The 2026-27 preseason kicks off for the Knicks tonight against the Philadelphia 76ers in a preview of their regular season opener. While these games usually serve as an exhibition or warm up, especially for teams that have found their identity like New York, there’s still plenty to watch for.
Here are five things fans should watch out for during the preseason:
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What’s returning vs what’s new
The Knicks came together in a cohesive and dominant way this past postseason, so expect them to carry what they learned into this new campaign. It will be interesting to watch what they lean on more compared to what new things they try and implement.
Karl-Anthony Towns should see more of his high post reps as a creator, but will head coach Mike Brown build on that in any way? OG Anunoby was an offensive weapon last postseason, and Brown’s already suggested giving him more pick-and-roll reps to build off it.
Towns’s build and comfort
One would hope any questions surrounding KAT and his contributions to the Knicks have been answered, but he’s coming into this potential repeat season with more questions than anticipated. He has a player option for next year and reportedly isn’t nearing an extension with New York, opening the door to further friction during the season and in the worst case scenario, a trade.
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Fans should keep an eye on that, as well as how he looks in his new frame. Towns came into training camp noticeably skinnier and plans to build up during the season, we’ll see how that impacts his game early in the year.
Jalen Brunson’s wrist
It’s easy to forget how banged up Brunson was late in the championship run, given he scored the Finals-sealing 45 points in Game 5 following the masterful Game 4 comeback he led. But he ended up needing surgery to repair a soft-tissue tendon injury in his left hand soon after the chip that kept him out of basketball activities for part of the summer.
If he could score 45 through the injury, there shouldn’t be concern as to how he looks post-rehab. But it’s still something worth monitoring for the Knicks savior.
Feb 1, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward…
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Publish date : 2026-10-05 15:42:00
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