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The New York Knicks have finally concluded their long search for a new head coach, hiring former Sacramento Kings coach Mike Brown to be the new head man in charge in the Big Apple. On Tuesday, Brown was introduced as the new head coach of the Knicks, replacing Tom Thibodeau after a disappointing exit in the Eastern Conference Finals.
While Brown is looking ahead to his time with one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, there is still plenty of uncertainty surrounding his mysterious exit from Sacramento. Just a few years removed from winning Coach of the Year honors in 2022-23, Brown was fired early last season after a disappointing start.
Brown was asked about that during his introductory press conference, but he didn't have much to say about his departure, via Fred Katz of The Athletic.
“I don't want to get into it,” Brown said. “That's behind me. I'm here in New York.”
The Kings clearly had high expectations for Brown last season, and he was not able to meet them as Sacramento spiraled out of the playoff picture in the Western Conference. Those expectations certainly aren't going anywhere with the Knicks, but Brown will have a lot more to work with on the roster than he did in Sacramento.
However, the Knicks have shown that they are not going to have a ton of patience with this roster that is capable of making deep playoff runs. Despite an injury-riddled run to the second round of the playoffs in 2024 and an Eastern Conference Finals berth this spring, Thibodeau was still axed from his perch on the end of the bench.
The Knicks certainly see plenty of opportunity in the Eastern Conference with both Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton set to miss next season with Achilles injuries. The Cleveland Cavaliers will enter the season as the likely favorites, but there aren't a lot of secondary contenders on paper outside of the Knicks and maybe the Orlando Magic or the Milwaukee Bucks.
Brown is no stranger to the spotlight, having coached the LeBron James-led Cavs during his first stint in Cleveland. That attention will be on him once again next season, and he will have a target on his back coming into the year.
