After the New York Knicks stole both of the NBA Finals' opening games from the San Antonio Spurs, head coach Mike Brown underscored the exact qualities of his coaching style that helped his team reach those heights.
"My door is always open. I don't care who's idea it is that brings me an idea, I want to know. It's my decision at the end of the day to say yes or no for the group," Brown told outlets like SNY after the Knicks' second road win in Texas.
On Monday night, the Spurs secured a narrow, four-point win after Karl-Anthony Towns' third scoreless fourth quarter of the series. And Brown, who typically avoids singling players out, challenged Towns to position himself better. The coach intimated that, as good as Jalen Brunson is, the Knicks can only play up to their standard if everyone is doing their part.
Brown lays out exactly what he needs from KAT (for two more games)
Brown emphasized offensive stagnation as the leading cause behind the Knicks' loss – at least amongst the ones within their control. And while the coach typically avoids singling players out, he did address how Towns could improve on his complete lack of fourth-quarter production.
"We were just coming down and just basically playing ‘drag.’ We’d get the first screen, and then we literally just stood and watched. There was no movement. Like, sometimes KAT has to flash to the elbow. Sometimes, he’s got to post up," the coach explained after Game 3.
New York was reaching new offensive heights on a nightly basis throughout the last three rounds of the postseason, relying heavily on their rotation's versatility to come up with whatever kind of answer they needed. The lack of fervor away from the ball from Brunson's supporting cast, though, left him responsible for an uncomfortably familiar portion of the Knicks' offensive shot creation.
Brown's group set less than one third of the direct off-ball screens in Game 3 (4.3) compared to all other playoff games (13.3), according to the All NBA Podcast on Twitter. That's something everyone, including Brunson, can address with ease.
The Knicks' Captain in particular has proven several times this postseason, including in Game 2 against these very Spurs, that he can thrive regardless of coverage. But his teammates buying into their roles as part of New York's sometimes-college-style offense is integral to maintaining his symbiotic relationship with his teammates.
It had been quite some time since the Knicks lost a game. Perhaps a shameful film session will prove to have been exactly what the doctor ordered, with regard to a remedy for a four-point loss that feels a bit like the end of the world. It only makes sense, given the magnitude of the expectations in New York's home market.
This Knicks group is different from those of years past, though. Getting back to the fundamentals, moving and screening away from the basketball, and persistently hunting high quality shots is how they got here. It'll probably be what gets them all the way, if anything.
They just need to remember it – and play like it. It's a good start that they seem to know it.
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