Just a month after parting ways with coach Tom Thibodeau, who had guided the team to its first conference finals appearance in 25 years, the New York Knicks are reportedly on the verge of hiring two-time Coach of the Year Mike Brown. Sources close to the situation suggest an agreement between the Knicks and Brown, who has previously coached the Cleveland Cavaliers (twice), Los Angeles Lakers, and Sacramento Kings, in addition to a significant role as associate head coach for the Golden State Warriors, is anticipated within the next few days.
Knicks President Leon Rose left no ambiguity regarding the organization`s objectives in his statement announcing Thibodeau`s departure, declaring: “Our organization is singularly focused on winning a championship for our fans.”
This championship target is now the standard Brown inherits. However, managing expectations is somewhat facilitated by a highly talented roster that is considered a leading contender in what appears to be a less formidable Eastern Conference. The central question revolves around the strategic adjustments Brown will implement to propel this team further than Thibodeau managed, given Thibodeau`s track record of making the playoffs in four out of five seasons and achieving back-to-back 50-win seasons for the first time since the mid-1990s.
Here are four notable aspects that the 55-year-old Brown brings to the table, which Rose, team owner Jim Dolan, and the legions of Knicks fans hope will finally bring the coveted title back to New York after a 52-year wait.
A More Flexible Rotation Approach
Mike Brown has demonstrated a willingness to be flexible with his rotations, as seen during his time coaching the Kings. For example, following a frustration foul by third-year wing Keon Ellis late in a close game, Brown benched Ellis the next game, despite Ellis having recently posted a career-high 33 points. The message was clear: even emerging players need to make smart decisions.
While Brown faced pressure in Sacramento, particularly towards the end of his tenure there, his handling of situations like Ellis`s and his decision to move Kevin Huerter out of the starting lineup indicated a readiness to alter lineups, especially if the team was struggling. Brown noted that sometimes mixing up the rotation pieces can lead to a better outcome if the fits are improved.
This is particularly relevant for the Knicks, who under Thibodeau relied on their starting five more heavily than any other team in the league last season. Beyond the sheer minutes, the starting unit of Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, and OG Anunoby was actually outscored from January 1st through the end of the regular season and during the postseason. This raises questions about the sustainability of deploying this group for extended periods, especially when lineups featuring reserves like Miles McBride and Mitchell Robinson often performed more effectively, offering advantages in spacing, defense, or rebounding.
Brown`s Potential for a Unique Offensive System
Like his predecessor, Mike Brown is widely recognized as a premier defensive tactician. However, his offensive approach in Sacramento, following his successful assistant coaching role with the Warriors, featured elements distinct from many NBA teams, particularly in his early tenure with the Kings.
Beyond simply playing at a high pace driven by De`Aaron Fox`s speed, the Kings heavily incorporated handoff actions, with center Domantas Sabonis serving as a key facilitator. Wings like Huerter and Keegan Murray would aggressively move towards the ball and use Sabonis`s screens, designed to exhaust and confuse opposing defenders attempting to navigate the action. This emphasized pace and space, a creative adaptation of principles that made the title-winning Warriors teams – where Brown contributed to championships in 2017 and 2018 – so difficult to defend. In Brown`s inaugural season, this system helped the Kings break their 16-year playoff drought and achieve what was then the best offensive efficiency rating in league history.
Having coached superstars like LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Stephen Curry, and De`Aaron Fox, Brown is comfortable with the concept of relying on one-on-one brilliance in critical moments. With the hiring, Brown will have coached three players – Fox, Curry, and Brunson – who have earned the Clutch Player of the Year award. While the Kings experienced clutch struggles late in Brown`s tenure, having Jalen Brunson, a proven clutch performer, should be a significant asset for the Knicks.
However, Brown`s task in New York will also involve unlocking more offensive potential from Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby. While both players were among the league leaders in corner three-point attempts last season and are effective from there, their capabilities suggest they could offer more. Bridges was highly efficient from the midrange, and Anunoby possesses significant physical strength. Can Brown devise schemes that utilize these strengths more broadly? Similarly, what will be Brown`s counter when teams mirror the Detroit Pistons` strategy from the first round and guard Karl-Anthony Towns with quicker forwards instead of traditional centers to stifle him? Will it involve lineup adjustments or a specific offensive scheme?
Challenging His Stars on the Defensive End
Upon taking the head coaching job in Sacramento in 2022, one of Brown`s initial actions was to meet with De`Aaron Fox. Their conversation included a callback to when Brown coached Fox at an elite high school camp. Brown recalled his impression then: “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 emphasized to Fox that he possessed the tools to become an outstanding two-way player, a potential Fox demonstrated at times during the Kings` successful 48-34 season. This approach mirrors that of Steve Kerr, Brown`s former head coach with the Warriors, who famously challenged Stephen Curry defensively early in his coaching tenure, contributing to Curry`s growth and the team`s dynasty. It will be particularly interesting to observe how Brown applies this philosophy to Jalen Brunson, who was heavily targeted defensively during the Knicks` recent playoff run, especially in pick-and-roll actions as the screener defender (defending this scenario far more frequently than the previous year). While Brunson lacks the athleticism and wingspan of Fox and carries an exceptionally heavy offensive burden (leading the league in minutes per game handling the ball), Brown`s defensive strategies for both Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns (who also faced defensive challenges in his first New York season) could significantly influence the Knicks` prospects for ending their title drought.
A Willingness to Criticize Players Publicly
Mike Brown has not shied away from publicly critiquing his players, both individually and collectively. In the postgame press conference following his final game as Kings coach, a narrow loss to the Pistons decided by a controversial late foul, Brown provided reporters with a detailed breakdown of his players` errors on the final play. He explicitly stated instructions given to the team (“If somebody catches [the ball] and their back is to the basket, foul them”) and pointed out where they failed (“And then they dribbled for eight seconds and we didn`t foul them”). He also questioned the decision-making, stating there should have been “no reason for there to be a hard closeout” on the crucial shot.
This contrasts with Tom Thibodeau`s typical response to similar late-game errors; following a one-point loss where Josh Hart committed a decisive foul on a three-pointer, Thibodeau offered a more muted reaction, presumably to avoid public criticism of a starter. The loss to Detroit wasn`t an isolated incident for Brown. During a preseason scrimmage, after costly turnovers late in the game, Brown reportedly ended the session by shouting at his players about the importance of details and holding teammates accountable. He specifically named key players like De`Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis, stating they needed to be the ones addressing such mistakes.
This public accountability approach, whether viewed positively or negatively, appears to be a clear departure from Thibodeau`s coaching style. Many questions surround the Knicks` new head coach, and more will inevitably arise as the season unfolds. Given the organization`s explicit goal of winning a championship, the ultimate judgment on whether Mike Brown was the correct choice to succeed Tom Thibodeau will depend on achieving that singular objective.
