Knicks coach Mike Brown criticized the team’s lackluster practice on Wednesday, specifically addressing bench players about the need for intense competition. He emphasized that five key starters—Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Josh Hart—are assured playing time but others must fight for their spots or minutes by showing high levels of intensity every day to avoid complacency after last year’s championship success.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-08,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
On Wednesday, Knicks coach Mike Brown addressed his team's lackluster practice performance with a stern warning, particularly targeting bench players vying for roster spots. Brown emphasized that players like Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Josh Hart would receive playing time regardless of their mistakes but highlighted the competitive nature for everyone else on the team. He stressed that the season was a fresh start, not tied to last year's championship success, and warned players that failing to compete in practice could cost them opportunities moving forward. This approach aims to avoid complacency among the Knicks as they look ahead to the new season.
Written for “Mike Brown Warns Knicks Bench” on 2026-10-08,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
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And he let them know — sending a pointed message to the bench players and those battling to earn the last roster spot, in particular.
“I specifically went down the line talking about Jalen [Brunson], Mikal [Bridges], OG [Anunoby], KAT [Karl-Anthony Towns] and Josh [Hart],” Brown said after Wednesday’s practice.
asserted
Brown → let → practice
“I said, ‘Those five, they gonna play.
asserted
they → say → ?
If they do something wrong, I’m gonna get on them and we’re gonna figure it out, but they still gonna play.’
asserted
they → do → it
“I said, ‘Everybody else in this gym, you fighting.
asserted
you → say → gym
You fighting either to make the team or you fighting for minutes.’
asserted
you → fight → minutes
I said, ‘Look around.
asserted
I → say → ?
This is not just because we won last year.
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we → win → ?
This has nothing to do with last year’s team.
asserted
This → have → team
We gotta look forward.
asserted
We → got → ?
Every day, it’s a competition.’
asserted
it → ’ → ?
“We weren’t practicing well, and I said, ‘We gonna practice like that, you gonna see at the end of the day, it’s not gonna be in your favor.
asserted
it → practice → favor
We should be pushing each other to get better while competing for minutes and or to make the team.’
asserted
We → push → team
”
Avoiding complacency after winning a championship is something the Knicks have spoken extensively about throughout training camp.
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Knicks → avoid → camp
It seems they needed a reminder.
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they → seem → reminder
Brown had already called out a lack of physicality during the 120-97 loss to the 76ers in the preseason opener in Philadelphia on Monday.
asserted
Brown → call → Monday
Clearly, he’s trying to nip a lack of intensity in the bud.
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he → try → bud
“I think throughout the year, we’re gonna have our ups and downs,” Jordan Clarkson — who is battling for minutes off the bench — said of Wednesday’s practice.
asserted
who → think → practice
“The first week, second week of training camp, we’ll have days like that, but we just don’t want to get complacent at all.
asserted
we → have → that
If we continue to try to win every single day, we try to compete every single day — for us [during] training camp, we just wanna pick up the level and be ready for the home opener in two weeks and get it rolling for the regular season.
asserted
it → continue → season
“We just wanted to pick the energy up, keep continuing to play at a high level and pick the physicality up.
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We → want → physicality
I think that was a big thing that he said from last game.”
asserted
he → think → game
The message was well received — and can serve as an early lesson.
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message → receive → lesson
“I think that’s what makes coach a great coach, just holding us accountable,” Bridges said.
asserted
Bridges → think → ?
“It can be human nature to relax a little bit — on both sides, anybody that works in the building, as a player, as a coach, as a fan, you can relax after having a lot of success.
asserted
you → relax → success
“Those lapses where we might get a little human nature in us, where we play a game and have a little day in between and we’re kind of maybe sometimes going through the motions, it was great for coach to do that to us because the thing about us, we’re all competitors and we all want to win.
uncertain
we → get → us
So as soon as coach says something like that, none of us are going to back down and be like, ‘Whatever.’
asserted
none → say → Whatever
We’re gonna pick it up and keep fighting and get better.
asserted
We → go → it
The Aporia
