With the New York Knicks still seeking a new head coach, James Edwards of The Athletic took some time to answer fans’ questions regarding the search in a post published on Tuesday morning.
The insider was asked “Of all the coaches who are reportedly connected with the Knicks hiring search, who has the best fit with the current roster in terms of their philosophy & schemes?”
Edwards named former Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings leader Mike Brown as his top pick.
“For me, it’s Mike Brown. 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. The most important thing New York should be looking for is someone who can maximize this offense. … Too often, this group was stagnant and predictable. There needs to be a little more juice offensively going forward,” the beat writer said. “Brown is the best candidate, in my opinion, to maximize this offense and help usher in different looks.”
It was recently reported that New York was set to interview both Brown and ex-Memphis Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins.
This came after it was reported that one of their top targets (Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd) was likely unavailable. The Knicks were then denied interview requests for a host of current coaches, including Kidd, Chris Finch, Ime Udoka and Quin Snyder, among others.
Looking at Mike Brown’s NBA Coaching Career
Brown brings an extensive resume into his interview with the Knicks.
The 55-year-old got started as an assistant with the Washington Wizards for two seasons from 1997-99, the San Antonio Spurs from 2000-03 and the Indiana Pacers from 2003-05, winning a championship in his final season as a part of Gregg Popovich’s staff.
Brown then had his first (and longest) run as a head coach, leading the Cavaliers for five seasons from 2005-2010 and one more year during the 2013-14 campaign. Brown guided Cleveland to an NBA Finals appearance in 2007, when they lost to the Spurs, and won his first Coach of the Year award in 2008-09.
He coached the Lakers for the 2011-12 season and just five games during the 2012-13 campaign before being fired.
After two seasons away from the bench, Brown returned in an assistant position with the Golden State Warriors for six years from 2016-2022, winning three rings as a member of Steve Kerr’s group.
The Columbus, Ohio native coached the Kings the last two-plus seasons, winning his second Coach of the Year honor in 2022-23, but was fired after a 13-18 start last fall.
Brown has compiled a 454-304 career coaching record in the regular season — good for a .599 winning percentage — and has gone 50-40 in the playoffs.
Ousting of Tom Thibodeau Was ‘Weeks, Maybe Months in the Making’
Edwards was also asked about the Knicks’ decision to fire head coach Tom Thibodeau. The move was somewhat surprising, as “Thibs” helped get New York to the playoffs in four of his five seasons (including each of the past three) and this spring was the franchise’s first conference finals appearance in 25 years.
The insider was asked “How much of the coaching change can be attributed to 1) owner, 2) GM, 3) players?
Edwards said that his “sense” was that the decision was something brewing for quite some time.
“The owner wanted it to happen. The front office was fine with it happening. And, very clearly, not all of the players were strongly in support of Tom Thibodeau,” he wrote. “The sense I’ve gotten is that this was weeks, maybe months, in the making. That was made obvious by the fact Thibodeau was fired after the team lost in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals, a benchmark the franchise hasn’t reached in 25 years. A decision like this isn’t made in the aftermath of a notable accomplishment. It was clear that decision-makers were just waiting for the season to end.”
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