Knicks Questioned For Head Coaching Decision

The New York Knicks' coaching vision is clear. They had their fun with Tom Thibodeau running the show, but he and Knicks management wore on each other over five years of partnership. When his flaws started to show, the team opted to change directions with a quick severing with the acclaimed coach.

Their expansive coaching search eventually led them to Mike Brown, another 2x Coach of the Year recipient to replace the fired Thibodeau. The hiring has earned some good reviews, especially since Brown's gotten to speak on the values he hopes to bring to the Knicks in his return to coaching, but many fans and analysts will need to see proof of concept before they fully approve the move.

Yahoo Sports awarded New York with a "B" grade for their offseason, crediting them for smartly utilizing the little financial wiggle room they had with several free agency signings while dinging the Knicks for a coaching hire that's yet to win the publication over.

"Who knows if his offensive schemes can squeeze more from a roster that Thibodeau mostly maximized around Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson, despite their built-in defensive limitations." Ben Rohrbach wrote. "At the very least, Brown should be able to enter this coming season's playoffs with a more rested roster, thanks to their offseason additions."

The Knicks did not hesitate in splitting with Thibodeau, a decision that some questioned between the timing and their lack of a clear plan following the call. He was out of the door three days after the Knicks were eliminated in the Eastern Conference Finals, the furthest they'd made it in the playoffs since 2000.

That, coupled with reports that James Dolan, the Knicks' controversial majority owner, sounded like he had returned to his meddling ways in contributing to the decision, momentarily scared some talking heads into worrying that the rashly confident Knicks of old had returned.

They floundered in trying to locate a successor, but Mike Brown makes for an understandable replacement from first impression. He's much more known for his offensive creativity than the old-school, defense-first Thibodeau ever was, and has an improved roster armed with plenty of toys to play with in 2025-26.