Jalen Brunson almost never uses excuses.
Let’s say the Knicks lose on the second night of a home-road back-to-back. Some players in this scenario may talk about the challenge of a quick turnaround or a late flight. Not Brunson.
Maybe the Knicks are down one or two rotation players and lose to a quality opponent. It would be completely understandable if a player told the media that injuries to key players impacted the game. Not Brunson.
He’d probably say the Knicks should have played better and could have won the game.
So it was noteworthy last week in Milwaukee when Brunson said the Knicks need some time to get used to one another.
"We're still learning; everything is brand new for us. We’re not gonna use that excuse for a long time. But these first couple weeks, it’s still fresh for us," the Knick captain said last week. "But no matter what, we know what we gotta go out there and do and we gotta do that to the best of our abilities."
If Brunson says the Knicks need some time to get accustomed to a new head coach and new system, you probably should give him the benefit of the doubt.
It’s fair – and logical – to hold the 2025-26 Knicks to high standards. They are coming off of their first conference finals appearance in 25 seasons. They have a unique window this season to make a run to the NBA Finals. Two stars on rival teams (Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton) are out for a significant portion of the season.
So this team should be heavily scrutinized. That’s what happens when you have championship expectations. That’s what happens when you make a coaching change after one of the most successful seasons in the past 30 years.
But in the opening weeks of this season, things are going to look disjointed. Players are getting used to each other and their head coach. The head coach is getting used to his players.
But you can see bits of evidence that the process is working.
Mike Brown himself said he didn’t help the Knicks’ reserves earlier in the season because his substitutions were "all over the map."
In the past two games, Brown feels like he’s found consistency with substitutions and lineups.
Maybe it’s no coincidence that Josh Hart and Jordan Clarkson have had the best games of their seasons in the past two nights.
Brown has talked openly about his own coaching performance. He’s held his players accountable and held himself accountable.
"We just have to keep learning on the fly, starting with me. I’ve got to keep trying to get better quicker," Brown said late last week.
It seems like the players appreciate Brown’s sentiment. Hart was asked after Monday’s game about Brown getting more settled with his substitutions/rotations in the past two games.
"Mike's new. We’re all getting accustomed and acclimated to everybody so you definitely feel that a little bit," he said. "And the great thing about Mike, he’s an amazing person, first and foremost. He always has an open door. If you don't understand something that’s going on, you can always go talk to him. So obviously this is a process. Everybody wants it built now but it won’t be. And we’re all learning, including him."
Brown hasn’t been shy about holding players – including the top players on the roster – accountable when he feels they don’t play well. He’s been vocal about that in the locker room during and after games, challenging players to improve their performance, per people familiar with the matter.
But he's also been upfront about the challenges he and the Knicks face early this season.
“We all have to be better. Start with me. And we will be better,” Brown was saying before Sunday’s game.
The Knicks have looked much better since Brown made that statement. The offense has been strong the last two games. Maybe that continues on Wednesday against Minnesota. Maybe it doesn’t. Either way, this Knicks team – and its new head coach – will take some time to get fully in synch.
"This is a process. We’ve had a lot of guys that have been out, hadn’t practiced and it starts with me," Brown said late Monday. "I said this last game, I gotta help put these guys in a better position. Whether it’s on the floor or whatever, rotation-wise, but I didn’t quite have as good a feel (earlier in the season) because guys had been out. Trying to play this guy, that guy. It starts with me; I have gotten better and they've just gotten more comfortable."
