After the Knicks’ Tuesday night win to secure the franchise’s first NBA Cup trophy, much of the talk was surrounding Jalen Brunson winning MVP, OG Anunoby scoring a game-high 28 points, and Mitchell Robinson grabbing 15 rebounds (10 offensive!) in just 18 minutes. And rightfully so.
But the guy who deserves the most credit might be someone who didn’t play a single second last night.
Tom Thibodeau did some amazing things for the New York Knicks during his tenure, but Mike Brown, who has already gotten
a lot of love from fans and analysts alike, showcased on a national stage just how different he is from the former Chicago and Minnesota head coach.
When the game reached the fourth quarter, and the Knicks found themselves down 94-89, Brown opened with Brunson, Tyler Kolek, Jordan Clarkson, Anunoby, and Robinson. And in the first three minutes of the final period, the Knicks went on an 11-2 run to take a 100-96 lead. This may seem inconsequential, but Knicks fans know that this wasn’t something Thibodeau would’ve done. With Deuce McBride and Landry Shamet sidelined, we most likely would’ve seen Mikal Bridges, who had maybe his worst game of the season, play 40+ minutes.
Instead, Brown stayed away from what could’ve been a game-losing over-reliance on Bridges. And he chose not only to go to the aforementioned Kolek and Clarkson, but chose to stay with them. The pair played 20 and 27 minutes respectively, and surely rewarded Brown.
Kolek had by far his best and most important game as a pro, scoring 14 points, dishing out five assists, grabbing five rebounds, and having a plus/minus of +14, while Clarkson scored 15 points of his own. In the closing minutes of the game, and the tournament cup on the line, Brown pushed the right buttons once again, subbing in Hart, Karl-Anthony Towns, and most importantly, keeping Kolek in.
But Brown’s masterpiece coaching performance wasn’t limited to his use of Kolek and Clarkson. It was the way he used them. Brown went with a three-guard lineup-something Thibodeau pretty much never utilized due to his irrational fear of going small regardless of the context or matchup.
Long known for the priority he placed on size, Thibodeau often shied away from playing McBride next to Brunson, let alone playing three guards together, even when the small sample size suggested that Thibodeau was missing out.
The Knicks coach also went with double-big lineups consisting of both Towns and Robinson, and did so strategically and timely. And as a bonus, last night was just the latest example of just how good Hart has been in pretty much the same role as he was in last year. Yes, Hart is shooting better and more willingly, and that’s a big part of it, but despite the starting lineup not being any different, Brown has installed more plays, sets, and movement to work around some of the shortcomings and weaknesses of the starting lineup.
In short, Brown has schemed an offense and a system centered around his players, instead of the players having to morph to fit the coach’s preferred style.
All of this, along with much of the first 25 games of the season, has many around the league impressed. Now, this doesn’t mean that the Knicks have figured it all out. They can, and given their trajectory, like will still improve on both ends of the floor. Their bench, as good as it was last night, needs to be more consistent. And they can benefit from another bench piece, whether it’s another wing or a ball handler. But last night was just the latest example of why a coaching change was needed.
Despite all of the good Thibodeau did, and regardless of how loved he was by a section of the fanbase, there is no denying that he was stubborn. A lot of times, it worked out in his favor. But when it didn’t, it left more open-minded, statistically-driven, and long-term thinkers wondering why Thibodeau was so averse to experimenting and flexibility. That’s not to say that Thibodeau possessed no ability to change on the go, but it was a rare sighting that left people in surprise when it did happen.
With the coaching change, many, including myself, believed that the floor of the team may have lowered, given the team’s familiarity with Thibodeau and his system. But I always believed that the ceiling of this team was higher with Brown, and last night highlighted why others believed that as well. Brown isn’t perfect, and he never will be, but the 2025-26 Knicks have a level of experimentation, flexibility, and creativity that past versions of this team never had, and a lot of it starts with the man leading them.
Brown has found a way to maintain the physicality and offensive rebounding ethos Thibodeau worked so hard to instill, but has combined that with creative lineups, less reliance on starters, more movement, and a system focused not on what the coach likes, but what the players can, and can’t do, and it’s been a blessing to watch.
