Knicks 2025-26 Season Report Card: Grading The Players And Mike Brown After Championship Run

This 2025-26 New York Knicks season finally concluded last weekend, surprisingly and euphorically, in the middle of a month that fans have long awaited watching their team compete in. It was a dramatic, grueling road to the NBA Finals that climaxed in a 4-1 victory over the San Antonio Spurs, and the franchise’s first NBA championship in 53 years.

Looking back and trying to grade each individual player on their season will be impossible without a curve, as they accomplished what they and 29 other teams set out to at the start of the year. Here are the final end-of-season grades for the Knicks...

Jalen Brunson: A++

Captain. NBA Champion.

And now, Finals MVP.

What more can you say about Brunson? The savior fans craved and sought out in the likes of LeBron James in 2010, Kevin Durant in 2016 and Kawhi Leonard in 2019, actualized in this 6-foot-2 second-round pick. He averaged 26 points and seven assists a game during the regular season, leading the team to 53 wins through an evolving offensive system and a catastrophic 2-9 stretch.

In the playoffs, he had a historic performance, encapsulated by a dominant 32 points, 36 points, and then 45 points to close out the NBA Finals.

Karl-Anthony Towns: A+

For someone who couldn’t seem to find his role throughout the season, Towns shook that off along with any noise surrounding his game and put together the best 100-game defensive campaign of his life. He turned around the Knicks 2-1 hole to the Hawks in the first round, outperformed Joel Embiid, and helped his team take control of the Finals from the outset.

If he didn’t dominate Victor Wembanyama in New York’s back-to-back road wins to kick off the championship round, it’s possible they aren’t holding the trophy right now.

OG Anunoby: A+

Knicks fans can take their pick as to why Anunoby deserves this grade. His full season of elite two-way play, his 49 percent three-point shooting in the playoffs, his 21 points per game in the NBA Finals, or the ridiculous tip-in that gave his team the championship edge in Game 4.

Mikal Bridges: A+

He wasn’t everybody’s favorite for the last two seasons, but Bridges has proven himself ready for the big moment time and time again. From the closeout game of the first round through the Conference Finals, Bridges averaged 19 points on a ridiculous 68 percent effective field goal rate and had big shooting performances in Games 2 and 5 of the NBA Finals, locking up every guard he faced along the way.

Josh Hart: A+

Hart brought what he usually does all season: a little bit of everything, all-out hustle and heartbreaking hustle plays for the opposition. But this time, he got to do it on the biggest stages and came through with a lights-out 26-point on five threes in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals, and hit 40 percent of his threes in the NBA Finals to keep Wemby and the Spurs honest.

Mitchell Robinson: A

Robinson was pivotal to this championship chase, stepping up against the arguable best player in the world with Towns in foul trouble, and securing an offensive rebound of a missed free throw in Game 5 that helped the Knicks seal the deal. 

He had his lowlights, and the free throws desperately need work, but nonetheless, he helped get them over the line.

Miles McBride: B

Deuce’s injuries kept him from establishing a strong rhythm, but given enough time, he performed to expectations, lacing threes and defending his tail off. Unfortunately, a muted playoffs (outside of a monster Game 4 in Philly) and worse NBA Finals left it on a sour individual note, but his contribution to this chip shouldn’t be dismissed.

Landry Shamet: A

Shamet shook off another shoulder injury and early postseason benching to help the Knicks pull off one of the greatest comebacks in NBA history in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. His sweet shooting carried into the NBA Finals with some big buckets in Games 1 and 2.

Jose Alvarado: A

Despite falling out of the rotation and only seeing spot playoff minutes, Alvarado was always prepared to step up if Brunson needed a breather or extra ball handler. He’ll forever be a New York legend for two huge shots down the stretch of their miraculous Game 4 NBA Finals comeback.

Jordan Clarkson: A-

Came into the season known for being a sparkplug scorer, Clarkson struggled and fell out of the rotation after big games to win the NBA Cup, then completely reinvented himself. He worked his way back through defense, paint touches and veteran steadiness that proved key in the postseason, even if it didn’t jump off the stat sheet.

Tyler Kolek: B+

Masterful games on Christmas and the NBA Cup show he’s ready to fill some shoes in the coming years. Didn’t get his chance these playoffs, but he will soon.

Mohamed Diawara: B+

Showed endless potential in the regular season but couldn’t sniff postseason burn. Should be a big part of the Knicks’ future plans.

Ariel Hukporti: A-

Stepped up when called upon in the regular season, and didn’t get the call much in the playoffs. But when he did, he helped hold the Knicks defense down, even coming up with a massive block in the clinching game of the NBA Finals.

Mike Brown: A+

Was brought in to be more collaborative, more dynamic offensively, but most importantly, to get the Knicks over the hump. He did it in year one, under enormous expectations with little room for error.