LeBron James and Steve Nash perfectly explained what makes the Indiana Pacers great—and quietly revealed what the New York Knicks need most.
The New York Knicks are entering the 2025 offseason with a task that long-time fans are far too familiar with: Hiring a new head coach. Tom Thibodeau was fired after five successful years at the helm, leaving the Knicks to hire their eighth head coach since 2010.
As rumors swirl surrounding who the Knicks might hire to replace Thibodeau, LeBron James and Steve Nash have unintentionally described the qualities of the perfect candidate.
New York is coming off of a season during which it won 51 games and reached the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000. The Knicks ultimately lost to the Indiana Pacers, but the silver lining is that their rival has revealed what New York should prioritize in a new head coach.
During the NBA Finals episode of the Mind the Game podcast, James and Nash broke down the intricacies of the Pacers' incredible motion offense.
Love this 80 second bit of Steve Nash getting super nerdy about how fascinating this Pacers offense is. Might be my favorite moment from him on the pod this season. pic.twitter.com/PoPNvsfiRl
— Jason Gallagher (@jga41agher) June 5, 2025
It may not have been their intention, but James and Nash just showed the Knicks exactly what they should be looking for from a new head coach: The capacity for innovation.
Knicks must find their Rick Carlisle to make the leap
Thibodeau deserves immeasurable credit for changing the culture and implementing positive tendencies that should simplify the job for whoever replaces him. He also proved willing to adapt his offensive tendencies to fit the modern game, thus resulting in New York ranking No. 5 in offensive rating in 2024-25.
One of the criticisms that the Knicks faced, however, was that the ball had a tendency to stick in one place—an issue that was reflected statistically.
New York ranked in the bottom half of the NBA in assist percentage and the top half of the Association in isolation frequency. Furthermore, despite ranking seventh in catch-and-shoot three-point field goal percentage, the Knicks finished 27th in attempts.
As Leon Rose searches for the franchise's next head coach, finding an offensive innovator who can keep opposing teams guessing must be a top priority.
New York has five players who can reliably put points on the board in a hurry: OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, Jalen Brunson, Miles McBride, and Karl-Anthony Towns. For as tempting as it is to thus generate as many isolation opportunities as possible, the Knicks have a unique opportunity to capitalize on their unique roster structure.
All five of those players are capable of creating shots, but they're also effective three-point shooters whose off-ball value can hold teams accountable at every turn.
Indiana has done a remarkable job of keeping defenses on their heels by featuring lineups in which every player can shoot. That's opened the door for their admittedly less productive isolation scorers to thrive, which can only lead New York to wonder how effective that would be for them given their superior top-end talent.
Deeper rotations and improved three-point defense are top priorities, as well, but the Knicks must find a head coach who can transform the offense into the juggernaut it's capable of becoming.