The New York Knicks are expected to be the top three teams in the Eastern Conference during the 2025-26 NBA season.
With the likes of the Boston Celtics and the Indiana Pacers essentially out of title competition, it’s no surprise that New York Knicks fans are hoping they’ll be great in the franchise.
Furthermore, following the firing of Tom Thibodeau, the arrival of Director Mike Brown. Any top three finishes or less in the east are considered a failure on the Brown side.
Last season, Jalen Brunson appeared as the Knicks’ main superstar most nights. But if there was one player who struggled to play well, it was Karl Anthony’s town.
With that in mind, NBA analyst Marcus Thompson recently explained why coach Brown needs to fix the “confusion” between the two stars. If he fails, the Knicks may not win the top three seeds per Thompson.
“If that happens, that’s because Mike Brown couldn’t stop the erosion of chemicals in that locker room, because he’ll finally catch up with them.
“The confusion that looks so good in court with Kat and Brunson and others catches up to them,” Thompson said in good words in Goodwill.
Thompson believes that solving locker room troubles is a specialist for coach Brown, but there is a catch.
“Mike Brown is going to go in there. It’s like his specialty. It tends to work out better when turning a bad team into a good team…
“And these were a lot of veterans, a lot of guys around the block and on a few teams, and “Hey guys, we don’t need that,” he added.
Branson averaged 26.0 points per game last season, while Cat averaged 24.4 points on the board every night.
There is no doubt about the individual talents of the Kat-Brunson duo, but the question is when they share the courts.
“There’s a need for better harmony between Branson and Cat. Just like they do. They’re two big dogs. They have to find a better way.
“If there’s erosion there, I think it hurts them. If they understand that, I think it drives them,” Thompson concluded.
The Knicks were the third seed of last season, only behind the Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers. Can Branson and the Towns work together to improve their positions next season? Only time can be seen.