New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown is owed a well-deserved hat-tip. After a chaotic stretch that featured nine losses in 11 games, with fans and media members screaming for Karl-Anthony Towns’s removal, Brown said something publicly that mattered a lot.

Before New York’s historical smackdown of the Brooklyn Nets on Jan. 21, Brown emphasized the need to put his players in better positions that suit what they do well.

“We’ve made some changes,” Brown admitted. “When you go through this, you tell your players, ‘Look in the mirror,’ [but] it starts with me; I have to look in the mirror. I [have to] find different ways to help them, and to put them at their strengths.”

For those who missed the key part of the quote, have no fear…

” … put them at their strengths.”

From the outset, it was obvious what the Knickerbockers’ intention was that night. They weren’t settling for threes, and instead, they attacked the rim, seeking and finding higher-percentage shots.

In short, the Knicks’ newfound intention was to get back to the squad’s familiar grinding ways. (It’s at this point that the anti-Tom Thibodeau fans must look away.)

Three games later, the New York Knicks are riding a four-game winning streak, and they’ve done it while shooting fewer threes and slowing down the pace.

Fewer 3PA

The Knicks averaged just 36.5 threes per game over their last four contests (all wins). When covering the timeframe of New York’s four-game streak — Jan. 21 through Jan. 29 — the team ranks 15th in threes attempted.

This is a significant drop from their No. 7 ranking this season (39.5 3PA per game) and an even starker drop compared to their 39.8 attempts until Jan. 20 (before the streak began).

It’s really not difficult to see why this team struggles when shooting more threes over a longer period of time. The roster isn’t fast or athletic enough to fend off a higher volume of transition defense opportunities.

More threes ultimately lead to missed threes, which eventually lead to longer rebounds, which, obviously, lead to more transition basketball. Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Mitchell Robinson (when on the floor) aren’t quick enough as a duo or trio in transition defense.

When the Knicks are making their threes, while also shooting at a high volume, then … great. Shoot, that’s every basketball squad’s dream, to shoot the lights out at a torrid percentage.

However, a contending team must understand its identity in tough times. In other words, what can the Knicks consistently rely upon when they’re not shooting the lights out on a consistent basis?

Slower pace

Fewer 3-point attempts ultimately lead to a slower-paced game, which has served this squad well in the last four contests.

From Jan. 21 through Jan. 29, the Knicks’ 96.63 pace of play places them 26th in the league. This is a slower number than their season average, particularly given the anticipated changes the front office, coaching staff, and fans wanted to see this season.

Up until Jan. 20, New York’s 99.14 pace ranked 23rd in the association. For context, the 2024-25 Knicks ranked 26th in pace (97.64) and 27th in 3-point attempts (34.1 per game).

Brunson is a half-court player, and it’s why Knicks fans saw heavy-iso situations for him under Thibodeau. The same can be said for Towns. Of course, both players struggle mightily on defense.

As much as the New York Knicks’ front office, coaching staff, and fans wanted to see this squad play a more modernized style in 2025-26, doing so would be counterproductive. Playing faster would be the antithesis of what this personnel group actually is.

The New York Knicks roster is outdated; it’s that simple. That doesn’t mean it’ll die a guaranteed death; instead, the coaching staff must conduct its business to put the players in the best position to succeed.

Having an “outdated” roster means the team’s ceiling cannot be reached with a “modernized” coaching strategy. That’s it. And if the coach is worth his salt, he’ll eventually get to the median, coaching in a way that serves his players best.

Tracking these numbers and comparing them with the team’s success (or failures) will make the rest of this season interesting, no matter how it ends.