

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Brown has trimmed the rotation to nine players in the past two games, Winfield notes. Against the Bulls on Sunday, Brown went with Josh Hart, Landry Shamet, Miles McBride and Jordan Clarkson off the bench. On Monday, with Mitchell Robinson sitting for load management purposes, Shamet moved into the starting lineup and Guerschon Yabusele played on the second unit. “The last two nights were the best I’ve done for them in terms of rotations. They kinda sorta knew when they were coming out or going in, who was going to play together,” Brown said.
Robinson’s availability remains something of a mystery, Jared Schwartz of the New York Post writes. Robinson has only played a combined 33 minutes through the first seven games. Left ankle injury management is the club’s reasons for limiting his minutes and game appearances. Don’t expect that to change. “We’ll keep doing that throughout the course of the year. Whatever they tell me, I’m gonna do,” Brown said.
Mikal Bridges‘ all-around game has been on display this season, Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post writes. He has also been a lot more vocal in his second year with the club. Bridges, who signed a four-year extension in the offseason, is averaging 16.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.4 steals per night.
Despite dealing with hand and ankle injuries, Hart contributed 12 points with 10 rebounds and five assists in just 26 minutes on Monday. “Basically been banged up and hurt for what, three months?” Hart said, per Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. “Little frustrating, but it comes with the territory. It comes with being in a contact sport, so it is what it is.”

Knicks Notes: Coaching Change, Towns, Hart, Robinson

November 1st, 2025 at 6:14pm CST by Arthur Hill

After they got off to a 2-3 start, including a 10-point loss at Chicago on Friday, Steve Popper of Newsday wonders whether the Knicks‘ offseason coaching change was necessary or if they were trying to fix something that wasn’t broken.

Management decided to replace Tom Thibodeau after he took New York to the conference finals last season and brought in Mike Brown, who promised to give more minutes to bench players and institute an up-tempo style. Popper points out that the Knicks still have a roster filled with players who were acquired to fit Thibodeau’s slower-paced, defensive-minded approach. When they faced the Bulls, who are built for a faster style of play, they gave up 135 points.

Popper states that the adjustment has been particularly difficult for Karl-Anthony Towns, who is projected to spend more time at power forward after primarily being used as a center last season. Popper believes Towns is miscast by being asked to run the floor in transition like a wing.

Towns didn’t address his individual role after Friday’s loss, but his comments reflected the overall frustration of the team.

“Just obviously we’re not happy,” he said. “We had three winnable games and we didn’t do enough to close the game out. For someone like us, that was our identity last year — close games we usually win. So obviously it’s a different feeling not being able to close the games out.”

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Josh Hart told Brown that he doesn’t want to move back and forth between starting and sixth-man duties, so he’s now a full-time reserve, Popper adds in the same piece. Hart said even though it was his idea, there might be times that he struggles with not being a starter. “I think throughout the season it’ll be a battle of, you know, kind of fighting the egotistical view of it,” he said. “I think I did have a good year last year. And you know, with a different role, now it’s totally different. I think the biggest thing, I’ve had to sacrifice my whole career. I talked about it the whole time last year. You know, that’s something that I try to do every year and try to make sure whether I’ve got to sacrifice or not, make the team the best that we can be. So it’s never like, OK cool and it’s seamless. There’s going to be days where I’m just like, ‘Man, that’s some bull.’ You know what I mean? But it’ll be a constant thing of fighting that, but making sure I know that this is what’s best for the team and locking in on that.”
Hart told reporters on Friday that he’s not considering another surgical procedure for an injured finger on his shooting hand, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. Hart wants to avoid a prolonged recovery that could sideline him for several months.
Brown was sharply critical of the Knicks’ defense following the loss to Chicago, relays Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News. The Bulls scored 72 points in the first half and finished the game with six players in double figures. “Our defense tonight was nonexistent and it starts with guarding the basketball,” Brown said. “We have to be better guarding the basketball. And it has to be with a sense of physicality because if we don’t, teams are gonna do exactly what Chicago did tonight on the offensive end of the floor.”
After missing four games due to left ankle injury maintenance, Mitchell Robinson made his season debut on Friday, posting four points and 11 rebounds in 20 minutes. He’s being listed as questionable for Sunday’s rematch with the Bulls in New York, according to James L. Edwards of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Knicks Notes: Towns, McBride, Novak, Bridges

