A Casual Review of the 25-26 Season | KFS After School | Knicks Film School

April 9, 2026·1 hr 24 min·7 clips

Sean recaps the Knicks' chaotic season: Thibodeau fired, an NBA Cup win, and a puzzling two-and-nine stretch.

The episode opens with a FanDuel Sportsbook advertisement before hosts Sean, Mince (Mince Smith), and XJ reunite for KFS After School, a casual spinoff of Knicks Film School. Sean notes it has been 355 days since their last reunion episode on Hot Hand Theory. He runs through the season's key beats: playoff wins over the Pistons and Celtics, a loss to the Pacers, Tom Thibodeau's firing, the signing of Jordan Clarkson, the draft of Muhammad Diawara, and the hiring of Mike Brown. The Knicks opened 2-3 before winning the NBA Cup — their first non-division or non-conference championship in 52 years. A brutal two-and-nine stretch beginning New Year's Eve led to a player-only meeting. Josh Hart was noted as not appreciating being called out publicly. The team then beat Brooklyn by 54 points to start an 8-game winning streak capped by a 142-103 win in Denver, prompting Stephen A. Smith commentary. Karl-Anthony Towns continued to publicly state he didn't know his role in the offense until a breakout moment against the Atlanta Hawks. XJ opens the discussion by expressing relief at Thibodeau's firing but frustration with the coaching search, arguing the Knicks failed to pursue younger, more innovative coaches like those now leading several NBA teams. He cites Joe Mazzulla (37), Mitchell Johnson (38), Mark Daigneault (41), and JJ Redick (41) as examples of coaches who represent the innovative tier, contrasting them with the older retread options the Knicks considered. Mince analogizes the Mike Brown hire as a centrist political choice — not progressive enough to excite anyone, not conservative enough to alienate anyone, with predictably underwhelming results. He notes Brown's net ratings improvements and lower minute counts for starters but flags the persistent starting lineup issue. Sean argues that two seasons of the same starting five with the same outcomes under two different coaches is evidence the problem is structural and player-driven, not coach-driven. He notes that players earning $19-60 million annually resist adopting genuine role-player mentalities. He compares this to Duce McBride, who executes his role without freelancing because his salary and status align with role expectations. XJ raises the question of whether the Knicks adequately asked Mike Brown how he would maximize Karl-Anthony Towns — calling Towns one of the most unique offensive players of the decade. He argues that putting Josh Hart next to Towns creates spacing problems and that the team needs to put perimeter shooters around Towns rather than non-shooting wings. Sean and XJ discuss the best Knicks lineup data: the Duce McBride starter version runs at plus-11 net rating; the Duce-over-OG lineup runs at plus-20 per 100 possessions. XJ defends Towns against criticism by citing his 11th-place ranking among players above both an offensive and defensive EPM threshold of 1.5 and 0.5 respectively, noting Towns has had his best defensive season. He argues Towns has raised the team's floor but the ceiling has not followed. The hosts discuss how the team's structure produces quarter-by-quarter performance differences: a confusing first quarter, a good second quarter identified as Towns time, a third quarter catch-up, and a dominant fourth quarter driven by Jalen Brunson. XJ also notes Brunson's effectiveness as a passer and pick-and-roll operator despite being criticized as a ball-dominant player.

As heard by us

A lively Knicks roundtable that mixes banter, numbers, and role debate without losing its edge.

Sean, Mince Smith, and XJ settle into a Knicks conversation that feels overdue but not stiff. The chemistry is immediate, and the talk keeps circling Mike Brown's push for more buy-in across the roster and the awkward fit around Karl-Anthony Towns.

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Want a Knicks argument that feels like the crew is back in the room?

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