It's now been over nine months since the New York Knicks opted to part ways with former headman Tom Thibodeau and replace him with two-time Coach of the Year, Mike Brown.
Throughout this span, the veteran clipboard wielder has certainly made his presence felt in the Big Apple. Be it by expanding the club's rotation from utilizing single-digit players to regularly rolling out north of 10 or surpassing Pat Riley as the winningest new coach in Knicks history, it's safe to say Brown has had a successful first go-around with the franchise.
However, sadly for him, the reality is that despite these objectively impressive accomplishments, New York didn't hire Brown simply to bring the team regular-season success but rather to heighten their potential in the playoffs.
Because of this, with the postseason now just days away, the actual litmus test for determining how effective his debut campaign has been will officially begin this coming weekend.
Essentially, even with 83 games (including the NBA Cup Championship) already under his belt, Brown finds himself once again starting from the ground floor.
Knicks star says season will ultimately be judged on upcoming playoff run
At the end of the day, in order for this season to be viewed as a success, the Knicks will have to show out during their upcoming playoff excursion.
At this point, no one on the team seems to understand this better than Karl-Anthony Towns.
During a recent media session, the All-Star told reporters that "we've gotta capitalize on this opportunity" as this core gears up for a second-straight postseason and, even after wrapping up the regular season tied for the sixth-best record in the league, he understands that "we'll be judged on what we do on this run."
Under coach Thibodeau's regime, last year's Knicks squad reached the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 25 years.
Needless to say, for Brown to make sure this season avoids being branded as a failure, a final-four finish is an absolute must.
Of course, with the fact that owner James Dolan has already gone on record claiming the 2025-26 season to be in championship-round-or-bust territory, it seems that even a similar finish to last year would be viewed as unacceptable.
For better or worse, the Knicks face the most pressure they've felt at any point here in the 21 Century. Let's hope they can live up to their self-appointed lofty expectations.
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