October 31st, 2025 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

After expressing some uncertainty ahead of the regular season about his fit in Mike Brown‘s offense, Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns has gotten off to a shaky start this fall. The big man is shooting just 35.2% from the floor through four games and scored a season-low eight points on 2-of-12 shooting in Tuesday’s loss in Milwaukee.

As Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News writes (subscription required), Towns attempted just one shot in the first half of that loss to the Bucks while playing the way Brown wants him to — making quick decisions and giving up the ball when the defense zeroes in on him. He was a +15 in those first two quarters. In the third quarter, Towns began hunting for his own shot and was a -14 while making just 1-of-9 field goal attempts.

“(Towns’) first half was beautiful. He played the right way. And that’s all you can ask your All-Star guys to do,” Brown said. “If you’ve got an All-Star, and they’re taking him out with a second guy (double team), believe in your teammates, believe in the process. When those guys make plays, eventually they won’t double as much, and you’ll get it back.”

While the Knicks’ first-half success as a team (they were up 71-59 at the break) back up Brown’s comments, Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (subscription required) argues that it’s “unreasonable” for the new head coach to ask the Knicks’ maximum-salary star to embrace a style that results in him attempting a single shot through two quarters.

Brown is attempting to make the Knicks’ players adjust to his system rather than adjusting his system to the talent on the roster, according to Bondy, who suggests that some tweaks may be necessary to better take advantage of Towns’ elite scoring ability. For his part though, the five-time All-Star continues to try his best to fit into Brown’s scheme.

“I got to do whatever’s needed to win, and first half I played how we needed me to play,” Towns said after Tuesday’s loss, per Steve Popper of Newsday (subscription required). “And the game, I felt, switched up and I tried to get going just in case we needed me, and I just didn’t make a shot so I pressed a little bit too much. I have more experience than to do that, but I didn’t do what we needed me to do, and that’s on me and I take full responsibility.”

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Miles McBride has rejoined the Knicks after being away from the team for family reasons for two games, according to Bondy. The team’s bench scoring has slipped during McBride’s absence, and Brown is happy to have him back. “He does a lot of things on both ends of the floor,” the Knicks’ coach said. “His energy is contagious, he’s a two-way player. He can play on the ball, he can play off the ball defensively. He can play on the ball or off the ball offensively. Even though he’s a small guard, his athleticism and power obviously make him a good offensive rebounder. He can defensive rebound too. So there’s a lot he can bring to the table besides scoring that you miss when he’s not around.”
Former NBA sharpshooter Steve Novak, who appeared in 135 regular season games for the Knicks from 2011-13, has joined MSG Networks as a game analyst, per Bondy. The plan is for Novak to work about a dozen games this season when Clyde Frazier is off.
Veteran forward Mikal Bridges has embraced a mentorship role with younger Knicks players like Tyler Kolek, Pacome Dadiet, and Ariel Hukporti, writes James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. “You can see that when he was a younger guy in the league that he had those vets, too,” Kolek said. “They built a culture of brotherhood. You don’t see that every day in the NBA nowadays. (Mikal) was so welcoming and teaching us the little things, and not just the basketball stuff. He shows us how to move, how to be a man and be an actual professional.”
Speaking of Dadiet, he’s the only player with a 2026/27 rookie scale team option who hasn’t had that option exercised or declined yet. The deadline to pick up that option is the end of the day on Friday, so the Knicks’ decision should be reported in the coming hours.
In case you missed it, Knicks center Mitchell Robinson went through a full practice on Thursday and is considered a game-time decision for Friday’s game in Chicago. Robinson has yet to play this season due to what the team has referred to as left ankle injury management.

