The New York Knicks made a bold decision this offseason when they elected to fire Tom Thibodeau from his head coaching duties. In turn, they hired Mike Brown, who some believe the jury may still be out on.
The Knicks made the shocking decision just weeks after reaching their first Eastern Conference Finals since 2000, a run that included knocking off the defending champions, the Boston Celtics, in the second round. Now, they’ll look to hit another level with Mike Brown.
Brown given low ranking amongst NBA head coaches
Recently, CBS Sports’ Sam Quinn ranked every head coach in the NBA heading into this season, with Brown coming in at No. 18.
“As offensive creativity and better lineup management were two of the major reasons the Knicks fired Tom Thibodeau, Brown will be put to the test early and often this season, though the early preseason returns have been encouraging,” Quinn said.
“The 2022-23 Kings, who posted historic numbers, were far more modern. But the league seemingly caught up a year later. Suddenly, the Kings couldn't get to the basket to save their lives, and Brown couldn't adjust. Some of last year's decisions were downright bizarre. Why exactly was he bringing Keon Ellis off of the bench when he was the only reliable 3-and-D player on the team?” He added.
Brown will put to the test right away in New York, as they enter as one of the favorites to come out of the East this season. The Knicks are aiming to snap a 52-year title drought in Brown’s first year at the helm, so expectations are sky high in year one.