After beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 119-111 on opening night, the New York Knicks are now on pace to go 82-0. Let’s talk about how the Knicks look with an actual bench and a head coach who knows their names.
Here are 5 takeaways from the Knicks first win over the Cavs:
1. The Knicks can beat great teams
Jalen Brunson : 23 points (5-18 shooting, 1-9 from 3 & 12-13 from the FT line), 4 rebounds & 5 assists in 34 minutes pic.twitter.com/M61lupN3bO
— Lee Harvey (@Sayian_Warrior) October 23, 2025
Last season, the Knicks lost every single regular-season game against the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Cleveland Cavaliers. OKC and Cleveland went into those games swatting flies. Knicks went into those games deer in headlights, scraped off the shoulder.
I want the next president to watch what Mike Brown does this season.
You can undo the evils of your predecessor.
Mike Brown’s rotation went 11 men deep. While Thibs whiteknuckled, refusing to allow his starters to take a sip of water—Mike Brown has Tyler Kolek out here running the offense as Brunson gets to collect his thoughts for a second.
This is a different team. Trey fucking Jemison was out there setting screens and shit.
When the game got close at the end, the Knicks looked like they actually had oxygen. New York’s biggest advantage is Brunson in the clutch and now Jalen has the energy to stiff-arm opponents in crunch time.
2. Jalen Brunson still works
Jalen Brunson is a cheat code.
A button the Knicks can press whenever they want automatic points.
A GameShark giving out unlimited rare candy.
It’s a lot like watching Cam Skattebo run up the middle on the Giants. You know he is not long for this world, so you cherish every second you have with this maniac who appears to train by slamming his head into a cement wall.
Jalen Brunson is always the smallest player on the court—consumed with a need to seek physical contact; you fear one day, he’ll lose a dash of quickness, suddenly succumbing to the giants surrounding him. Two giant mentions. I’m better than this.
Brunson scored 23 on a bad shooting night, looking comfortable playing off-ball, able to just decide whenever he felt like taking a couple free throws.
MVP votes on the way.
3. Can OG Anunoby make an All-NBA roster?
- 24 points
- 9-for-17 from the field
- 4-for-0 from 3
- 14 rebounds
- 2 assists
- 4 stocks (3 steals, 1 block)
Tyler Kolek with the BEAUTIFUL feed to OG Anunoby! pic.twitter.com/rbylNGe1DN
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) October 22, 2025
OG Anunoby stated his desire for that Defensive Player of the Year trophy.
No doubt his name could be pulled from that hat.
He’d deserve it.
But what if he routinely put together efficient, big scoring nights combined with DPOY-level pressure application?
That jumper looks like it pains him—he isos like he’s wearing midnight Lugz.
And he just led the Knicks in scoring.
Most nights, the Knicks will be going against far weaker defenses.
If OG averages 25 points and 10 rebounds, handcuffing ballhandlers—OG has to be All-NBA, right?
Julius Randle has two of those things. OG Anunoby makes Julius Randle look like Renaldo Balkman.
Good luck to the T-Wolves tho.
4. Evan Mobley can do it
Respect to everyone on that Cleveland sideline, aligned in their willingness to sit back and let Evan Mobley start this game aggressively, still testing the peaks of his skills.
Evan Mobley had just two games of 8+ 3PA last year.
Mobley started the year with a 8 3PA game (with 4 3PM). pic.twitter.com/RDdtsJjE7C
— RealCavsFans.com (@realcavsfans) October 23, 2025
Evan Mobley showed and proved. Mobley scored 22 points, launching up 8 threes, confidently extending his range.
Glad he is taking the offensive side of his game more seriously. Cleveland will need it since their other big man is quiet quitting…
5. Is Jarrett Allen on a labor strike?
The Cavs are a ‘Big 4’. Darius Garland’s absence makes any game a challenge. Jarrett Allen’s absence, too, however, impossible for Cleveland to win.
Jarrett Allen was 1-for-4 with 4 points and 4 rebounds. He and Jalen Brunson had the same number of rebounds.
Now his third consecutive game, including Cleveland’s losses in Games 4 and 5 to the Pacers last season, where Jarrett Allen is a non-factor.
I know not what this man’s motivations are. Perhaps he’s on a labor strike in solidarity with the Libbey Glass workers down the road in Toledo. I’m not about to cross a picket line to make fun of a comrade.
42-30 in points in the paint advantage for the Knicks. What does Jarrett even do here…?
All of these take(aways) are smothered in “it’s only the first game of the season” sauce but at what point does Cleveland consider using Jarrett Allen as Evan Mobley’s backup, since he can’t stop playing like a backup?
That’s a problem for Cleveland.
The Knicks will be the first team in NBA history to go 82-0 and no one can tell me otherwise.
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