Through their first seven games, the New York Knicks have a record of 4-3. They are undefeated at home but winless on the road. The Knicks are still trying to find their rhythm away from the Garden, and new head coach Mike Brown has acknowledged the role he's played in their road struggles.
After the Knicks' three-game losing streak on the road, Brown didn't hold back when addressing the New York media.
"It starts with me, because I gotta help them," Brown states.
Brown added, "With Josh coming back, with Mitch coming back, and with the different things those guys present in terms of minutes and all that, I didn't help them a ton the last couple of games."
So why should Knicks fans be excited about this? Well, Mike Brown is not only telling us exactly who he is but also showing it. This is clearly a coach willing to fall on the sword for his players -- one who doesn't shift blame onto them, as some other coaches do.
If there's blame to be had on Mike Brown's part, he will own up to it. That doesn't mean he'll let his players off the hook or avoid calling them out when necessary. A good coach needs to have a balance of both, and it seems that Brown has a good sense when toeing that line.
Mike Brown needs time to learn his new team
It takes time to learn and understand your players. It's natural to experience growing pains when you're in a new leadership role. As time goes on, Brown will get better at pushing the right buttons to get the absolute best out of his team.
But in the meantime, it's important for Knicks fans to pay attention to Brown's key attributes. He hasn't allowed some early struggles to cloud his sense of morality. That is the kind of coach and man that players will go to war for. He's staying true to himself which makes him that much easier to respect.
So Knicks nation - as this team works out some early season kinks, remember one thing. The Knicks have a coach who is not only working to make this one of the most unstoppable offenses in the league. He is and already has proven to be an accountable coach who will go to bat for his players.
And that is something you cannot take for granted.