Knicks Coach Enthused By Interior Options

Mike Brown is in town on business rather than sightseeing, but he can see some of the city's famed skyscrapers in his new post with the New York Knicks.

One of Brown's first puzzles at the helm of the Knicks could be to find the proper balance of Mitchell Robinson and Karl-Anthony Towns, as the dueling seven-footers literally and figuratively occupy large spots on the Manhattan roster.

In his first statements at the metropolitan helm, Brown emphasized that he wanted to meet with assistants and staff before fully fleshing out their roles but hinted that Robinson and Towns looming large was one of the most alluring attractions of his new roster.

"Once I get my staff together and we dive more into it, we'll figure out all those types of things, [but] I'm excited that they're both on the team," Brown said in his debut showing broadcast on MSG Network. "They're two different players: Mitch is a vertical threat, KAT, as you know, is a space threat, and so to have the versatility that those two guys bring to the table is going to be a lot of fun."

While headlined by the backcourt antics of Jalen Brunson, last year's Knicks no doubt hit new levels when Robinson and Towns were each at the top of their games.

Robinson missed a good bit of last season due to a lingering ankle injury but he served as an undeniable second unit energizer as one of the traditional centers left in the NBA. Towns, on the other hand, had a solid showing in his first tour as a New Yorker, and shared headlining duties with Brunson after coming over in a late offseason trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Though Towns essentially usurped the injured Robinson as the Knicks' starting center, many pondered the possibilities of having both on the floor at the same time.

The concept peaked during the Knicks recent run to the Eastern Conference Finals and previous head coach Tom Thibodeau eventually had Robinson step into the starting five in place of Josh Hart. Among two-man combinations that played at least 100 minutes together in the playoffs, Robinson and Towns placed fourth in rebounding percentage (58.0).

For his part, Brown is well-versed in placing two seven-footers in his primary lineup, having united Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Ben Wallace during a 66-win tour that produced Coach of the Year honors with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2008-09.

No matter who hears their name called at Madison Square Garden before tip-off, however, Brown is pleased with what the primary rotation, one set to add Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele into the fold, has to offer as a whole based on their progress from last year.

"I thought what the group did this past year in the playoffs, it just shows their potential, and not just defensively, but offensively too," Brown said. "I'm looking forward to putting a plan in place and working with those guys on both ends of the floor."

"I love their length. I love their versatility. Implementing something or my vision is very exciting for me, and hopefully it is for everybody else, because I think the ceiling is high on both ends for the group."