Knicks starter Mike Brown sits to better monitor roster in Wizards blowout

The Knicks were defeated by the Wizards on Monday, 120-103, before the start of the season.

Here are 3 notes:

• I feel for anyone who bought a ticket for this flight. You would have been better off watching Netflix, going to the dentist, or whatever. The Knicks rested all of their top players for their penultimate preseason game, with Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, Mitchell Robinson and Josh Hart all inactive. New coach Mike Brown said he wants to take a better look at the rest of the roster, including players on non-guaranteed deals who are fighting for a guaranteed roster spot.

“It’s important,” Brown said. “We want to try to give some players some extended minutes to get a look at tonight. That’s important because they’ve all been giving their best and making this decision is very difficult.”

Unfortunately, none of them left a good impression.

It was a blast from the start until the final bell.

The defense was terrible, allowing a ridiculous 75 points in the first half thanks to an abundance of open 3-pointers. Who came out looking the best? Landry Shamet, who is fighting for a roster spot but did not play Tuesday due to illness.

The Wizards were playing on the second night of a back-to-back and their starters were too — Khris Middleton, Alex Sarr and CJ McCollum — but they still destroyed the Knicks.

So what is the highlight of New York? A daring performance during a timeout from a fan, who won a Tic Tac Toe at half court by sprinting and jumping with the winning X into the corner box.

• Of all the reserves in the preseason, I’m most concerned about Gershon Yabusele’s play. Just in terms of expectations, there wasn’t much cause for excitement. There may be a level of fatigue given his participation in the FIBA ​​World Cup, but Iabosele looks a bit slow. He started at center on Monday — a position that, to be fair, he shouldn’t be playing — and outscored the Knicks by 33 points in Yaboselli’s 23 minutes. Pacôme Dadiet’s struggles, while still disappointing given his first-round status, will be easier to swallow if they continue. He is only 20 years old and is not expected to have a role in the regular season.

• You can’t watch the Wizards without thinking about their first-round pick. Originally acquired by the Knicks in a complex 2022 trade, the Wizards’ 1-8 pick is protected in 2026. If it doesn’t fall outside the top eight, the pick becomes two second-rounders — one in 2026, one in 2027. That’s the most likely outcome. Washington is built on tanks and desperately wants to retain that option. But one optimistic Knicks fan is hoping the Wizards will impress, giving Leon Rose a real asset to trade or use in the summer.