Just a month after parting ways with coach Tom Thibodeau, who successfully guided the team to their first conference finals appearance in 25 years, the New York Knicks organization is reportedly set to appoint two-time Coach of the Year, Mike Brown. Sources indicate to ESPN`s Shams Charania that an agreement between the Knicks and Brown, who boasts prior head coaching stints with the Cleveland Cavaliers (twice), Los Angeles Lakers, and Sacramento Kings, alongside a significant tenure as associate head coach for the Golden State Warriors, is expected to be finalized in the coming days.
Knicks president Leon Rose made the team`s primary objective explicitly clear in the opening line of his statement announcing Thibodeau`s departure: “Our organization is singularly focused on winning a championship for our fans.”
This formidable goal now falls to Brown. However, the expectations are somewhat tempered by a highly talented roster widely regarded as a strong contender in a less competitive Eastern Conference. The key question remains: what tactical and philosophical adjustments will Brown implement to push this team further than Thibodeau, who achieved playoff berths in four out of five seasons and led the Knicks to consecutive 50-win campaigns, a feat not seen since the mid-1990s?
Here are four significant ways the 55-year-old Brown`s approach could differ, changes that Rose, owner Jim Dolan, and the devoted fanbase hope will finally end New York`s 52-year championship drought.
A More Flexible Approach to Rotations
Consider the case of Kings wing Keon Ellis. Just two weeks after delivering a personal best 33-point performance, the fan favorite, known for his defensive impact, was benched by Brown. This followed a frustration foul committed 90 feet from the basket late in a game the Kings ultimately lost by two points. In the very next game, Ellis saw only two minutes of play.
Brown`s message was clear: despite clear player development, smart decision-making in critical moments was non-negotiable. While Brown was under considerable pressure last season, this episode, alongside his decision to move Kevin Huerter from the starting five after a difficult first half of the season, demonstrated a willingness to significantly alter lineups, especially when the team was struggling.
“Sometimes mixing it up may bring a better end result because the pieces are different in terms of the rotation and the pieces fit better in terms of the rotation,” Brown remarked in one of his final press sessions with the Kings.
This philosophy is particularly relevant for the Knicks, who last season relied on their starting unit more heavily than any other team in the league. Beyond the heavy minutes, New York`s starting five of Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, and OG Anunoby were outscored from the start of the calendar year through the end of the regular season, and this trend continued into the playoffs.
This raises questions about the sustainability and effectiveness of playing this specific group for extended periods, especially when alternative lineups featuring reserves like Miles McBride and Mitchell Robinson often demonstrated better results due to improved spacing, defense, or rebounding.
Potential for a Unique Pace-and-Space Offense
Like his predecessor, Brown is widely recognized as a premier defensive strategist in the league. However, during his time in Sacramento, following his successful tenure as an assistant with the Warriors, his offensive schemes notably diverged from typical NBA approaches, particularly early on.
Beyond pushing the pace, leveraging De`Aaron Fox`s exceptional speed, the Kings frequently utilized a handoff-heavy offense centered around star big man Domantas Sabonis acting as a hub and facilitator. Wings like Huerter and Keegan Murray would aggressively move towards the ball, creating a dynamic action that left opposing defenses exhausted and often confused as defenders struggled to navigate Sabonis` screens.
This was a clear embodiment of pace and space principles, and in many ways, a creative adaptation of the offensive concepts that made the championship-winning Warriors teams – with whom Brown was involved in their 2017 and 2018 title runs – so difficult to defend. In Brown`s initial season, the Kings snapped a 16-year playoff drought, fueled by a high volume of three-pointers and achieving what was then the highest offensive efficiency rating in league history (118.6 points per 100 possessions).
Having coached elite players from LeBron James and Kobe Bryant to Stephen Curry and De`Aaron Fox, Brown is accustomed to relying on individual brilliance in clutch situations. Upon joining the Knicks, Brown will have coached all three players who have won the NBA`s Clutch Player of the Year award: Fox, Curry, and now Brunson. (It`s worth noting the Kings, strong in clutch situations in 2022-23 but less so in 2023-24, had a league-worst 13 clutch losses when Brown was let go. Having Brunson should significantly help New York in these moments).
