Three days between games gives us an opportunity to reflect.

And even though it’s only been eight games (4-4) for the New York Knicks, we’re slowly learning who this team is, and more importantly–who they want to be.

Spoiler alert: they’d really like to get above .500 for the first time this season. Saturday night represents their next opportunity, with a matinee matchup scheduled (8:00 pm EST) against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

In the meantime, let’s stop to smell the flowers. There’s been a lot of good in a start that’s been widely considered uninspiring.

Karl-Anthony Towns

No further context needed here.

I’m not sure how many players have been better to start the year than Karl-Anthony Towns. My gut says he’s been top-10.

He’s averaging 19.9 points, 13.6 rebounds, and 3.1 assists on 57% shooting from the field and 43% from deep. And his play is fueling a couple of key stats for the Knicks.

New York is fourth in offensive rebounds and eighth in three-point makes. For reference, they finished sixth and 10th in those last season respectively.

Towns has been at the forefront of what’s salvageable from this Knicks offense, which still ranks in bottom-third of the NBA–even after putting up 135 on the Chicago Bulls.

But this isn’t a story unfamiliar for fans.

Towns started last season in an almost identical fashion: 19.8 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 3.3 assists on 41% shooting from the field and 34% from three.

As you can see, the efficiency is way up this season. And ironically, it’s coming on a lesser shot volume–114 shots through eight last year compared to 105 this season.

It’s not just an offensive uptick for Towns either. He’s really rounding into the defender we saw throughout the playoffs last season.

Towns is more dialed in than ever. The lack of a contract extension hasn’t fazed him.

We’re just waiting on the rest of New York’s best to catch up.

Mike Brown’s experimenting

All that said about Towns, I must say this: no one player has been more impressive this season than head coach Mike Brown.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from the head coach on the heels of a championship in year one. He’s blown me away.

Nothing about last season has guaranteed any one Knick anything. Sure, Brown has stuck with the same starting five–but he doesn’t close with it if need be.

Just ask Mikal Bridges, who’s logged less fourth quarter minutes than Jordan Clarkson and Landry Shamet both. Brown gave everyone an equally long leash to start the year, but has cut down along the margins where he feels capable.

And it’s not just within the starting five.

After publicly exclaiming Jose Alvarado would remain the backup point guard after missing time–and Tyler Kolek shining in his absence–Brown turned heel.

He’s rewarding Kolek for his play after all, based on a postgame press conference.

The adaptability of Brown was on display last year. But this season you don’t have to look for it. New York’s head coach is constantly seeking improvement, and from a team that entered the year atop the pinnacle after snapping a 53-year title drought. Kudos, Mike.

Bench brigade

For all that was made of losing Mitchell Robinson, the Knicks’ bench is third in total offensive rebounds and fifth in total blocks, per NBA.com.

Is this sustainable? Probably not. Should we still acknowledge it? Yes.

Andre Drummond hasn’t been lighting it up offensively, but he’s still every bit the rebounder fans have known him to be over the years. He’s averaging 7.8 rebounds per game, 3.1 of those on the offensive end.

Offensive rebounding is also a Clarkson stat. But you can read about that here.

Outside of replacing Robinson–who’s not off to a hot start in Boston–the bench has been improved this season for New York.

It’s probably more evidence and credit to the job Brown is doing. The starting five is never off the floor entirely, and guys are more comfortable in their roles now playing in this system for a second-straight year.

None more so than Shamet though, who’s only ever averaged more minutes per game once in his career. Brown told reporters after Wednesday’s win over the Bulls that “Landry is about as close to being a starter as you can imagine for us.”

It seems that way. Shamet is featured in four of the Knicks’ five most played lineups.

Related: the one he’s not is the starting five.

You want more from Miles McBride of course, but with the way everyone else is rounding into shape in their own way and time, I’m confident we’ll get it.