![The Whole NBA Just Played Right Into the Knicks’ Hands [Video Essay]](https://www.lovenba.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/1789842251_maxresdefault-820x462.jpg)
The Whole NBA Just Played Right Into the Knicks’ Hands [Video Essay]
The New York Knicks may be entering the perfect NBA environment for a repeat championship run. This Hot Hand Theory video essay breaks down why Karl-Anthony Towns, Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and the rest of the Knicks roster are unusually well built to attack the way the NBA is changing around them.
Across the league, teams like the Celtics, Thunder, Spurs, Trail Blazers, Pistons, Grizzlies, and Suns are investing heavily in rim protection, size, and offensive rebounding. We examine why those trends could actually make the Knicks more dangerous, how Towns pulls elite rim protectors away from the basket, why Brunson can punish the areas those defenses concede, and why New York’s elite rebounding gives them an answer to the NBA’s growing obsession with creating extra possessions.
In this video:
🔹 How the NBA is accidentally helping the Knicks
🔹 Why Karl-Anthony Towns breaks the rim-protection strategy teams are copying
🔹 How KAT creates space for Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, and Mikal Bridges
🔹 Why Josh Hart, Landry Shamet, and Deuce McBride create another problem when defenses try to hide their center
🔹 How the Knicks counter offensive rebounding with Towns, Andre Drummond, and Hart
🔹 What the 2026 NBA Finals against Victor Wembanyama revealed about New York’s offense
🔹 Why Jalen Brunson is perfectly equipped to attack drop coverage
🔹 Which teams are best built to challenge the Knicks in a playoff series
🔹 Why the Knicks may have the best chance to repeat as NBA champions in years
🎬 Additional editing by Teg
Twitter: x.com/IQfor3
Narration by Gavin Schall of Locked On Knicks
https://www.youtube.com/@LockedOnKnicks
#newyorkknicks #knicks #knicksnation #knicksnews #jalenbrunson #karlanthonytowns #joshhart #oganunoby #mikalbridges #andredrummond #knicksbasketball #knicksanalysis #nba #nbaanalysis #nbavideoessay #hothandtheory
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For business inquiries: hothandtheorypod@gmail.com
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CHAPTERS:
0:00 – New York Knicks defending NBA champs
1:02 – NBA offseason trend
3:30 – Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart rebounding
5:20 – New York’s elite spacing
7:22 – Potential counters to the Knicks
8:30 – How Jalen Brunson solves everything
10:00 – The NBA moved in the Knicks’ direction
11:25 – Thanks for watching, and please SUBSCRIBE!
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SOURCES:
NBA.com Stats: https://www.nba.com/stats
Dunks and Threes (EPM): https://dunksandthrees.com
Cleaning the Glass: https://cleaningtheglass.com
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Yo guys! What makes these Knicks hardest to beat in a 7-game series?
A) You can’t keep a rim protector near the basket against Towns
B) Brunson punishes drop and switches
C) Hart/Drummond/KAT can dominate the glass
D) They can change lineups without losing much
This video hits the spot, I was just watching a hot hands video from the Finals just thirsting for Knicks content and this drops… LOVE IT! Can't wait to 3-Peat!! Hot hands has been killing it with Knicks breakdowns.
First Elephant Graveyard then this? Great vid. The spurs finally got wise and parked the blockanator under the rim and Brunson and Bridges scored over the top of the defense. Unleashed JB and that's scary
Let's go Knicks!!
Can the Celtics put Queta on Josh Hart or Anunoby and Tatum on KAT?
Great breakdown Gavin and i can't wait for how the Knicks will attack their opponents on both ends!
KNICKS MAY RESURECT WISEMAN'S CAREER TO HELP BLOCK WEMBY THAT STEVE KERR ALMOST DESTROYED.
Many Warriors fans saw Steve Kerr as so blindly sticking to his small-ball approach to win rings that he sacrificed the development of the lottery pics Wiseman and Kuminga as he focused on recruiting and training Vets he liked to fill support rolls.
Both Wiseman and Kuminga got a lot of DNPs, but Wiseman was too humble to fight for his rights and even when fully rehabbed got very little playing time — mainly with bench guys. WISEMAN NEVER GOT CONSISTENT REPS HE NEEDED TO SOLIDIFY HIS GAME.
Does not mean Wiseman is bad. As a rookie he had a sizable skillset and may still be one of the best athletes playing Center. Bob Meyer made sure James Wiseman was coached by late Dejan Milojević—the former Serbian coach renowned for developing
Nikola Jokić.
During a year of rehab post meniscus surgery Dejan tried to hone Wiseman post game to perfection to make him a top scorer — hook shots, alley-oops etc. Unfortunately, Kerr did not want scoring. He already had Curry. Screen and Defend was all he wanted from wiseman. He was traded into the Pistons who already had Duren and 3 backup Centers yet still got more reps there that with the Warriors.
CHECK OUT WISEMAN PLAYING AS A STARTER WITH CURRY WHEN HE CAME BACK FROM INJURY IN A PRESEASON GAME TO RAVE REVIEWS
"James Wiseman put on a show in Japan"
CHECK OUT WISEMAN PLAYING KD WHO WAS HIS MODEL AND MENTOR
"James Wiseman scored a career-high 30 points vs Nets"
CHECK OUT THIS YEAR
"James Wiseman put on a show at Fiba"
Knicks have chemistry and a good system
Great video, Gavin did such a good job on this
The only concern I have with the Knicks is the loss of Mitchell Robinson. As far as wemby Brunson just shot over him like he wasn't even there.
I'd argue the finals were not really won off the problems the knicks presented for the spurs defense; knicks "only" managed a 111.8 ortg via cleaning the glass. Instead it was the spurs being unable to score and Kat rising as a defender that let the Knicks triumph.
Tarris Reed Jr., "defensive big" ??? .. I dont know about that but enjoyed the rest of the video
While I think the Knicks could win back to back, I think it will be harder this upcoming season.
If the Knicks do make it to the finals again and win back to back, I can see it going into 7 games.
I wouldn’t underestimate the Spurs and OKC.
30 days left till the 2026-2027 NBA season.
I think that Miami's frontcourt duo and their switichability is going to hold up well against the Knicks
After we lost the 2 games.
I have never seen a NY Team play a fast offense like that!
And then on Defense also!
Amazing!
So are we going to ignore this was Boston's formula too?
The Knicks exposed Wemby by putting him in PnR’s,forcing switches away from the hoop,making him chase & wear down because unlike against OKC Wemby never left the lane because IHart isn’t a perimeter threat as KAT would be.This formula will give most teams trouble if KAT stays healthy & engaged.
Pacers and Heat will go against this well