Ring Night was a special one for the New York Knicks. It was the first championship banner raised at Madison Square Garden since the Rangers won the Stanley Cup in 1994, and the first for the team in general since 1973. While the pageantry of the moment was memorable, the game itself, which was the official kickoff for the 2026/2027 season, was a forgettable one.
Right away, Karl-Anthony Towns found himself in foul trouble, forcing Coach Mike Brown to make his first official decision of the young season. In a span of 20 seconds, KAT committed three fouls and was subbed out for Andre Drummond with 8:46 left in the first.
The last one wasn't totally his fault because it looked like the call could have gone either way after Tyrese Maxey looked like he bowled through the center after he took a three. Still, it forced Brown's hand, and highlighted how far Brown is willing to push his rotation when KAT is predisposed.
Knicks could be teasing more rest for Karl-Anthony Towns in 2026-27
Taking KAT off the floor was one thing. It was to protect the center from getting fouled out before he could even see a second of crunch time minutes. What was interesting, though, was that KAT didn't return again until there was 7:02 left in the second quarter. He was eventually subbed out again for Drummond with 3:59 left, and didn't return until after the start of the half.
While the main reason Towns got subbed out was probably early foul trouble, he was quickly taken out again when he returned in the second. One thing to watch is how often Brown does this to start the season, since the Knicks are coming off a long playoff run.
Having Drummond on the court for much of the first half was an easy call, since he gave the Knicks a boost. He was so good that the Garden chanted his name. We'll see just how committed Brown is to resting his veterans, though, when someone like Drummond isn't playing out of his mind and has a double-double in the game's first 11 minutes.
Of the four starters, KAT spent the least time on the court. He played 23:33 on Opening Night. Drummond actually saw more time out there. He spent 24:27 on the court, which is more than the 19.5 minutes he averaged last season.
This shows Brown might be willing to put his trust in the veteran big man for long stretches if KAT is in foul trouble, which isn't something he could do with Mitchell Robinson, who was better in spurts and often unavailable on back-to-backs. This provides a way to keep Towns even more fresh after helping deliver the title, which could pay dividends come next playoffs.
Dropping a game like that is frustrating, but if the Knicks repeat, it could mean nights like this, where a starter sits on the bench for long stretches—especially early on. The Knicks need KAT for the playoffs and that could mean sacrificing games like that this one against the Sixers. It's a necessary evil and the opposite of what the team was used to for years under Tom Thibodeau, who was known for overusing his players over a long season.
That said, the Knicks probably still aren't winning this game if KAT is on the floor a few minutes more in the first and second. Other issues also contributed to their loss to the Sixers. Jalen Brunson was inefficient, going six-for-19, and Coach Brown described the team's overall effort as "running in the mud."
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