Official Knicks Coaching Search Thread pt. 2 (update: poll added 6/18/25)

[FrozenEnvelope]

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BIG emphasis on Player development. This is the way. Cost-controlled contribution with the potential to blossom.

So glad the front office had the courage to dump the old coach and prioritize this.

The top 9 is pretty much set so finding a lot of minutes for Kolek, Dadiet and Hukporti won't be easy.

Honestly if Leon wants the coach to develop the young guys, he should trade Mitch and Deuce to open up those opportunities for consistent minutes.

[Ghetto Gospel]

it's pretty funny to see people talking themselves into mike brown over the past 50 pages.

if we're replacing thibs, it would have been great to have a young and modern coach that can bring fresh ideas, but unfortunately, we're getting a guy that runs a variation of an offense that has been around for basically a century, and every other coach in the league already knows and understands. i can't imagine this working out in the playoffs

[Enzo954]

Oof. Yeah, the Knicks are getting roasted for this. Someone called Brown the next Doc Rivers.i guess this works if you believe Brunson, Kat = Pierce, Garnett

Is he worse than Thibs?

Thibs has gotten this team better every year except one since he's been here and to the ecf. Brown started good and had gotten worse every year in Sac and never made it past the 1st round. I'd say Thibs is much better.

Thibs got a better roster every year he was here.

[HEZI]

it's pretty funny to see people talking themselves into mike brown over the past 50 pages.

if we're replacing thibs, it would have been great to have a young and modern coach that can bring fresh ideas, but unfortunately, we're getting a guy that runs a variation of an offense that has been around for basically a century, and every other coach in the league already knows and understands. i can't imagine this working out in the playoffs

It was never about that. It’s about who WWW is convincing Dolan it needs to be so this is going to be Dolans decision.

Everything else about this coaching “search” is a facade

[GONYK]

it's pretty funny to see people talking themselves into mike brown over the past 50 pages.

if we're replacing thibs, it would have been great to have a young and modern coach that can bring fresh ideas, but unfortunately, we're getting a guy that runs a variation of an offense that has been around for basically a century, and every other coach in the league already knows and understands. i can't imagine this working out in the playoffs

Counterpoint:

Thibs was mostly successful and there is a benefit to not straying too far from what Thibs did, but just having more oppeness to collaboration and experimentation.

[knicks94]

Reading this thread confirms that this is not the right move since when Knicks fans love something it usually falls apart.

[StlHawksFan]

For fun I asked Perplexity.ai to create a hypothetical Knicks rotation if Mike Brown becomes the coach. Here's what it came up with:

If Mike Brown sticks to a strict 9-man rotation for the Knicks, with Mitchell Robinson capped at 24 minutes for health reasons and no other player exceeding 32–33 minutes, the distribution must be balanced and efficient. Here’s how the minutes could look for your specified roster, using the typical NBA game total of 240 minutes:

Knicks 9-Man Rotation (Robinson capped at 24 MPG, no one above 33 MPG)
Player Position(s) Minutes
Jalen Brunson PG 33
Mikal Bridges SG 33
OG Anunoby SF 32
Karl-Anthony Towns PF/C 32
Mitchell Robinson C 24
Josh Hart SG/SF 28
Jordan Clarkson PG/SG 20
Guerschon Yabusele PF/C 20
Miles McBride PG/SG 18
Total: 240 minutes

Rotation Logic
Starters: Brunson, Bridges, Anunoby, Towns, Robinson. None exceed 33 minutes; Robinson is strictly capped at 24.

Hart: First wing off the bench, absorbs extra minutes at both SG and SF, often closes games.

Clarkson: Sixth man and main scoring guard off the bench.

Yabusele: Primary backup big, covers PF and backup C, especially when Towns slides to the 5.

McBride: Defensive guard, covers backup PG/SG minutes and can be used situationally for perimeter defense.

No 10th man in regular rotation: Deep bench (Kolek, Hukporti, Dadiet, McCullar, Nnaji) only plays in blowouts, injuries, or back-to-backs.

[stuporman]

So did the inevitable happen yet?

Call teams about a half dozen under contract coaches to talk with them and get denied every time, interview just a few candidates, only one has a second interview.

Not sure what the hold up is at this point, maybe Dolan thinks it's as boring as fans do and won't sign off on it. He wants something to get excited about.

If that's the case is it 'yay Dolan'?

[Ghetto Gospel]

it's pretty funny to see people talking themselves into mike brown over the past 50 pages.

if we're replacing thibs, it would have been great to have a young and modern coach that can bring fresh ideas, but unfortunately, we're getting a guy that runs a variation of an offense that has been around for basically a century, and every other coach in the league already knows and understands. i can't imagine this working out in the playoffs

Counterpoint:

Thibs was mostly successful and there is a benefit to not straying too far from what Thibs did, but just having more oppeness to collaboration and experimentation.

counterpoint, the #1 thing that thibs brings into a team is that he instills his culture of hard work, hustle and toughness on defense. mike brown allegedly got let go from sacramento because he lost the locker room trying to get his guys to buy in, hustle and work hard on defense lol

couldn't be further apart from each other in terms of a coaching profile.

[Capn'O]

I'm not thrilled about it but it does seem to be who they're hiring

[Gravy]

Is he worse than Thibs?

Thibs has gotten this team better every year except one since he's been here and to the ecf. Brown started good and had gotten worse every year in Sac and never made it past the 1st round. I'd say Thibs is much better.

Thibs got a better roster every year he was here.

