It was a highly scrutinized, monthlong escapade, but the Knicks finally seem poised to hire Tom Thibodeau's replacement. According to ESPN insider Shams Charania, the Knicks are expected to hire former Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown. While the process may not have been the prettiest outside looking in, fans should ultimately be happy with the direction the front office went.
It has been nearly a month since the Knicks made the shocking, albeit correct, decision to move off of Tom Thibodeau, just days after he led them to their first Eastern Conference appearance in over two decades.
Those who were upset with the firing became even more unhappy when it became blatantly obvious that the Knicks did not have a clear successor in mind. They were denied from speaking with five current head coaches before finally moving on to former coaches like Brown and Taylor Jenkins.
Ultimately, the Knicks landed on the right coach. Brown has a history of winning in this league. He is taking over a roster that was just reloaded with fresh talent (and much-needed 3-point shooting) in Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele.
Brown has maximized offenses before
One of the biggest factors in Thibodeau's dismissal was that he never was able to squeeze the talent out of the roster. The Knicks have two All-NBA talents in Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, yet they often didn't seem to click as a pair. A prime example was their pick-and-roll game, or lack of, to be more accurate.
From the start of February through the end of the season, Brunson and Towns teamed up on only 153 picks, generating just 0.89 points per direct, according to league tracking data. It was an extreme drop-off from what had been an effective action through the first half of the season. It will be one of the main things Brown will have to reestablish this season.
One of the reasons Knicks fans should be excited about the potential hiring is that Brown has proven to have a strong offensive mind. He led the Kings to the league's most efficient offense in 2022-23. Perhaps more significantly, he maximized an offense that was also built around a point guard and center pairing.
The coming days should provide more clarity for what this means for the rest of the Knicks' coaching staff. Presumably, Brown will be able to bring on assistants of his choice. However, Rick Brunson, Jalen Brunson's father, is expected to remain with the team next season, according to reports.