It’s been a long, winding road for the New York Knicks coaching search.
Some, not all, were caught off guard by the Tom Thibodeau firing.
After that came the circus of “no’s” that came from every coaching target under contract. Jason Kidd. No. Chris Finch. No. Billy Donovan. No.
Now, it looks like the Knicks have their man in Mike Brown. Brown beat out Taylor Jenkins for the job.
Of course, the Brown hire has been under fire. “How do you fire Thibodeau and hire Brown?” has been a popular question, even though Brown has won the NBA Coach of the Year award twice. That’s the same number as Thibodeau.
Brown also has an NBA Finals appearance (2007), something Thibodeau doesn’t have.
For those screaming for Mike Malone, ask yourself the question if Malone’s temperament is right for a James Dolan-owned organization?
That’s something that’s being overlooked in the Brown hire.
As I’ve stated before, we don’t live in the same NBA world. There was a time when a coach’s resume carried the hiring process more than fit. It’s why George Karl and Larry Brown could always get jobs.
Front offices around the league are now more sophisticated.
With all of the restrictions in the current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), having synergy between the head coach, front office, and the goals of the ownership group has never been more important because getting out of “mistakes” have become harder, luxury tax penalties have become more expensive, and aprons have become more restrictive.
What’s important for the Knicks is having the right coach for this group, this front office, and Dolan. It’s not about whether you think Brown is a better coach than Thibodeau, which, I’ll repeat, is an entirely overblown thought driven more by perception than anything else.
Brown might be the best coach for a Knicks team that has made it a point to upgrade its bench. Does Brown’s philosophy and creativity allow him to maximize his bench more than Thibodeau’s?
We are seeing this play out in Denver. David Adelman doesn’t have the same resume as Malone, but is he a better fit for the new front office and the Kroenkes’ way of doing business?
A business philosophy being driven by the CBA.
That’s why the Brown hiring is a wait-and-see proposition, even if Dolan’s history doesn’t warrant the benefit of the doubt.
