The New York Knicks stunningly fired Tom Thibodeau after their most successful season in 25 years. They replaced him with Mike Brown, a coach whose philosophy differs significantly from Thibodeau’s.
The Knicks now have a fresh voice leading the team
Brown focuses much more on playing fast and moving the ball quickly on offense, whereas Thibodeau’s game plan centered more around defense. New York felt that they had reached their ceiling with Thibodeau and that it was time for a change.
NBA insider Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson said on The Basketball Society Podcast that the team is excited to have a new voice taking over.
“Hearing that the players are ecstatic to have Mike Brown in their system,” Robinson said. “They felt as though they needed somebody less rigid and more methodical [than Thibodeau]. I think he’s in a good position. Sacramento, he was forced out. He was dealt a bad hand [according to] everyone that I’ve spoken with. The Knicks think that this is the guy that can lead them to the promised land, and we’ll see.”
The expectations for Brown’s first season in New York are huge. With the Eastern Conference being much weaker this season, many are expecting the Knicks to make a serious push at all.
The Knicks will have a lot of pressure this season
Some have even gone on to believe that anything less than an appearance in this year’s NBA Finals is a considerable failure. Roster wise, the team is much deeper this year than it was last year, and they have the pieces to be a truly potent offense.
Brown has not won an NBA title as a head coach, but he has won four as an assistant coach in his career, including three with the Golden State Warriors. As head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2007, he led them to the Finals, but they were mercifully defeated by the powerhouse San Antonio Spurs.
The hope is that this year, Brown can lead the Knicks franchise to something they haven’t done in over 52 years, which is win an NBA championship. The path will not be easy, and it will take time for the players to adjust, but there is reason to believe that the Knicks can finally climb the mountain this year.