Where Knicks stand heading into matchup with Hawks in first round of 2026 NBA Playoffs
Mike Brown’s Knicks seem to be in a good place entering their first-round matchup against the Atlanta Hawks.
Mike Brown wanted to finish the regular season with the best record in the NBA. He wanted to have the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Brown said falling short of those goals was “disappointing. ” But Brown and the Knicks put up some other impressive numbers this season. They had the franchise’s third-highest SRS, which is a measurement that accounts for point differential and strength of schedule.
The 2025-26 Knicks finished the season with an SRS of 6. 23. They trail only the 1969-70 and 1993-94 teams and are right ahead of the 1972-73 team.
Two of those teams won the NBA Finals and the third reached the NBA Finals -- not bad company to be in. Brown’s Knicks finished the season with the fourth-best offensive rating in the league. They ranked 7th overall in defense and had the fifth-best net rating.