Knicks HC Continues Following in Tom Thibodeau's Footsteps

Brown was brought in to reinvigorate the offense, but he's only dragged the squad back on track over the recent weeks by following some of Thibodeau's defensive lessons. The scheme has noticeably shifted, as has the new coach's implementation of the personnel at his disposal.

The Knicks' Defensive Shift

New York spent the first half of this season as one of the weakest perimeter defenses in the league. They were holding up at the rim, a direct testament to Mitchell Robinson's versatility and sturdiness as the low anchor, but their insistence on forcing opponents through the middle of the floor results in helpers crumbling to meet the driver, who'd just kick out to open shooters.

To keep from so many open shooters hurting the Knicks from the outside, Brown adjusted his team's approach to force slashers down the baseline. The result of that tactic leaves the would-be scorer without an obvious passage to find a spot-up weapon, and the Knicks' increased intensity since that awful losing spell to open the year has robbed opposing 3-point shooters from the same comfortability they'd enjoyed over recent months.

To Thibodeau's credit, he'd already demonstrated this tactic plenty of times over his five years in New York. He may not have utilized Mikal Bridges' advantages as an off-ball defender, but even he knew not to let open perimeter dwellers decide any games.

Attempted Rotational Creativity

Brown prepared for his Knicks debut willing to make some drastic changes to Thibodeau's favorite starting lineup. Josh Hart had proved to be at least a little expendable in New York's recent playoff run, as the new coach had clearly taken notes on Robinson's impact upon elevating into the fifth starting slot.

Robinson's fit next to Karl-Anthony Towns didn't end up working out long-term, with Towns struggling in a pure-shooting role, but at least the double-big lineup had defensive upside. Hart, meanwhile, completely flatlined as a sixth-man, openly frustrated with the limitations that come with a slide down the hierarchy.

Hart's numbers 50 games into the regular season look a lot more like what he was consistently producing last season, but even though he's knocking down threes at an inspiring rate, his spacing fit still isn't ideal alongside the rest of the starting lineup. Miles McBride is a considerably more impressive shooter who's actually helping the defense more than Hart is; he's helped post a 12.45 net rating as a part of non-Hart lineups, while five-man groups that include Hart without McBride even out to a near-neutral rating.

The hustling wing was one of Thibudeau's most beloved players, with Hart leading the league in minutes per game during their final season together. But just as Thibodeau eventually realized the limitations that come with his game in must-win scenarios, Brown may have to come to a tough choice of his own when finding his most reliable combination of players.

Some recent outings suggest such a crunch time shift, with the Knicks having posted a top-four offense to couple with the NBA's best defense over their active six-game win streak. Brown's continuing to learn how to couple his own philosophies with what's worked in the past, but his slow acceptance of Thibodeau's own playbook suggests that he's still learning how to balance his newest roster.