For years, the New York Knicks were synonymous with heavy workloads under Tom Thibodeau. Night after night, starters routinely logged 38–40 minutes, the bench shortened as the season wore on, and by the playoffs, fatigue often lingered. With Mike Brown now at the helm, the Knicks are bracing for a very different reality — one that prioritizes long-term health and sustained performance over chasing every single regular-season victory.
A different voice at the top
Mike Brown has made it clear that his focus isn’t just on winning tonight’s game, but ensuring the Knicks are built for April, May, and possibly June. After Tuesday’s practice in Abu Dhabi, he explained the change in philosophy.
“The biggest thing is trying to make sure you watch everybody’s minutes instead of trying to chase games,” Brown said. “There might be some games where maybe you throw the towel in early. It’s important to win, but you also have to understand, ‘Hey, I want to keep this guy’s minutes here, this guy’s minutes here, this guy’s minutes here, instead of trying to extend everybody’s minutes. Because if the season is long, we don’t want anybody worn out by the end.”
That quote alone signals the biggest departure from the Thibodeau era. Brown is embracing the modern NBA trend of load management, though his version feels less like resting stars outright and more like carefully distributing the burden over the course of an 82-game schedule.
Preserving stars for the long run
The Knicks’ core pieces — Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, and Karl-Anthony Towns — are all capable of carrying heavy offensive loads, but Brown doesn’t want them spent before the postseason. In fact, his system will rely more on bench depth to carry stretches of games.
That could mean Brunson spends fewer nights playing 39 minutes and more evenings capped at 33 or 34, leaving extra time for Malcolm Brogdon and Miles McBride to stabilize the backcourt. It also suggests Bridges and Anunoby may see shorter stints in blowouts, a luxury they rarely had under Thibodeau.
In other words, Brown wants his stars fresh enough to still be explosive in May, not crawling toward the finish line.
Bench value becomes more critical
For this strategy to work, the Knicks’ second unit has to be more than just placeholders. Jordan Clarkson, Guerschon Yabusele, and Josh Hart will play pivotal roles in carrying stretches when starters rest. Clarkson’s microwave scoring off the bench fits perfectly into this system — he can shift momentum in a matter of minutes, sparing Brunson or Bridges from having to log extra possessions late in games.
Meanwhile, Hart’s versatility as a rebounder and defender ensures the Knicks can maintain intensity even with mixed rotations. Yabusele adds a different dynamic with his scoring touch, providing offensive variety that will allow Brown to mix and match based on matchups.
Shifting the culture
This change in philosophy isn’t just about health — it’s about culture. By spreading minutes more evenly, Brown is sending a message: this isn’t a one-man or two-man team. Everyone on the roster will be trusted to contribute, and everyone will be held accountable.
For younger players, it offers opportunity. For veterans, it offers relief. And for the Knicks as a whole, it offers a better chance of playing their best basketball when the games matter most.