Expectations could not be larger in New York coming into the 2025-26 season, which suggestions off on Oct. 21. In Brown, the Knicks employed a coach who is aware of a factor or two about managing a championship-or-bust mentality.
Brown earned his first high-stakes job 20 years in the past in Could 2005, when the Cleveland Cavaliers employed him coming into LeBron James’ third NBA season.
Taking on for a workforce that went 42-40 in 2004-05 and missed the playoffs, Brown coached the Cavs to their first 50-win season since 1992-93 in his first 12 months and the NBA Finals in 2006-07, when Cleveland was overmatched by the superior San Antonio Spurs.
Total, Brown was 305-187 in 5 seasons as Cavaliers head coach, together with main the workforce to a franchise-best 66-16 document in 2008-09.
He was fired following the 2010 season and resurfaced as Phil Jackson’s successor for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2011-12. He did not have practically as a lot success in L.A. and was fired 5 video games into Yr 2 after an offseason when the Lakers added Corridor of Famers Steve Nash and Dwight Howard.
Looking back, that workforce was a sinking ship, and it is laborious to fault Brown for failing a Lakers workforce within the waning days of their dynasty.
These have been his most pressurized earlier environments, however arguably his greatest problem got here at his most up-to-date cease, when he took over the Sacramento Kings, who had a 16-year postseason drought earlier than Brown’s arrival. In his first season (2022-23), the Kings went 48-34, and he was named NBA Coach of the Yr for the second time.
Whereas by no means profitable a championship as a head coach, Brown has gotten probably the most out of his rosters at every cease. With apologies to Daniel Gibson and Anderson Varejao, he is additionally arguably by no means had a roster as gifted from prime to backside as in New York.
With a spate of Achilles accidents to stars of prime East contenders, together with Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, Boston Celtics ahead Jayson Tatum and former Bucks guard Damian Lillard, who was waived on Tuesday, the Knicks have a primary alternative in entrance of them in 2025-26 to win the convention for the primary time since 1999.
Barring a commerce (or trades), New York will return its beginning 5 from final season — OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Karl-Anthony Cities — whereas including current free-agent acquisitions Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele.
Heart Michell Robinson, who solely appeared in 48 regular-season video games the previous two seasons whereas coping with an ankle harm, is again at full power. He is been the subject of trade rumors, however even when Robinson, who is ready to play on an expiring $12.95 million contract, is dealt, the Knicks will doubtless acquire a rotational piece in return.
Final season, New York was final in bench scoring (21.7 factors per sport). Throughout Brown’s two full seasons as Kings head coach, Sacramento ranked ninth (37.3 factors per sport) and twelfth (35.7 factors per sport) in bench manufacturing. (h/t RealGM)
Brown can be beneath immense stress to not simply preserve the usual set by Thibodeau however to exceed it. That is quite a bit to ask. At the least Brown has been right here earlier than.
