New York Knicks 2025-2026 season--Mental reset

By Elliot Allen

As we get ready for the start of new season, the excitement in New York City is higher than it has been since the Patrick Ewing led New York Knicks.  This year's team has emerged as a true title contender for the coveted NBA Championship. The sting of the loss to the Indiana Pacers in last year’s playoffs still rings as unfinished business for the Knicks. One of the early season questions will be can they reset their mindset and use the tough loss as a confidence builder to know they can win the championship this year. The Knicks will be returning their core players to the team, which is something we have not commonly seen in the past from this team.  
However there will be a major component change in the coaching position. New York fired Coach Tom Thibodeau and brought in veteran coach Mike Brown. The move was a mild surprise in response to the abrupt elimination of the team in last year’s playoffs. This will be part of mental reset ahead of the Knicks this season.  The often criticized New York Knicks offense was offered as a reason for their elimination against the Pacers. Knick team captain Jalen Brunson had an outstanding season carrying the heavy load of being the marquee player inside the famed Madison Square Garden. The underlying tone of the team is there needs to be more ball movement and equal opportunities on the offensive end of the floor. The Knicks added more firepower with shooting guard Jordan Clarkson, to go along with potent scorers Karl Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby. Mikal Bridges is another returning staple in the offensive attack that could be utilized more under Coach Mike Brown. Brown spoke about opening up the offense and playing faster, as well as tightening up on the defensive end. The Knicks won 51 games last year and had a strong playoff run. So, it will require a mental reset to embrace the big picture of winning the championship. The physical pieces are there, so it will be interesting to see if the Knicks can go to another level mentally and play with that swagger of being a Championship team. The leadership of their captain Jalen Brunson will be a key part of the journey. The most impressive part of his tenure with the Knicks has been his mental strength to perform and play clutch basketball on the most pertinacious stage in the league. It is expected this will be a transition he can handle and take the team to another exciting season pushing further in the playoffs this year. The time is here, and this season will prove to be one of the most significant seasons in quite some time for the New York Knicks. ​