Knicks Coach Mike Brown Praises Waived Player Bruce Brown

Knicks coach Mike Brown expressed high regard for Bruce Brown, whom the team waived on Saturday to finalize their roster at 14 players. Brown described Bruce Brown as a "winner" with "a level of toughness and versatility" on both offense and defense.

"He can guard one through four, but even offensively, he can initiate the offense," Mike Brown said Sunday. "Our point guard’s not one that has to come down every play and break his guy down and make the game easier for everyone else. We have a system where we play out of concepts, and Bruce is good enough to initiate the offense, or he’s good enough to be off the ball. So he fits in with how we want to play on both ends, while giving us versatility on both ends."

The decision to waive Bruce Brown was influenced by the team's need to remain under the second apron and accommodate James Wiseman on the roster. The Knicks aimed to keep both players but were unable to facilitate a trade to free up a roster spot.

Mike Brown cited Wiseman's youth and potential as key factors in the final roster decision. "When you have a guy that’s 25 years old, that has the length and the athleticism and the talent as a James Wiseman... you look for guys that coulda, shoulda, but at his age maybe he still can be a coulda, shoulda," he said. "That vertical threat at the rim, the vertical threat defensively, how good he runs, you welcome that at his size and age and athleticism."

It remains a possibility that the Knicks could reacquire Bruce Brown through a future trade.

In other team news, Josh Hart, who had missed the preseason finale with a sore right ankle, practiced on Sunday and reported the ankle felt "solid."

Additionally, OG Anunoby commented on a viral Halloween decoration by a New Jersey fan that recreated his game-winning tip-in from Game 4 of the NBA Finals. Anunoby described the display as "amazing," "super cool," and "very creative."