New-look Knicks: Early-season intel, numbers, what's next in New York - ESPN

A sigh of relief was shrouded behind a smile in the immediate aftermath of Mike Brown's debut as New York Knicks coach. Replacing Tom Thibodeau and beginning the season with summer expectations for the first time in decades, Brown needed a smooth start.

«Good first win,» Brown said following the Knicks' season-opening victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, «knowing that we've got a lot of room to grow.»

It's been change after change over the past year inside Madison Square Garden, beginning in September 2024 with the shocking trade of Julius Randle to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Karl-Anthony Towns on the eve of training camp. (Randle returns to New York for the second time Wednesday; 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.)

So far, only two-way wing Mikal Bridges seems fully comfortable in Brown's system that prioritizes ball movement and a faster pace. Bridges, who is averaging career highs in field goal and 3-point percentages, looks like a different player than the one who was unsure in his first season as a Knick and no longer relegated to feeding off the gravity created by All-Stars Jalen Brunson and Towns.

What the Knicks are as a whole, though, remains a mystery. Brown's new system still looks like a slog at times, leading to a bottom-10 pace through seven games. Towns, meanwhile, is finding his footing in Brown's offense after an All-NBA first season in New York under Thibodeau.

But opening night marked an important change from last season. Before their second-round upset of the defending champion Boston Celtics, the Knicks had gone 0-8 against the East's two top teams last season. The win against the Cavs was a signal they have the ability to lead the pack in a conference devoid of a truly dominant team. Based on the first few