I think the 24 roster was better than 25

[GONYK]

it's pretty funny to see people talking themselves into mike brown over the past 50 pages.

if we're replacing thibs, it would have been great to have a young and modern coach that can bring fresh ideas, but unfortunately, we're getting a guy that runs a variation of an offense that has been around for basically a century, and every other coach in the league already knows and understands. i can't imagine this working out in the playoffs

Counterpoint:

Thibs was mostly successful and there is a benefit to not straying too far from what Thibs did, but just having more oppeness to collaboration and experimentation.

counterpoint, the #1 thing that thibs brings into a team is that he instills his culture of hard work, hustle and toughness on defense. mike brown allegedly got let go from sacramento because he lost the locker room trying to get his guys to buy in, hustle and work hard on defense lol

couldn't be further apart from each other in terms of a coaching profile.

Counter-counterpoint: Sacramento players do not have the same sense of character, pride, and track record of winning as the players on NY.

Another counter point: What guarantee do you have that some unknown assistant with "fresh ideas" would be able to instill a culture at all?

[GONYK]

I'm not thrilled about it but it does seem to be who they're hiring

It doesn't really move my meter, but I get it. I'm much more intrigued if Borrego is coming with him.

[Jalen Bluntson]

Thibs has gotten this team better every year except one since he's been here and to the ecf. Brown started good and had gotten worse every year in Sac and never made it past the 1st round. I'd say Thibs is much better.

Thibs got a better roster every year he was here.

I think the 24 roster was better than 25

Which one? We had three different rosters in 2024 and 5 different starting lineups.

[Capn'O]

I'm not thrilled about it but it does seem to be who they're hiring

It doesn't really move my meter, but I get it. I'm much more intrigued if Borrego is coming with him.

Yes.

[Ghetto Gospel]

Counterpoint:

Thibs was mostly successful and there is a benefit to not straying too far from what Thibs did, but just having more oppeness to collaboration and experimentation.

counterpoint, the #1 thing that thibs brings into a team is that he instills his culture of hard work, hustle and toughness on defense. mike brown allegedly got let go from sacramento because he lost the locker room trying to get his guys to buy in, hustle and work hard on defense lol

couldn't be further apart from each other in terms of a coaching profile.

Counter-counterpoint: Sacramento players do not have the same sense of character, pride, and track record of winning as the players on NY.

Another counter point: What guarantee do you have that some unknown assistant with "fresh ideas" would be able to instill a culture at all?

counter-counterpoint: the unknown assistant with "fresh ideas" may not need to install a culture of hard work and toughness because the leadership is already strong within the team. when thibs first came onboard, the team was young, soft and didn't know how to win yet. the team has changed significantly since then now having good veteran leadership with brunson & the villanovas, so it may not be as necessary anymore.

imo, what the team needs is new a fresh take on a playing a different style of offense and defending the variety of offenses that come our way in the playoffs

[BKlutch]

Hopefully Brown brings Fizdale back to the Knicks. Fizdale was treated very poorly by many on here.

He certainly was, and we're gonna make that right!

[mpharris36]

counterpoint, the #1 thing that thibs brings into a team is that he instills his culture of hard work, hustle and toughness on defense. mike brown allegedly got let go from sacramento because he lost the locker room trying to get his guys to buy in, hustle and work hard on defense lol

couldn't be further apart from each other in terms of a coaching profile.

Counter-counterpoint: Sacramento players do not have the same sense of character, pride, and track record of winning as the players on NY.

Another counter point: What guarantee do you have that some unknown assistant with "fresh ideas" would be able to instill a culture at all?

counter-counterpoint: the unknown assistant with "fresh ideas" may not need to install a culture of hard work and toughness because the leadership is already strong within the team. when thibs first came onboard, the team was young, soft and didn't know how to win yet. the team has changed significantly since then now having good veteran leadership with brunson & the villanovas, so it may not be as necessary anymore.

imo, what the team needs is new a fresh take on a playing a different style of offense and defending the variety of offenses that come our way in the playoffs

isn't that why they like Mike Brown? He has a lot of playoff coaching experience but he's far more flexible in terms of offensive/defensive schemes. For example with the rumors he wants someone like Borrego as the assoc HC and offensive coordinator...that is something thibs would never allow.

[god shammgod]

He’s clearly not an upgrade but whatever. There aren’t as many of those as people here thought anyway.

[Ghetto Gospel]

Counter-counterpoint: Sacramento players do not have the same sense of character, pride, and track record of winning as the players on NY.

Another counter point: What guarantee do you have that some unknown assistant with "fresh ideas" would be able to instill a culture at all?

counter-counterpoint: the unknown assistant with "fresh ideas" may not need to install a culture of hard work and toughness because the leadership is already strong within the team. when thibs first came onboard, the team was young, soft and didn't know how to win yet. the team has changed significantly since then now having good veteran leadership with brunson & the villanovas, so it may not be as necessary anymore.

imo, what the team needs is new a fresh take on a playing a different style of offense and defending the variety of offenses that come our way in the playoffs

isn't that why they like Mike Brown? He has a lot of playoff coaching experience but he's far more flexible in terms of offensive/defensive schemes. For example with the rumors he wants someone like Borrego as the assoc HC and offensive coordinator...that is something thibs would never allow.

doesn't mike brown run a variation of the princeton offense that he's been running for decades and has been around for almost a century? he also lost in the first round that he won COY, and lost in the play-in game in his most recent season. i'm looking for something new and modern-ish, not for the knicks but within basketball entirely.