A key task for Brown in New York will be finding ways to maximize the offensive contributions of Bridges and Anunoby, who were the league`s top two players in corner three-point attempts last season. While effective from the corners, Bridges was also highly efficient from the midrange, and Anunoby possesses significant physical strength. Can this duo be empowered to do more on offense? Similarly, how will Brown counter opponents targeting Towns with quicker forwards instead of centers, as seen in the first-round series against Detroit? Will this require lineup adjustments with the bench, or a specific tactical scheme?
Challenging Stars on Defense
One of Brown`s initial actions upon taking the Kings head coaching job in 2022 was a conversation with De`Aaron Fox, referencing a prior interaction when Brown coached him at an elite high school camp.
“I thought he was going to be a premier guard defensively because of his quickness, athleticism and tenacity. His ability to guard the ball was unbelievable,” Brown stated during his first season with Sacramento.
Brown deliberately challenged Fox to become a standout two-way player, a goal Fox achieved at various points during their 48-34 playoff season. This approach isn`t unique; his former boss Steve Kerr successfully implemented a similar strategy with Stephen Curry when he first took over the Warriors in 2015, leading to their initial championship. However, Brown`s focus on this development is noteworthy and makes it interesting to observe how he will interact with Jalen Brunson, who was heavily targeted defensively during the Knicks` deep playoff run.
Brunson was tasked with defending an astounding 123 pick-and-rolls as the screener`s defender against the Indiana Pacers during the six-game conference finals series, according to Genius IQ. This represents a nearly fourfold increase from the previous year`s seven-game semifinal series against Indiana, where he defended only 32 such plays.
Brunson lacks the athleticism and wingspan advantages that Fox possesses and carried an enormous offensive load, handling the ball for an NBA-leading 8.6 minutes per game last season. Brown`s strategic decisions on deploying Brunson defensively – especially in conjunction with Towns, who also faced defensive targeting in his first year with New York – could be crucial factors in determining whether the Knicks can finally end their title drought.
Willingness to Criticize Players Publicly
In the postgame press conference following what would be his final game as Kings coach – a heartbreaking 114-113 home loss to the Pistons where Fox fouled Jaden Ivey on a game-winning four-point play in the final seconds – Brown provided reporters with a detailed, step-by-step breakdown of his players` errors on the decisive possession.
“First of all, we told our guys: ‘If somebody catches [the ball] and their back is to the basket, foul them.’ And then they dribbled for eight seconds and we didn’t foul them,” Brown explained. “The second thing is, if you’re up three, just guard your guy at the 3-point line [and ignore the drive] – there should be no closeout opportunity. No closeout opportunity. Because they know the only thing that can hurt us is a 3.”
Brown mentioned he`d need to review the film to fully understand why Fox lunged at Ivey but reiterated that there should have been “no reason for there to be a hard closeout” on the play. This direct critique stands in contrast to coach Thibodeau`s response after a one-point loss to Chicago in November, where Josh Hart fouled Coby White on a game-winning three-pointer. When asked about the play, Thibodeau offered a notably muted reaction, seemingly to avoid publicly criticizing one of his starters.
However, the Detroit loss wasn`t an isolated incident of Brown offering public criticism or demanding more from his players. During the prior preseason, after guard Mason Jones committed two costly turnovers late in a scrimmage, Brown concluded the practice by sternly addressing his players about the need for greater attention to detail and holding teammates accountable to prevent such mistakes.
Specifically, in a subsequent media session, he named De`Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis, and six-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan, stating they needed to be the ones calling out these mishaps. For better or worse, this public and direct communication style appears to be a clear distinction from Tom Thibodeau`s approach.
Numerous questions surround the Knicks` new head coach, and many more will inevitably surface once the season gets underway. Given the organization`s clearly stated singular objective, the ultimate answer regarding whether Mike Brown was the right choice to succeed Tom Thibodeau will eventually become definitively clear.
