ITP V.026 SPORTS: NEW YORK KNICKS: SET TO START SEASON OPENER VS. PHILADELPHIA 76ERS

 

The NBA champion NEW YORK KNICKS are set for the teams season opener vs. the PHILADELPHIA 76ERS, set to take place TUESDAY 10/20/2026. 

The NEW YORK KNICKS will raise their NBA championship banner and get their rings in the 10/20/2026 pre-game ceremony..

NEW YORK KNICKS center MITCHELL ROBINSON left the team in free agency for the BOSTON CELTICS. .    . 

Contract talks between the NEW YORK KNICKS and KARL ANTHONY TOWNES and JOSH HART have been tabled as the team is trying to stay UNDER the second apron. 

New York KNICKS point guard JALEN BRUNSON had off season surgery on a dislocated wrist he suffered during the 2026 NBA playoffs making his FINALS MVP performance even more courageous. 

MSG NETWORKS have unleashed "KNICKS IN 5", a documentary about the NEW YORK KNICKS 2026 playoff run. 

FROM ALAN HAHN: 

KNICKS IN 5!

A labor of love by our great production crew at MSG Networks and debuted last night, can be seen by everyone outside of our broadcast area here on YouTube!

This is ABSOLUTE CINEMA. Save it forever.

Let me know if you watched it and what was your favorite part!

Thoughts on the preseason opener in Philadelphia:

1. Good cardio. Starters played around 13-15 minutes. Early in the game, the offense had a good flow to it and we saw foundations of the system -- KAT as the hub, cutting and moving -- that kicked in during the playoffs and became a juggernaut. You could see they were just out there to find some rhythm and muscle memory. There wasn't a great deal of intensity, which is to be expected. Keep in mind, while Jaylen Brown played (and played well) the Sixers didn't play LeBron James, Tyrese Maxey or Joel Embiid. This was hardly a dress rehearsal for the season opener on Oct. 20. That game will bring a much different level of intensity and intrigue.

2. Jalen Brunson looked like himself after offseason left wrist surgery to repair an issue he played through during the playoffs. He said he felt a "click" in his wrist every time he shot the ball during the playoffs and just managed to deal with it. After fixing the issue this offseason, he was efficient from the field and hit two of his first three from downtown. That's an underrated good sign for a guy who had a cast on his wrist for most of the summer.

3. OG Anunoby looks like he's in great shape. He rebounded well and got to the free throw line. I asked on the postgame show: could this be the year he gets recognized as an all-star?

4. KAT in the game looked mostly like himself, but before the game continued to express his concern and frustration about his future in New York. He is eligible for an extension and reports say the Knicks have offered him 4 years and $200M, which is $76M lower than his max. “I want to do something that can keep the team together and work with the Knicks, and also values me,” he told reporters. “None of those things have come close to happening.” This is a story that, unless they come to a deal before opening night, will not go away all season. KAT does have a player option for $61M next season so it's not like his Knicks tenure is coming to an end if a deal isn't reached, but it adds to the anxiety for sure.

5. As far as other rotation players go, Landry Shamet shot the ball well and newcomer Andre Drummond looked good with his usual rebounding and also blocked three shots.

6. Former lottery pick James Wiseman, who is battling for the last open roster spot as the third center had some positive minutes. His athleticism and lob-threat presence would be a nice feature to have off the bench, but there's still a lot of rawness in his game. Let's remember he has only played 5 NBA games over the last two seasons due to injuries.

7. Mike Brown wasn't happy with the end result and had some pointed words in regards to a lack of compete level and physicality on defense. It would be easy for the defending champs to shrug off a preseason opening loss when your starters played just a half of basketball. But Brown is clearly demanding everyone uphold a standard of play. "Our on-ball defense wasn't good and our shifts weren't good," Brown said as he listed his many issues with the compete level on defense and box outs.

8. We debuted a little bit of our new studio look on MSG Networks last night for a pre- and postgame show with myself, Monica and Bill. Did you see it? What did you think?

VIDEO BELOW: "KNICKS IN 5" (VIA YOU TUBE, COURTESY OF MSG): Thanks-Stay Metal, Stay Brutal \m/ -l- #GOKNICKS