Knicks Notes: Rotation tweaks, OG Anunoby’s All‑Defense push and Mike Brown’s playoff belief

A few notes from the Knicks‘ win over Chicago on Friday:

ROTATION CHANGE?

Mike Brown went with Jeremy Sochan as his backup center against the Bulls. He was pleased with Sochan’s effort.

“It allowed us to do a lot of things like switch pick and rolls,” Brown said while giving Sochan the Defensive Player of the Game nod. “It brought a different element to our game. Not just offensively with the speed but defensively with switching a lot of things and just keeping the ball in front of us.”

An interesting wrinkle to Sochan’s rotation minutes? Neither Jose Alvarado nor Mohamed Diawara played in the first three quarters of Friday’s game.

Afterward, Brown was asked about Alvarado’s role with the team. It’s a “priority” to play Miles McBride and Landry Shamet at the guard spots off the bench right now, Brown said.

“We think Jose has done a fantastic job for us,” Brown said. “… Deuce is getting healthier and Landry’s getting healthy and trying to find minutes for those guys — both of those guys are capable of playing that (backup guard) spot — is going to be a priority because they’ve proven themselves this year for us.”

Speaking of McBride’s health, he was asked about tweaking his groin/ab muscle last Sunday against Oklahoma City. McBride reiterated that the tweak against OKC is part of the process as he returns from sports hernia surgery.

“It’s just kind of like a tweak; it’s a painful tweak,” McBride said. “(It’s) like someone stabbing your groin, hip and ab at the same time. It’s not fun. I’ll get back right. All glory to God.”

Apr 3, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks forward Og Anunoby (8) drives past Chicago Bulls guard Collin Sexton (2) in the third quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / © Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

ANUNOBY’S ALL-DEFENSIVE CASE

Brown was surprised to hear that OG Anunoby has only made one All-Defensive team in his career (second team in 2022-23).

“It’s bulls–t, and I can say that with a straight face ’cause he’s a great defender and he does a lot of different things that people don’t see on that end of the floor for us and for other teams he played for,” Brown said. “But more importantly, his versatility is just off the charts and you can do a lot of things with your defense because of him. In my opinion, he deserves First Team All-Defense this year — and hopefully the powers that be will see it that way, too.”

Anunoby agreed with the idea that he should have been named to more than just one All-Defensive team at this point in his career.

“I think I should’ve gotten it more, for sure,” Anunoby said. “I think I should’ve gotten it last year. I think I should get it this year. That’s definitely a goal of mine, coming into the season, especially defensively, being on the first team or second team — hopefully first.”

McBride was also surprised to hear that Anunoby has only made one All-Defensive team in his career. McBride calls Anunoby the “nickel” corner of the Knicks’ defense, pointing out that he guards players both bigger and smaller than him.

“I think that speaks to his motor, his work ethic,” McBride said. “He super important for us.”

BROWN REMAINS CONFIDENT IN GROUP

The Knicks reached 50 wins on Friday night. They’ve won 50 or more games for three consecutive years. It’s the first time a Knicks team has done that since the club had four straight 50-plus-win seasons from 1991-92 to 1994-95.

In a big-picture sense, this season is another in a great run for New York. But this year’s team has been inconsistent on both ends of the floor. It has lost three straight to teams above .500.

It’s hard to know what to make of the team with four games left before the postseason. What does Brown think about where his team is at the moment?

“You always want your team to be playing at the highest of high cylinders,” Brown said before Friday’s game. “Do I think we’re there right now? No. Do I have belief in this team? Yes, I do. I’ve seen us play really good basketball throughout the course of the year. Even in games where there’s quote-unquote manufactured pressure (such as the NBA Cup). We’ve played really good basketball.

“I like what we have in that locker room and I like the things that we’ve done this year, but I expect more from myself first and everybody else second.”

Brown noted that his team has performed mostly well in games against Boston, the Thunder and in the NBA Cup. That means something to the head coach.

“All games you want win, but when you go into Boston, it’s different than maybe going into another arena,” he said. “Or if you go into OKC, it’s different than going into another arena. Those types of games, there’s a lot of manufactured pressure just because they’re good teams and it’s on national TV and all that good stuff. So to get that (environment) and to be able to perform at a pretty good level — you embrace that opportunity. You want to win all games, but to win those games — our guys have done (well) in those situations over the course of the year.

“So my belief is, (with) this group going into the playoffs when it’s real, that our guys will rise to the occasion.”

Source link