New Knicks Coach's Role Revealed After Leaving LA Clippers

While additions like Derrick Jones Jr., Kris Dunn and Nicolas Batum helped, the coaching staff the Clippers built was the driving force.

How Did Clippers Do Defensively?

Jeff Van Gundy returned to the bench after years of being an analyst and broadcast commentator with ESPN, and was one of the most significant acquisitions of the Clippers offseason.

The Clippers were a top-five defense all season. Still, they rose to second behind the now-defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder for a period of time, proving that they could be a contending team even if thier offense was stagnant for a majority of the season without Leonard.

Brendan O'Connor was a large part of the Clippers' defensive renaissance and is widely praised for his defensive acumen. He served as an assistant coach for the Clippers since 2013, working under Doc Rivers and Tyronn Lue.

Before the stint with Los Angeles, he was with the Brooklyn Nets and the Detroit Pistons, where he won a championship with Larry Brown in 2004.

What Does O'Connor Bring to Knicks?

O'Connor is not a household name , but he is considered one of the best defensive minds in the NBA. He worked closely with Clippers defensive coordinator Jeff Van Gundy and stepped in for Van Gundy while he was on leave after the All-Star break.

A new report from Marc Stein of The People's Insider revealed that, "The expectation in New York is that Rick Brunson and newly hired Brendan O'Connor will fill two of the three front-of-bench seats on new coach Mike Brown's staff."

He continued to write, "O'Connor was lured away from the LA Clippers to serve as Brown's defensive coordinator. The coach hired to fill the last open front-of-bench spot on Brown's staff is expected to have an offensive focus."

With O'Connor now on the Knicks bench, New York will have a completely different play style and system in place for a team that just reached the Eastern Conference Finals in the 2025 playoffs.