Knicks to Hire Mike Brown as Next Head Coach

[mpharris36]

i did not. the culture is built already.

the full context of the quote was build sustainable winning that produces championships...we have not produced championships

we have sustainable winner though. I will give the FO and Thibs credit for building that.

I am pretty sure he knows the deal. He is here to get to the finals and then let the chips fall where they may. Obviously injuries/luck will certainly play a part. But we all know the deal.

that's all i'm saying. we're not gonna pretend like thibs didn't change the culture and pull this franchise out of the abyss. i wouldn't have fired him but the way we lost to indy is a fireable offense. so brown has to make the finals because he's not even gonna face the same level of competition with all the injuries. 2 of the 3 other teams in the top 4 are not contenders this year. sorry but that's the job you took.

I think everyone knows the expectations of the team and the current outlook of the east. You don't want to put the cart in front of the horse though. You can't be talking finals in the opening press conference and putting bad juju on the team whether that be injury luck ect...nothing what he said in the presser is going to mean much. You just don't want him to sound like an idiot or overwhelmed for the position (which he has had experience) so it was unlikely that he was going to do either.

I honestly think losing it indy was only part of it. Obviously enough players complained... The whole never really running 5-out lineups...really not diving into the Mitch/KAT duo until really the playoffs and not being collaborative with the FO on lineups did him in.

Like he didn't just say he wants to build sustainable winning and that its...it clear he knows the deal in terms of needing to win and probably win it all.

I'm more interested to see the vision he has to fill out the rest of his staff (something I thought thibs never really did a good job of that because he liked full control). And then the different lineup iterations he might have to get this team to the level we all want them to...the opener presser is just for show and make sure someone doesn't say anything dumb.

[GettinitDone]

Mike always strikes me as a salesman he knows the winning key phrases in interviews that make him and what he sells seem 10x than the actual products

Bro has mastered the art of introductory press this is his 4th team as a head coach he knows exactly what to say to win over the media, the fo, the owner and the fans lol

My biggest prob with him is he tries to be Pop and Kerr but never tries to be himself

Having said all the bad things I hope I'm proven wrong and he is the perfect fit for our team and our players fully buy in, cuz if he's the wrong hire, it's not just 1 or 2 years wasted... it means years wasted from JB's prime careers... he'll be 31-32 if Mike doesn't work out and get fired... and years wasted from Leon in this front office, who knows some teams are gonna give him ridiculous money to poach him from us...

We have this 4-5 years window where both JB and Leon are here... those 2 guys are once in every 30-40 years key pieces

How much time does Brown get?

What if he gets off to a slow start?

The good news is usually new head coaches always bring about new inspiration, the coach and the players are inspired that come from a fresh change... it's why his best seasons as the Lakers and Kings head coach were his first seasons with those teams...

Just gotta milk the most out of his first year basically because unless we fleece off teams and land another star to help JB and KAT most likely it's going downhill from there... everything (health, chemistry, players maintaining or improving their quality of play/ not actually regressing) has to go right in 2025-26

[Red Vines]

I thought he nailed it, interesting he brought up trust, you just got the feeling last year players didn't really trust each other.

[sol537]

Mike always strikes me as a salesman he knows the winning key phrases in interviews that make him and what he sells seem 10x than the actual products

Bro has mastered the art of introductory press this is his 4th team as a head coach he knows exactly what to say to win over the media, the fo, the owner and the fans lol

My biggest prob with him is he tries to be Pop and Kerr but never tries to be himself

Having said all the bad things I hope I'm proven wrong and he is the perfect fit for our team and our players fully buy in, cuz if he's the wrong hire, it's not just 1 or 2 years wasted... it means years wasted from JB's prime careers... he'll be 31-32 if Mike doesn't work out and get fired... and years wasted from Leon in this front office, who knows some teams are gonna give him ridiculous money to poach him from us...

We have this 4-5 years window where both JB and Leon are here... those 2 guys are once in every 30-40 years key pieces

How much time does Brown get?

What if he gets off to a slow start?

The good news is usually new head coaches always bring about new inspiration, the coach and the players are inspired that come from a fresh change... it's why his best seasons as the Lakers and Kings head coach were his first seasons with those teams...

Just gotta milk the most out of his first year basically because unless we fleece off teams and land another star to help JB and KAT most likely it's going downhill from there... everything (health, chemistry, players maintaining or improving their quality of play/ not actually regressing) has to go right in 2025-26

Give Brown 2 seasons... then re-evaluate before the 3rd season. Easy peasy.

[Context]

How much time does Brown get?

What if he gets off to a slow start?

The good news is usually new head coaches always bring about new inspiration, the coach and the players are inspired that come from a fresh change... it's why his best seasons as the Lakers and Kings head coach were his first seasons with those teams...

Just gotta milk the most out of his first year basically because unless we fleece off teams and land another star to help JB and KAT most likely it's going downhill from there... everything (health, chemistry, players maintaining or improving their quality of play/ not actually regressing) has to go right in 2025-26

Give Brown 2 seasons... then re-evaluate before the 3rd season. Easy peasy.

I think Brown is gong to surprise all of the Brown haters and doubters. The more I hear from him -the more I understand why all of the great players and coaches- respected him and wanted to work with him.

[knicks1999]

So…is Rick Brunson coming back as an assistant coach?

[stuporman]

In Brown's previous stops his teams usually gel pretty quickly so with the Knicks having a vet heavy team and some continuity it would surprise me if they didn't get off to a good start.

