On Wednesday, it was reported that the New York Knicks have decided to give Mike Brown the head coaching job after weeks of searching for a replacement for Tom Thibodeau. Brown has accomplished a lot during his lengthy NBA career, and many Knicks fans think he might be the right man for the job.
As for Sacramento Kings followers, they know that Brown may not be the answer they're looking for, and things could actually get rough for New York next season because of Brown's hiring.
Brown's time with the Kings tells a troubled tale
Brown's tenure with the Kings was filled with ups and downs. The ups? The team's best season in years, bringing them a 48-34 record and the creation of the "Light the Beam" era. As for the bad, Brown's year got off to a rocky start in 2024-25, and he was let go after the team fell to a 13-18 record. Doug Christie quickly replaced him, and fans and players seem to be happy with him so far.
In the final weeks of his time in Sacramento, fans were crying out about Brown's choices with his players and his rotation. His resistance to change drove many people mad, and they disliked how he was attempting to sacrifice offense for defense.
Another major complaint about Brown was the way he drives his players. He doesn't go easy on them. Infamous for his intense practices and schedule, Brown doesn't believe in days off. This rubs a lot of people the wrong way and, sadly, can sometimes result in exhaustion and even injury.
Ironically, that was one of the biggest complaints about Thibodeau, too. When he finds a rotation he likes, he sticks with it, and it is very hard to change his mind. Long practices, few changes to the roster, and a stubborn personality—both Brown and Thibodeau share those.
This is why some Kings fans believe the Knicks will soon discover that Brown isn't all he's cracked up to be. He can definitely improve the team's defense, but he may grind his players down as he does so. Of course, if they were able to keep up with Thibodeau's punishing personality, they might do well under Brown.
There are still plenty of questions about why the Knicks let Thibodeau go. He brought them to their first Eastern Conference Finals in years and returned them to Eastern Conference glory. But that wasn't good enough for the front office. Now they are replacing him with someone who is also aggressive and often unforgiving with players.
New York's front office thinks this will work out well for them, but Kings fans are warning them that the problems might just be beginning for the Knicks.