Three big questions new-look Knicks must answer after shocking coaching change

Firing head coach Tom Thibodeau probably wasn't the start to the summer most New York Knicks fans expected. The veteran head coach had just led the franchise to the Eastern Conference Finals. However, the addition of Mike Brown as new head coach has likely captivated imaginations. 

New York has also rounded out its bench, fixing one of the biggest issues from last season. Guard Jordan Clarkson (16.2 PPG last season), forward Guerschon Yabusele (11 PPG) and guard Malcolm Brogdon (12.7 PPG) will play legitimate roles. Bringing back guard Landry Shamet (5.7 PPG) was also wise.

Now, as the Knicks prepare for the start of training camp and ultimately the new NBA season, they should be confident of contending for a championship. After all, the East is wide open, with the Boston Celtics (Jayson Tatum, ruptured Achilles) and Indiana Pacers (Tyrese Haliburton, torn Achilles) taking injury-forced gap seasons. 

With that in mind, here are three big questions the Knicks must answer to begin the new season.

1. Can Brown find a balance between offense and defense?

Under Thibodeau, the Knicks were a defense-first roster. That approach ensured a sustained period of growth and incremental success in New York. 

However, last season, with multiple elite talents at his disposal, Thibodeau struggled to find the right balance — New York finished the season with the 13th-rated defense (113.3 points per 100 possessions allowed) in the NBA and fifth-ranked offense (117.3 points per 100 possessions). 

That switch-up in identity was certainly an internal struggle for Thibodeau and his coaching staff.

Therefore, Brown's first task will be to strike a better balance. For the Knicks to emerge as genuine championship contenders, they must be a top-10 team in defense and offense. Balance is key to sustained success throughout an NBA season.

2. Do the Knicks insert Mitchell Robinson into the starting lineup

There's no denying that some of Karl-Anthony Towns' best seasons have been when playing next to an elite rim protector. Pairing him with Rudy Gobert gave the Minnesota Timberwolves a fearsome front court (they outscored opponents by +9.2 points per 100 possessions when Towns and Gobert played together in '23-24). 

New York could create a similar partnership between Towns (24.4 PPG last season) and Robinson (7.8 PPG career). 

Thibodeau's hands were tied last season, as Robinson spent most of the season on the injury report, playing just 17 games. However, now that he's healthy, Brown must weigh the pros and cons of playing Towns at the four, which would result in losing additional perimeter spacing from the center position. 

With Robinson protecting the rim, anchoring the paint and providing vertical spacing on offense, Towns can be unleashed as a do-it-all offensive weapon. That, in turn, would take some of the burden off guard Jalen Brunson (26 PPG last season). Don't be surprised if Brown experiments with his rotations to begin the season, especially when it comes to running double-bigs.

3. Are the bench issues over? 

It's no secret that Thibodeau's minutes distribution put his starters under intense pressure. Of course, that approach led the Knicks to have the lowest points-per-game total of any second unit in the NBA last season, with the bench contributing just 21.7 points per game.

Clearly, New York's front office has moved to resolve those struggles this summer. Every new addition is a scoring and/or playmaking threat. Therefore, it will be interesting to see how Brown constructs his rotations and how much more playing time the bench will get.

After all, high-level depth is a key ingredient to a championship run. And that's especially true when the coach actually lets the second unit play each game.