If you haven't been paying attention to the Garden lately, you might still have the image of Tom Thibodeau screaming on the sidelines, veins bulging, while Jalen Brunson plays 47 minutes and 58 seconds of a Tuesday night game. But things changed fast.
Basically, the era of "Thibs" is over.
The new coach of the Knicks is Mike Brown, the defensive mastermind and two-time NBA Coach of the Year who most recently turned the Sacramento Kings from a laughingstock into a playoff threat. He officially took over the reigns in July 2025, and honestly, the vibe in Manhattan has shifted completely.
The Shocking Transition from Thibs to Brown
It’s still kinda wild to think about how it happened. Just when it felt like the Knicks had finally found stability, they pulled the rug out. Tom Thibodeau had just led the team to the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals—their best run in a quarter-century. Most fans expected him to be a lifer.
But James Dolan and Leon Rose had other ideas.
They wanted "evolution." In a rare, somewhat spicy interview with WFAN in early 2026, Dolan admitted that while Thibodeau built the foundation, the team needed a "collaborator" to reach the next level. They wanted a coach who wouldn't grind the starters into the dust by February.
Enter Mike Brown.
The Knicks hired him on July 7, 2025. It wasn't just a random hire; it was a philosophical statement. Brown brought with him a pedigree that includes four championship rings as an assistant (three with the Warriors, one with the Spurs) and a reputation for modernizing offenses. He’s the guy who took the "Beam Team" in Sacramento to the top of the offensive ratings, and the Knicks wanted that spark.
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Why Mike Brown?
People keep asking why the Knicks would ditch a winning coach for a guy who had just been fired by Sacramento. It’s a fair question.
Here is the reality of the situation:
- Bench Usage: Under Thibs, the bench was basically a group of guys who watched the game from the best seats in the house. Brown changed that immediately.
- The "Spray" Offense: Brown talks constantly about "touching the paint and spraying the ball." It's a high-motion, high-passing style that's a far cry from the isolation-heavy sets of years past.
- Modern Collaboration: Unlike the old-school, iron-fisted approach, Brown is known for being a player's coach who actually listens to his staff.
How the New Coach of the Knicks is Changing the Game
If you look at the 2025-26 season so far, the results are... interesting. As of mid-January 2026, the Knicks are sitting pretty at 25-15, holding down the 2-seed in the East. They even won the NBA Cup earlier this season, proving that this group can win under pressure.
But it hasn't been all sunshine.
Just this week, Brown had a rough "revenge game" back in Sacramento. The Kings kicked their behinds 112-101. To make matters worse, Jalen Brunson went down with a tweaked ankle five minutes into the game.
What was fascinating was Brown's reaction.
He didn't blame the injury. He didn't make excuses. He sat at the podium and bluntly criticized the team's lack of "sprays"—those kick-out passes that fuel his offense. He’s holding them to a different standard. He’s looking at the "30,000-foot view," as he calls it. He's trying to make sure the team isn't gassed when the playoffs actually start.
The New Coaching Staff
Brown didn't come alone. He filled his bench with some serious tactical minds:
- Chris Jent: The associate head coach who handles a lot of the offensive strategy and shooting development.
- Brendan O’Connor: A defensive specialist brought in to ensure that while the offense gets faster, the "Knicks identity" on defense doesn't disappear.
- Rick Brunson: Interestingly, Jalen’s dad stayed on staff, providing some much-needed continuity between the old regime and the new one.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Hire
The biggest misconception is that the Knicks are "softer" now. Because Brown is more jovial and uses his bench more, some critics think they’ve lost that grit.
That’s nonsense.
The defense is still top-tier, but it’s more about schemes and rotations now than just pure "out-hustling" the opponent. They’re playing smarter, not just harder. Plus, the addition of Karl-Anthony Towns (KAT) and Mikal Bridges has given Brown a toolkit that most coaches would dream of.
Brown is managing a delicate balance. He has to keep the Villanova core (Brunson, Bridges, Hart) happy while integrating a massive star like KAT and developing young guys like Tyler Kolek and Pacôme Dadiet.
Honestly, it’s a lot.
But so far, it’s working. The Knicks are 28th in the league in bench scoring—which sounds bad—but it’s actually a huge jump from being dead last under the previous system. Progress is progress, right?
Actionable Insights for the 2026 Season
If you're following the Knicks under Mike Brown, keep an eye on these three specific indicators. They'll tell you if this team is actually a title contender or just another "regular season wonder."
- Watch the "Spray" Count: Brown gets visibly frustrated when the team stops moving the ball. If the Knicks are averaging over 20-25 "sprays" (paint touches leading to perimeter passes) per game, they are nearly impossible to beat.
- The Brunson Minute Watch: Under Thibs, Brunson's minutes were scary high. Under Brown, if Jalen is staying around 34-35 minutes, it means the system is working and he’ll be fresh for June.
- Bench Integration: Keep an eye on guys like Miles McBride and Jordan Clarkson. If Brown can get consistent production from the second unit, the Knicks won't have to rely on a "miracle" from the starters every night.
The Knicks aren't just a defensive grind-fest anymore. They are a modern, high-functioning NBA machine. Whether Mike Brown can take them all the way to the Finals—something James Dolan basically demanded on the radio recently—remains to be seen. But for the first time in a long time, the New York Knicks have a coach who is looking at the scoreboard and the calendar at the same time.