Earlier this week, SNY’s Ian Begley reported that the Knicks selected head coach Mike Brown as the successor to Tom Thibodeau, who was relieved days after the team’s first Eastern Conference Finals appearance in a quarter century. Both the firing and hiring have drawn natural anxiety from the fanbase, given Thibodeau’s historically successful tenure at The Garden and Brown’s mixed resume.
But placing aside the benefit of the doubt that team president Leon Rose has earned, this was an objectively smart hire for the Knicks as they look to take the next step forward and win a championship.
Assuming that moving on from Thibodeau was completely necessary — despite what the national talking heads spewed — the Knicks ran a strong and competent search to seek out Brown. It was a multi-week process that began with, as comical as it may have seemed, the savvy move of trying to poach the NBA’s best employed coaches.
In the meantime, the Knicks interviewed multiple coaches from different levels for multiple rounds, eventually leading to Brown. And of all the available coaches, there’s an easy argument to make for Brown being the best of the bunch.
Brown has coached in the NBA for 28 years, assisting under names like Rick Carlisle, Gregg Popovich, and Steve Kerr. He was at the helm for LeBron James‘ first tenure with the Cavaliers. He had some spotty followups with the Steve Nash–Dwight Howard Lakers, and then a return go-around in Cleveland. He also won his second Coach of the Year award with the Kings in 2023-24 before being fired last winter.
Around the league, Brown is known for being a creative schemer and strong connector to his players. Given the franchises and rosters involved, there’s plenty of gray surrounding all four of his firings.
The Knicks interviewed some other recent head coaches in James Borrego and Taylor Jenkins, but they lack Brown’s experience. Other accomplished retreads like Terry Stotts, Mike Malone, and Mark Jackson were floated by the public, but they too have their respective flaws and concerns.
The Knicks could’ve gambled on an untried assistant, but given the stage, expectations, and starpower surrounding the team, it may have been too big of an ask. It’s certainly possible they missed out on the next Ime Udoka or Mark Daigneault, but it’s equally understandable why they didn’t test this route.
Sometimes the correct answer is the simplest one — replace the coach you fired with the best replacement available. Even if one argues that Brown wasn’t the No. 1 option, he checks plenty of other boxes as well.
As much as Thibodeau’s results spoke for themselves, they clearly didn’t meet the front office’s standards, and the processes behind them left much to be desired from management, the players, and fanbase.
Few in-season practices, late to adjust, failure to experiment with schemes, and the popular minutes concern are just a few of the key weaknesses of the Thibodeau-era that led to this moment.
Naturally, in seeking out his replacement, the Knicks wanted a coach that would address these specific flaws. Reports suggested that they wanted a more collaborative coach, both with management and assistants. One with a more dynamic approach to schemes that would look to utilize the full roster, rather than rely strictly on key players.
For the most part, the Knicks got their man. If one wants to contend that Thibodeau is the better overall coach, by all means. But Brown is a different one, and different just might be what this Knicks team needs.
Brown implements motion offenses that emphasizes player and ball movement, while his defenses have featured lots of aggressive and creative coverages to make up for weak defenders. We saw the latter work to the Knicks’ advantage deep in the playoffs with surprising effectiveness, given they spent little time with these schemes during the season.
Their offense never felt truly maximized, given the personnel and individual production levels, and the unit was at its poorest in the playoffs. Perhaps Brown’s less-sticky approach to schemes and rotations can untap that potential… or will it merely expose the roster as more flawed on that end than anticipated?
Ultimately, it’s easy to see why the Knicks find the upside here. Given the roster, is what they need an effort-maximizing coach that’s set in his systems, or a malleable, more strategic coach that’s still extremely player-first?
Obviously, in covering up these issues, Brown’s own unique deficiencies will come out and bring their own set of problems. We’ll see how they’re addressed throughout the season and how damaging they still are in the playoffs. But the front office is betting on the team climbing higher under Brown.
