When the Knicks dismissed Tom Thibodeau earlier this month, many thought the Knicks may be clearing the path to higher former assistant coach Johnnie Bryant, who at the time was being considered for the Suns' head coaching position. However, according to Ian Begley of SNY, the Knicks aren't considering prospects without head coaching experience, at least for now.
Originally, the prospect of hiring Bryant seemed like a great one. New York is a difficult city to navigate; there is a lot of pressure, and everything is put under a microscope. Bryant knows how to navigate that better than most, watching Thibodeau do it from a front row seat for four years.
With that said, it also makes sense why the Knicks would be looking to turn to someone with more experience. Their window to compete for a championship is officially open. The Eastern Conference is weaker than it has been in years, and the Knicks are coming off of a season in which they made it further than they had in 25 years.
They have to nail this hire
While I am in the camp that the Knicks made the correct decision to move on from Thibodeau, it is impossible to ignore the success that he had during his time here, particularly last season. It was controversial enough to fire a coach after he led the team further than anyone else could in two and a half decades. But if you follow that up by hiring someone with no prior head coaching experience, well, things could get even dicier.
While I do think that Bryant is a great coach and should eventually get a shot to become a head coach, the Knicks are making the right choice to opt for someone who has a proven track record of being able to do it at the highest level.
Leaders in the clubhouse
Taylor Jenkins has emerged as the most likely option to take the helm for the Knicks. He and former Kings coach Mike Brown are both interviewing with the Knicks this week.
While, according to Begley, Jenkins is best positioned to land the job, I personally would go with Brown if I were in charge of making the decision. The reason for that is simply that Jenkins has a reputation for being a creative and offensive-focused coach.
Unless the Knicks plan on making major roster adjustments, they will once again be a team built around Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns. With a roster centered around two defensive liabilities, I would lean into offense, and Brown will do just that.