Knicks Have One Problem After Mike Brown Hire

New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown is one of the most talented people in the profession.

Brown has been in the NBA since 1997, coaching for seven different franchises, three of which he was a head coach for. The Knicks will mark his fourth stop as a head coach, but there's a reason why he has been fired in the past.

Brown's defense has faced criticism in the past, and Bleacher Report writer Andy Bailey emphasized how it may come up as an issue once again.

"Brown is not someone who will chopper in and guarantee a league-average-or-better defense regardless of who's on the roster," Bailey wrote. "He also developed aversions to certain players with defensive leanings while in Sacramento (Keon Ellis, anyone?). Could the same thing happen with Deuce McBride? Might Mitchell Robinson see his court time dip if Brown views Yabusele as a bulkier Trey Lyles?

"For the time being, the Knicks can't afford to care. You don't pair Brunson with Towns and expect to be a defensive juggernaut. You construct your team around them to forge an unflappable and dominant offensive identity.

"The Knicks failed to do that last year, so they are now upping the ante with Clarkson and Yabusele and betting that Brown can succeed where Thibodeau did not."

Thibodeau prided himself on the defensive end of the floor, but the Knicks were around league average in defensive rating, clocking in at No. 13 with a 113.3.

That number will have to be better in order for the Knicks to contend for a championship. For context, the NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder ranked first in the category at 106.6, two full points lower than any other team.

If Brown can find a way to keep the Knicks' defense competitive, he will eradicate the issue that has plagued him in the past.