This week, John Schuhmann dug into the adjustments Mike Brown might bring to New York, and the themes are pretty clear.
The Knicks have leaned heavily on Jalen Brunson’s isolation game, ranking near the bottom in ball and player movement every year under Tom Thibodeau. Brown’s history in Sacramento suggests he’ll want the offense to flow more freely, with cuts, passes, and off-ball activity creating easier looks. It might even benefit Captain Clutch himself, who has been more efficient on catch-and-shoot
threes than pull-ups.
Tempo is another area to watch. The Knicks were one of the slowest teams in the league at getting into their sets, often leaving themselves to grind out possessions against the shot clock. Brown’s Kings squad consistently goosed the ball up the floor faster, even if it wasn’t always to score in transition. Simply starting earlier opened up more options, which is something recent Knicks teams could have used more of.
On defense, the question is whether Brown will show more flexibility than Thibs. Towns and Brunson are both liable to be targeted in the pick-and-roll, and Thibs rarely turned to zone as a counter. In Sacramento, Brown was willing to deploy zone situationally. Potentially playing bigger lineups with a healthy Mitchell Robinson alongside Karl-Anthony Towns, the new coach could experiment with schemes that protect their stars while still dominating the glass.
The Knicks’ core is back, the depth has been bolstered, and now the biggest variable is their skipper. If Mike can coax more movement, a quicker tempo, and a little more creativity on defense, the ‘Bockers just might be ready to steamroll the league.
What do you think: are these tweaks enough to turn the Knicks into true Finals contenders? Air it out below. And you can read Schuhmann’s article here. Go Knicks.
