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NBA expert sets high bar for Knicks’ Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns under Mike Brown, makes ‘Shaq and Kobe’ point

Originally posted on NBA Analysis Network
By Aaditya Krishnamurthy | Last updated Jul 24, 2025 10:11 AM ET

As the New York Knicks hired Mike Brown as their next head coach, there are a lot of expectations on Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns.

The New York Knicks decided to make some big changes this offseason, starting with their head coach. After five years of service, the Knicks fired Tom Thibodeau, despite a very successful tenure.

After a long search, the franchise identified Thibodeau’s successor. The Knicks hired Mike Brown as their head coach.

Long before his arrival, Jalen Brunson approved of Mike Brown as a coach. Since then, the Knicks have gone from strength to strength.

While the Knicks weren’t able to tempt Darvin Ham to become an assistant coach, they did put together a pretty strong staff for Brown.

But one NBA insider believes that the Knicks’ two superstars – Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns – must deliver well under the new head coach.

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NBA insider says Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns will level up next season

David Dennis Jr. spoke about the New York Knicks on NBA Today on ESPN. When discussing how Mike Brown can get the most out of this team, he pointed to their superstars.

Dennis Jr. pointed to Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson matching Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal’s achievement in the playoffs, and said they need to take things to another level under Mike Brown.

“I think the best duo in the East and the second best in the league is actually Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns.

“We saw last season, offensively, they were unstoppable, especially when they got that pick-and-roll going. They didn’t utilize it enough.

“Now, you bring Mike Brown into that organization, a guy who is going to move the ball around, go a little bit more with the pick-and-roll, and those handoffs.

“We already saw at their height, those guys had five 20-point games each in the one series. We haven’t seen that since Shaq and Kobe.

“They’re going to level up offensively this year and be the second-best duo in the league and the best in the Eastern Conference.”

New York Knicks excited about signings, aiming for NBA Finals run

An anonymous New York Knicks executive spoke to Keith Smith of Spotrac, talking about their recent signings and how they can help them reach the NBA Finals next season.

“We didn’t have a lot we could do, because of the apron. But we were able to land a really good big man in Guerschon (Yabusele) and an experienced backup guard in Jordan (Clarkson). We feel pretty good about getting those two guys.”

“We’re close. We were already right there. Now, we think we’re even closer. This is a great group, and the additions we made will push us even further.”

The Knicks have been able to keep hold of their best players while bringing in some much-needed reinforcements.

Both Clarkson and Yabusele will give the Knicks the bench scoring that they needed desperately last season. With a wide-open Eastern Conference, expect the Knicks to be a dominant force.

This article first appeared on NBA Analysis Network and was syndicated with permission.

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