After a lengthy search, the Knicks finally landed on Mike Brown to be the next head coach of the franchise. He is detail-oriented and obsessed with high effort. He also has a reputation for being a savvy offensive mind. While no one knows for certain what the Knicks' offense will look like under Brown, the evidence does point to one major change: The Knicks are going to play faster.
The Knicks, led by All-NBA superstar guard Jalen Brunson, have been one of the slowest offensive teams in the league over the last few seasons. That seems poised to change under Brown, who has led fast-paced, dynamic offenses during his time as a head coach with the Sacramento Kings and as an assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors.
We don't know if he will be able to fix the Knicks' pick-and-roll problem, or even if he will be able to maximize the talent on the roster as a whole. But if history counts for anything, studying the offenses of his previous teams tells us that he will encourage the pace the be sped up once he steps on the hardwood inside Madison Square Garden.
Brown runs an up-tick offense
Last season, according to pbpstats.com, the Knicks had the third-slowest offense in the league in terms of average seconds per offensive possession. According to league tracking data, for the last three seasons, the years since Brunson joined the Knicks, they have averaged 15.6 seconds per possession, the longest of any team in the league.
During those same three seasons, they have had an average of 19.5 seconds on the shot clock by the time they crossed halfcourt, the second-least amount of time of any team. During that same stretch of time, the Brown-led Kings had an average of 20.1 seconds when crossing halfcourt, the most of any team.
Brown's pace-and-space style isn't limited to his time as a head coach, either. He spent six seasons coaching under Steve Kerr with the Warriors, a team that popularized that style of player during a dominant stretch, which changed how the game of basketball is played.
The Knicks just experienced what pace does to a defense
The Knicks know all too well how difficult it is to play against fast-paced offenses. They just lost to the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference, who are one of the quickest-paced teams in the league.
We obviously shouldn't expect the Knicks to look like Indiana next season. They have a different roster and different depth. That said, things are likely going to get much quicker in New York under Brown.