Mike Brown is in the Knicks starters to better observe the roster during the preseason blowout against Wizards

The Knicks were defeated by the Wizards in Monday’s 120-103 preseason loss.

Here are 3 observations:

• I sympathize with everyone who bought a ticket for this. You would have been better off binge-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. Mike Brown, the new coach, said he wanted to take a closer look at the rest of the roster, including players on non-guaranteed deals fighting for a guaranteed roster spot.

“It’s important,” Brown said. “We want to try to give some of the boys some extra minutes tonight to watch them. It’s important because they’ve all broken their butts and making that decision is extremely difficult.”

Unfortunately, none of them made a good impression.

It was a blowout from tip-off to the final buzzer.

The defense was atrocious, allowing a ridiculous 75 points on a plethora of wide-open three-pointers in the first half. Who came out on top? Landry Shamet, who is fighting for a roster spot but did not play Tuesday due to illness.

Playing on the second night of a back-to-back, the Wizards also rested the starters – namely Khris Middleton, Alex Sarr and CJ McCollum – but they still bulldozed the Knicks.

What was the highlight of New York? A courageous timeout performance from a fan, who won Tic Tac Toe at half court by sprinting and diving with the winning X in the corner square.

• Of all the preseason reserves, I’m most concerned about Guerschon Yabusele’s play. Compared to expectations alone, there wasn’t really a reason to get excited. Perhaps there is some fatigue given his participation in the FIBA ​​World Cup, but Yabusele seems a step slow. He started at center on Monday – a position he, to be fair, shouldn’t be playing – and the Knicks were outscored by 33 points in Yabusele’s 23 minutes. Pacôme Dadiet’s struggles, while still disappointing given his first-round status, are easier to swallow if they last. He is only 20 years old and is not expected to play a role in the regular season.

• You can’t watch the Wizards without thinking about that first-round pick. Originally acquired by the Knicks in a complex draft-day trade in 2022, the Wizards pick is protected at 1-8 in 2026. If it doesn’t fall outside the top 8, the picks become two second-rounders – one in 2026, the other in 2027. That’s the most likely outcome. Washington is built to tank and desperately wants to keep that option. But one optimistic Knicks fan is hoping the Wizards will make an impact, making Leon Rose a real asset to trade or use in the summer.