Knicks Notes: Towns, Robinson, Brown, Depth, McBride

October 24th, 2025 at 5:10pm CST by Rory Maher

The Knicks fired former head coach Tom Thibodeau over the offseason shortly after they made their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance in 25 years. However, star big man Karl-Anthony Towns tells DJ Siddiqi of RG.org that he doesn’t view 2025/26 as a championship-or-bust season.

“I feel all 30 teams in NBA are walking in saying the same thing,” Towns said. “It’s unfair just to say that’s for us. I think every team walks in saying the same thing. We’re just focusing on being the best version of ourselves every single day. Every year, you have to earn the respect of the city, continue to earn the respect of the city and the give the fans something to cheer for.

“Just be the best version ourselves when it comes to that point, when the postseason rolls around and play our best basketball. To build as a team so we can play our best basketball when we need to.”

In case you missed it, Towns said after Wednesday’s opening win versus Cleveland that he’s battling a Grade 2 right quad strain.

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Although head coach Mike Brown continues to insist that Mitchell Robinson hasn’t sustained a new injury, it’s concerning that the 27-year-old center will miss his second straight game on Friday against Boston with what the team calls left ankle injury management, writes Jared Schwartz of The New York Post. Robinson has made just 48 regular season appearances over the past two campaigns largely due to issues with his left ankle, which has been surgically repaired two times over that span, Schwartz notes.
Wednesday’s win was a good example of how different Brown’s vision for the Knicks is compared to Thibodeau’s, as Stefan Bondy of The New York Post details in a subscriber-only story. With the obvious caveat that it was only one game, the players seemed to be bought in to Brown’s fast-paced offense and energized by the fact that the new coach used an extended rotation. “I truly believe this team is a deep team,” Brown said. “Give (president) Leon Rose and his group a lot of credit. It’s my job to keep trying to find combinations out on the floor that work. Just like they’ve got a lot of room to grow, I’ve got a lot of room to grow, too. I’m still learning. The good part about is there are a lot of different ways I can go with it and I can learn on the fly because we have guys that can play. I like to play a lot of guys. I don’t know if I’ll play 11 guys every night but we like to play as many as we can. We want everybody to be ready in case their number’s called anytime.”
Tyler Kolek and Ariel Hukporti didn’t get much playing time as rookies last season, but earned minutes — and praise — from Brown on Wednesday, per Peter Sblendorio of The New York Daily News. “I thought both guys came in and tried to do what they’re capable of doing,” Brown said of Kolek and Hukporti. “We don’t need anybody to come in and play hero ball or anything like that. Play to your strengths, and both of those guys, they can do some things out on the floor.”
Miles McBride played a critical role in Wednesday’s opener, scoring 15 points on only seven field goal attempts and recording a team-high plus/minus of +17 in 26 minutes, according to Schwartz, who says the 25-year-old guard looks like an ideal fit in Brown’s pace-and-space offense. McBride will start on Friday, tweets Bondy.

Injury Notes: Sabonis, Towns, J. Green, K. Porter

October 23rd, 2025 at 9:55pm CST by Rory Maher

Kings center Domantas Sabonis, who missed Wednesday’s regular season opener in Phoenix, appears to be ahead of schedule in his recovery from a Grade 1 right hamstring strain. The Lithuanian big man has been upgraded to questionable for Friday’s home opener vs. Utah, tweets Sean Cunningham of NBC Sacramento.

The questionable tag certainly doesn’t guarantee Sabonis will suit up tomorrow, but it’s at least an encouraging development after the three-time All-Star was spotted getting shots up during Thursday’s practice. The Kings are banged up in the frontcourt, with forward Keegan Murray (thumb surgery) and his replacement in the starting lineup (Nique Clifford; hamstring strain) both out as well.

