The New York Knicks‘ head coaching search has been an intense one, as they are weighing a variety of options to find their next head coach to potentially lead the team to a championship.
So far, they have interviewed former Memphis Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins, former Sacramento Kings coach Mike Brown, and Minnesota Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori. They also requested to speak with other teams’ head coaches, but to no avail.
Mike Brown is the top Knicks head coaching candidate in the eyes of insider
They have had their eyes set on experienced coaches to replace Tom Thibodeau, but they are leaving all options on the table. Nevertheless, James L. Edwards III of The Athletic feels that Brown is the best candidate for the Knicks’ job.
“He crafted some intricate and fun offenses over his time in Sacramento, and while personnel plays a part in that, I do think he’s learned enough along the way to adjust to a different roster with the Knicks,” Edwards wrote. “Brown is the best candidate, in my opinion, to maximize this offense and help usher in different looks.”
The Knicks need to maximize their offense with a new coach
The Knicks didn’t maximize the duo of Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns under Thibodeau this past season. While they both had great individual seasons, they ran fewer pick-and-rolls than optimal, and as a team, they didn’t shoot enough threes to put teams away.
Furthermore, other players on the team did not know their roles as well and struggled to get into a rhythm. Mikal Bridges had several games with less than ideal shot attempts, and Josh Hart was not aggressive on the scoring front.
Brown made the Kings a high-powered offense during his short stay there. In 2023, they were among the top offenses in the league, led by De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis, and they were the third seed in the Western Conference. Brown also won Coach of the Year that season.
The Knicks want to have an improved offensive attack to take the next step towards winning a title. Brown could be a strong head coach for them, but only time will tell if the Knicks feel the same way and hire him as their next head coach.
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