For the past five seasons, Tom Thibodeau was in charge of the New York Knicks. His coaching strategy relied heavily on a strong defense and for starters to play a good amount of minutes while showcasing a certain level of intensity. This translated into four winning seasons and three consecutive playoff berths.

With Thibodeau at the helm, the Knicks reached their first Eastern Conference Finals in 25 years, capping off an impressive 51-31 season. However, the team came up short of their ultimate goal of bringing a championship back to New York. The Knicks haven’t won an NBA title since 1973, and with Thibodeau in control, it seemed they were never able to reach that point. The team’s offense always felt flat, with the only source of constant production coming from Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby and Miles McBride. Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart chipped in a fair amount, but it wasn’t anywhere close to what I would’ve liked to have seen.

Since Thibodeau’s scheme focused heavily on the starters receiving most of the playing time, it seemed as if veterans Mitchell Robinson, Landry Shamet and Delon Wright never saw the floor as much as they could’ve. Not to mention, Tyler Kolek and Pacome Dadiet never received many minutes, even though both have a fair amount of talent. But when Thibodeau finally decided to utilize the bench during the playoffs, the Knicks started to build momentum. Until their season ended at the hands of the Indiana Pacers in six hard-fought games.

Therefore, when president of basketball operations Leon Rose decided to fire Thibodeau, it felt like the Knicks had finally been freed from his coaching style. To succeed in this current era of basketball, the team needs to focus more on the offense, which is exactly what Rose did when he brought in Mike Brown as their new head coach. Brown, a two-time NBA Coach of the Year, helped the Sacramento Kings snap their 16-season playoff drought. His offensive scheme assisted De’Aaron Fox, Malik Monk, Keegan Murray and Domantas Sabonis in reaching their offensive potential. Given the proven offensive scheme, I had high expectations for Brown. