4. P.J. Brown
P.J. Brown pieced together a long, successful, and rewarding career in the NBA. He played 15 seasons in the Association, earning constant praise for his defensive value, offensive reliability, leadership, and sportsmanship.
Kyle O’Quinn can still become a more productive player than Brown was, but there are few players who set a better example to follow than the 2008 NBA champion.
Between 1996 and 2006, Brown averaged 9.9 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.0 block in 33.0 minutes per game. Those numbers rarely wavered, which was one of the primary reasons Brown built up such a strong reputation around the NBA.
Brown was also regarded as an excellent leader and locker room presence, which is supported by the fact that he reached the playoffs on 11 separate occasions.
Brown’s game was based on his ability to crash the boards, pass out of the high post, and defend at a high level on a nightly basis. He was a three-time All-Defensive Second Team honoree, due far more to his fundamentals than his statistics.
With 990 regular season starts and 106 postseason games played, including 78 starts, Brown was all about consistency. That’s the type of player the New York Knicks need O’Quinn to be.