Why the Knicks will face an uncomfortable decision if they get off to another slow start against Cavaliers

NEW YORK — Kenny Atkinson understood what Mike Brown was thinking. Before Game 1 of the 2026 Eastern Conference finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers head coach fielded a question about a massive decision that his counterpart on the New York Knicks’ bench had made two rounds earlier — the choice to dramatically reorient his offense, shifting from a version predicated primarily on Jalen Brunson creating with the ball in his hands to the more motion-heavy approach that Brown had tried to install at the start of the season, with Karl-Anthony Towns acting as the playmaking hub at the top of the floor. That tactical change revolutionized New York’s attack, sending the Knicks on a rampaging run to seven straight wins and a second straight conference finals, where that high-octane offense would now become Cleveland’s problem.

So what did Atkinson think about the change? That necessity is the mother of invention. “Down 2-1, we gotta change something, something’s not working — I get it,” Atkinson said before Game 1.

“Atlanta’s got elite iso defenders. “Sometimes, it’s like, you know, you have to be presented with that problem first, right? And then, you’re like, ‘Oh, man, we gotta make a change.

’” Atkinson’s Cavs pose a number of problems: Donovan Mitchell’s scoring, James Harden’s playmaking, Evan Mobley’s advancing versatility, Jarrett Allen’s increasing physicality on the boards, and credible shooters everywhere. One specific problem, though, presented itself to Brown early in the first quarter: Cleveland wasn’t going to gift-wrap the Knicks their preferred defensive matchups in this series. (Well, not yet, anyway .