The New York Knicks have a lot of momentum going into their 2025-26 season, and even though that season is months away, the Big Apple is already brimming with excitement about it. Much of that new, positive energy has to do with having a new head coach in town in Mike Brown. The Knicks already have a solid roster, and now, they have a new coach who will hopefully take them to the next level and get them a championship win.
But, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. First, the hard work needs to be done. The Knicks have their new head coach, but there are other supporting positions to fill. Following last year’s good showing, which saw the Knicks make it to the Eastern Conference Finals last season and then fall to the Indiana Pacers, some of the supporting staff will be back, but not all of them.
Now, the Knicks are getting a little smack talk about one critical move that may prove negative when they’re trying to finish up putting their staff together for the upcoming season.
New Knicks Coach Mike Brown Took a While to Find
The New York Knicks took their time when looking for a replacement for head coach Tom Thibodeau, and while it’s good that they didn’t make a rash decision, they may have taken a bit too much time. It took New York around a month to hire Mike Brown, and that may have set them back.
In a story published on Thursday, July 10, in The Daily Knicks, Atticus O’Brien-Pappalardo makes the case that waiting so long to hire Brown means the Knicks could have already missed out on their best candidates for assistant coach.
“The Knicks’ front office and Brown both had serious interest in adding James Borrego to the sideline, reportedly to be Brown’s top assistant,” O’Brien-Pappalardo notes. “The New Orleans Pelicans made it clear that they wouldn’t be willing to part with the promising coach, however.”
He adds, “SNY’s Ian Begley reported that he does expect many of Thibodeau’s old assistants to remain on Brown’s staff this year. That said, the Knicks are leaving it up to Brown to determine who he wants to bring in to be his associate head coach.”
The Knicks May Have ‘Limited Options’
O’Brien-Pappalardo adds that, of course, Rick Brunson, the father of Jalen Brunson, had that position in the organization last season. But, according to a report from Stefan Bondy of the New York Post, Rick will still have a role with the Knicks but not as big a role. So, that leaves the position open.
Now, with Borrego a no-go and Rick stepping into a smaller role, the Knicks likely won’t have the best candidates remaining for an assistant coach position this far into the offseason. As O’Brien-Pappalardo states, “while the Knicks needed to sign the right head coach, they may have limited his options for a staff by taking so long.”
It’s not something to lose sleep over, but there’s a good chance the Knicks will have to settle for their next best choice in at least a few positions.
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