He won't be judged by the team's regular season, even if the offense and defense look better, the scrutiny will be on the playoff results.

They could be on top of the conference with top rated offense and defense but it's the post season that will determine whether he's successful.

This doesn't mean he has to get to the finals or a title in year 1 but if the team doesn't look like one that can get there or the Knicks aren't prepared because he isn't measuring up then the questions will come.

All the blah blah is just talk...he sounds like a polished Thibs, except Thibs wants you to get off his lawn but Brown invites you onto the lawn and offers you lemonade.

[mpharris36]

I thought he nailed it, interesting he brought up trust, you just got the feeling last year players didn't really trust each other.

He seemed to mention practice a decent amount. It was shocking to find out how little we practiced under thibs. But I guess makes sense because Brunson bailed us out a lot late but our end game execution was pretty awful.

[god shammgod]

the full context of the quote was build sustainable winning that produces championships...we have not produced championships

we have sustainable winner though. I will give the FO and Thibs credit for building that.

I am pretty sure he knows the deal. He is here to get to the finals and then let the chips fall where they may. Obviously injuries/luck will certainly play a part. But we all know the deal.

that's all i'm saying. we're not gonna pretend like thibs didn't change the culture and pull this franchise out of the abyss. i wouldn't have fired him but the way we lost to indy is a fireable offense. so brown has to make the finals because he's not even gonna face the same level of competition with all the injuries. 2 of the 3 other teams in the top 4 are not contenders this year. sorry but that's the job you took.

I think everyone knows the expectations of the team and the current outlook of the east. You don't want to put the cart in front of the horse though. You can't be talking finals in the opening press conference and putting bad juju on the team whether that be injury luck ect...nothing what he said in the presser is going to mean much. You just don't want him to sound like an idiot or overwhelmed for the position (which he has had experience) so it was unlikely that he was going to do either.

I honestly think losing it indy was only part of it. Obviously enough players complained... The whole never really running 5-out lineups...really not diving into the Mitch/KAT duo until really the playoffs and not being collaborative with the FO on lineups did him in.

Like he didn't just say he wants to build sustainable winning and that its...it clear he knows the deal in terms of needing to win and probably win it all.

I'm more interested to see the vision he has to fill out the rest of his staff (something I thought thibs never really did a good job of that because he liked full control). And then the different lineup iterations he might have to get this team to the level we all want them to...the opener presser is just for show and make sure someone doesn't say anything dumb.

if we were in the finals there's no way thibs losses his job so ultimately that is what it is about. same for brown. he can have all these ideas and concepts and that's fine but it only matter if it leads to a finals appearance.

and i understand not coming out and just saying it but you're not building it from the bottom either. this isn't the pelicans job. this thing is right at the finish line and you need to figure out how to get over it.

[NYKinMIA]

fiancé? hell naww!

thibs never got ass!

[Context]

Watch on YouTube

[Context]

fiancé? hell naww!

thibs never got ass!

at 55 too...he's definitely a man of growth

[stuporman]

To think Thibs lost his job over one game...if the Knicks don't melt down in game 1 they probably win the series, and we don't watch this introductory press conference with fans still griping about Tommy boy for another year.

[Context]

To think Thibs lost his job over one game...if the Knicks don't melt down in game 1 they probably win the series, and we don't watch this introductory press conference with fans still griping about Tommy boy for another year.

Thibs lost his job because he was a brilliant man who couldn't evolve.

[Context]

Back to Brown:

Read on Twitter

[Context]

I say YES!

Read on Twitter

[Context]

Read on Twitter

[stuporman]

To think Thibs lost his job over one game...if the Knicks don't melt down in game 1 they probably win the series, and we don't watch this introductory press conference with fans still griping about Tommy boy for another year.

Thibs lost his job because he was a brilliant man who couldn't evolve.

Even without evolution he's still the coach of the Knicks without that game 1 failure...

Brown can evolve until the day he dies but if he can't get the Knicks to a place where they can be more of a contender than they look last season he's out, too.

[Context]

1. Dribble Handoff (DHO) as the engine of the offense

Mike Brown’s Kings led the league in DHO frequency during the 2022–23 season, with Domantas Sabonis orchestrating over 1,000 DHOs — a modern record. That system enabled Kevin Huerter to slice through defenses, using the DHO not just to shoot but to flow into second-side actions, split cuts, or short rolls.

Now picture that same template with Karl-Anthony Towns as the DHO hub and Landry Shamet flying off screens like a budget Huerter. KAT’s floor-spacing and passing touch forces opposing bigs to hedge, switch, or drop — all losing propositions when defenders trail over screens and cutters attack the seams.

2. High-post facilitation through KAT
Brown has always empowered skilled bigs. Even during his LeBron-led Cavs tenure, there were flashes of elbow-centric triangle spacing and pinch-post reads. In Sacramento, he turned Sabonis into a decision-making monster from the elbow, blending Princeton sets with modern spacing.

3. Off-ball unlocking of Jalen Brunson
Brunson carried one of the league’s heaviest offensive burdens last year: 35+ minutes per game, 7.3 assists, and the second-highest dribble rate among all guards (5.7 per touch). The result? Elite but exhausted. A bruised left leg in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals was a grim punctuation to the season.

Remember his time playing off-ball in Dallas next to Luka Doncic?

https://thekotshow.substack.com/p/5-ways-mike-brown-will-modernize

[NYKinMIA]

I say YES!

Read on Twitter

I am here for your optimism brethren.

I'm hoping for a little Torre-like déjà vu.