Second-year big man Isaac Jones, who missed Wednesday’s loss with an illness, is no longer on the injury report and will be active for Friday’s game, Cunningham adds.

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While Knicks big man Karl-Anthony Towns managed to record a double-double (19 points and 11 rebounds in 31 minutes) during Wednesday’s opener vs. Cleveland, his injury designation changed multiple times in the hours leading up to the game, writes Vincent Goodwill of ESPN.com. After the victory, Towns said he is battling a Grade 2 right quad strain. “I’ve been banged up, and I really haven’t gotten a chance to practice or play in the last two preseason games,” Towns said. “I didn’t want to disappoint the fans. It’s not something that’s easy to deal with, [but] we made it happen tonight.” Towns admitted he was bothered by the injury during the game, notes Jared Schwartz of The New York Post. “It was hurting,” Towns said. “For sure.“
Fifth-year guard Jalen Green continues to be sidelined by a right hamstring strain. Suns head coach Jordan Ott confirmed the offseason addition will miss the first two games (Friday at the Clippers and Saturday at the Nuggets) of a three-game road trip, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic (Twitter link). However, Green will be traveling with the team, which is a positive sign, and he hasn’t been ruled out of Monday’s game in Utah.
Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr. notched 10 points and two assists in nine minutes during Wednesday’s opening win vs. Washington before exiting late in the first quarter. An MRI on Thursday confirmed Porter has a left ankle sprain, according to the Bucks, who announced (via Twitter) that the 25-year-old will miss at least two games (Friday in Toronto and Sunday in Cleveland) as a result of the injury. Ryan Rollins and Cole Anthony are likely to continue to receive more playing time with Porter out.

Knicks Notes: Hart, Robinson, Towns, Brown, Yabusele

October 21st, 2025 at 9:29pm CST by Dana Gauruder

One of the questions facing the Knicks this preseason was whether new coach Mike Brown would choose Mitchell Robinson or Josh Hart as the team’s fifth starter. As it turns out, neither will play in the season opener against Cleveland on Wednesday. They’re listed as out on the official injury report and another starter, Karl-Anthony Towns, is questionable due to a strained right quad, Steve Popper of Newsday tweets.

Hart is dealing with lumbar spasms, according to Jared Schwartz of the New York Post. In terms of the oft-injured Robinson, it’s essentially left ankle injury management.

“With Mitch, we just have to be smart,” Brown said. “That’s part of load management. Just because he might be able to play tonight, he might be able to practice today, that doesn’t necessarily mean I’m gonna play him or I’m gonna practice him.”

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Brown has been tasked to bring the Knicks a long-awaited championship. He says they can’t skip any steps along the way, Schwartz writes. “The good part about it is, the Finals or the championship round doesn’t happen until June,” Brown said. “We’ve got a long time to get there. It starts on the daily. We can’t skip any steps. We just wanna keep taking steps, because it’s gonna be a process. Knowing that we might take one or two steps backwards, but hopefully we can regroup and continue to take three, four, five more forward.”
Towns isn’t entirely sure how his skill set fits into Brown’s offensive schemes, which are more up-tempo with a heavier emphasis on movement compared to Tom Thibodeau’s more methodical system. “Honestly, I don’t know, but we’re figuring it out. It’s just different,” Towns told Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News. Brown is confident Towns will adjust. “First thing is, it’s going to be a process, especially with him missing the last couple of games,” the Knicks’ new coach said. “He’ll be in the strong corner, he’ll be in the weak corner, he can be the push man, or he can be the weak wing, and also he can be at the top of the key and in the dunker. That will help him, the movement.”
Guerschon Yabusele has tipped the scales after signing a two-year contract as a free agent, according to Zach Braziller of the New York Post. The new Knicks forward weighs in at 283 pounds, 18 pounds more than last season with the Sixers. “I did not ask him to put on weight or take off weight,” Brown said. “That’s something that our performance people talk to him about.”

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