Knicks’ rotation shifts under Brown spotlight Hart’s minutes, Brunson’s return and bench growth
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Josh Hart’s workload has dropped sharply in 2025/26 after logging a league-high 37.6 minutes per game last season. The 30-year-old swingman is now coming off the bench for new head coach Mike Brown, averaging 25.8 minutes while recovering from preseason back spasms. His minutes have ticked up recently with OG Anunoby sidelined by a hamstring strain, but Hart acknowledged he keeps an eye on his playing time “when I’m mad.” Brown called Hart “a glue piece” comparable to Andre Iguodala and said he will continue spreading minutes across a deep roster.
Hart also told the New York Post he had explored joining Washington during his 2021 restricted free agency out of respect for then-Wizard Russell Westbrook, a player he “definitely admire[s].”
Star point guard Jalen Brunson returned Wednesday after missing two games with a Grade 1 right ankle sprain and delivered 28 points, five assists and three rebounds in 35 minutes against his former club, helping New York secure a two-point win.
Brown pushed to keep veteran shooter Landry Shamet, whom he had long admired, on the roster before the season. Shamet, on a non-guaranteed deal, has flourished in the early going, reinforcing Brown’s belief that the guard “complet[es] the group.”
The coach’s emphasis on balanced minutes has extended to the second unit. “I don’t want to gas my guys this early in the season,” Brown said, adding that broader playing time now should pay off later. He is searching for additional minutes for rookie forward Mohamed Diawara, praising the Frenchman’s recent short stints while Anunoby is out.
Karl-Anthony Towns, adjusting to Brown’s offensive system, is off to a slow shooting start but said he is “having fun” and trusts his percentages will improve. “Numbers will always number out,” the two-time All-Star noted.
In a mailbag column, SNY’s Ian Begley projected that New York will target a backup point guard before the trade deadline and plans to check with Dallas on its asking price for Anthony Davis.
Source: Hoops Rumors
