TL;DR
- New York Knicks fired Tom Thibodeau due to a rigid offensive system lacking creativity and ball movement.
- New coach Mike Brown has successfully revolutionized the Knicks' offense with more ball movement and 3-point shooting.
- The Knicks rank fifth in passes per game and third in 3-pointers attempted, a significant improvement.
- These offensive changes, coupled with a strong roster, give the Knicks a good opportunity to reach the NBA Finals.
When the New York Knicks fired head coach Tom Thibodeau, they did so for several reasons.
Among them, Thibodeau's rigid offensive system wasn't always creative and lacked ball movement. It led to some ugly offensive moments for New York over the years.
Mike Brown was brought in to alter that situation, and his early time with The Knicks suggests he's succeeding.
Mike Brown is fulfilling his offensive commitments
In a recent piece on lessons learned from NBA teams during the season's opening month, ESPN's Tim Bontemps credited Brown with revolutionizing the Knicks' offense.
"This summer, new Knicks coach Mike Brown repeatedly talked about wanting to add more ball movement and 3-point shooting to New York's offensive arsenal. A month in, he has done that: The Knicks, after being in the top half of the league in passes per game only once in the five years under Tom Thibodeau, rank fifth this season, and jumped from 27th in 3s attempted per game last season to third," wrote Bontemps.
"Sources have praised New York's offensive changes, and with the Eastern Conference more than up for grabs, the Knicks are betting on those changes in possibly reaching the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999."
The Knicks are strongly anticipating the conclusion of their Finals drought in 2-26, and with the strongest roster they've fielded in quite some time, plus a new coach leading the team, they possess a good opportunity to achieve this goal.
More Knicks news:
- Jason Kidd raves about Jalen Brunson after Knicks win over Mavericks
- Knicks fan points out Mike Brown-Tom Thibodeau hypocrisy after Jalen Brunson injury
- Mike Brown eviscerates Knicks' effort in loss to Magic
- Jalen Brunson's MVP odds just fell off a cliff
- Kings sign former Knicks big man, six-year NBA veteran
- Knicks' Mike Brown reveals details on offseason addition's reduced workload