The NBA's down season is in full swing. It is the point in the NBA's calendar year where most of the headlines come from podcast quotes or social media posts. Still, important news finds its way to trickle in at all times. Recently, Michael Scotto of Clutch Points announced a flurry of coaching changes to Mike Brown's staff, which involved the departure of multiple assistants who had been with the team under Tom Thibodeau.
Scotto announced that Othella Harrington, Daniel Brady, Dice Yoshimoto, Andy Greer, and assistant video coordinator Nick Thibodeau, Tom Thibodeau's nephew, would not be returning under Brown.
The changes officially signal the beginning of Brown's regime with the Knicks. There will be new voices in the locker room and on the sidelines. The Knicks made it clear when firing Thibodeau that anything less than a trip to the finals would be unacceptable. Now, Brown begins the quest of doing what no other Knicks' coach has been able to accomplish this century.
A new staff is important
For Brown to have a fair shake at things, it was always important that he have full decision-making power on who his staff is comprised of. Coaches need confidants that they can trust, and that usually means bringing in assistants with whom they have a relationship.
The other important wrinkle in all of this is that Knicks' owner, Jim Dolan, is not meddling in the basketball side of things. He has a history of inserting himself, and things have typically shaken out poorly when he has done so. It is a great sign for Knicks fans if the decision on who will be standing on the sidelines is left up to Brown and Leon Rose.
More decisions are yet to come
These departures are just the first dominoes to fall. Brown will now need to bring on replacements. It seems that the rest of Thibodeau's staff, such as Jordan Brink and Rick Brunson, Jalen Brunson's father, will be remaining on board.
Brown will still have to hire a lead assistant, a position that Rick Brunson held last season. Originally, Brown and the Knicks targeted New Orleans Pelicans' associate head coach James Borrego for the position. However, the Pelicans declined the Knicks' request to interview him for the position.
A new sun is rising in New York, and by the time it sets, the organization hopes the changes they have made to the staff will result in multiple championships.