New York Knicks role change watch: who is being used differently this season

The New York Knicks have not just swapped bodies. They have tweaked jobs. Under Mike Brown, New York has leaned into faster decisions, more shared initiation, and a bench that is being reshaped on the fly as the playoffs get closer. The result is a handful of players doing noticeably different work than last season.

Role changes at a glance

Jalen Brunson: less pounding, more movement, more catch-and-shoot

The clearest shift is Brunson’s operating style. In the season opener, reporting noted he spent significantly more time off the ball, with a career-high share of his threes coming as catch-and-shoot attempts. His dribbles per touch and seconds per touch were down, with Bridges, McBride, Anunoby, and Towns initiating more often.

What it changes for New York: it raises the Knicks’ ceiling when Brunson can conserve energy for the fourth quarter and still get efficient looks created by the system.

Karl-Anthony Towns: more hub possessions, same scoring responsibility

Towns has been used more like a connector at times, not just a finisher. That is a natural pairing with Brown’s “shared initiation” approach, and it showed up early in the season’s tone, with Towns involved in actions that lead directly into scoring reads.

He is still carrying a strong scoring load. Stat tracking has his usage around 26 percent this season, which is a real “star usage” number even with more ball movement.

Landry Shamet: from depth piece to trusted spacer

Shamet is quietly one of the season’s meaningful role swings. He has a stable bench job and is producing around 9 points per game, which matters on a roster where spacing can decide whether Brunson and Towns see single coverage or packed paint.

The knock-on effect is important too: when a low-mistake shooter earns trust, it can push someone else’s minutes into “only if needed” territory.

Jordan Clarkson: the bench scorer who is not automatically closing

Clarkson arrived with the reputation of a classic microwave sixth man, and early coverage framed him as a key bench upgrade.

But his role has not been set-and-forget. At one point, reporting described his playing time dropping as Shamet emerged, and the NBA’s own player notes even carried a “may be headed out of rotation” tag in January.

Translation: Clarkson still matters, but his minutes are more matchup and performance dependent than people assumed in July.

Jose Alvarado: rotation guard, tone-setter, and a hard cutoff for rookie minutes

Alvarado is the midseason addition that changed the bottom of the guard depth chart. Hoops Rumors noted the path to adding him, and also reported he made an immediate impression, including a big game that featured eight threes, five steals, and a plus-35 in just 19 minutes.

This is also where roster math gets ruthless. The same Knicks coverage around the Sochan move pointed out that the team already removed rookie guard Tyler Kolek from the rotation to make room for Alvarado.

Jeremy Sochan: defensive versatility audition that squeezes Mohamed Diawara

Sochan’s move is a classic “playoff bench bet.” Reuters noted he had slipped out of San Antonio’s rotation before joining New York, and New York Post reporting framed his Knicks opportunity as coming directly at rookie Mohamed Diawara’s expense as the team prioritizes experience.

This is a role change story for two players at once:

• Sochan goes from fringe minutes to a real audition window.
• Diawara goes from surprise contributor to a tighter, harder-to-access role when the frontcourt is healthy.

The big picture

New York’s role changes point in one direction: less single-creator offense, more shared initiation, and a bench that is being tuned for matchup survivability. Brunson’s off-ball shift and Towns’ connector moments support the system change, while Shamet, Clarkson, Alvarado, and Sochan show how quickly the “supporting cast hierarchy” can flip during a contender’s season.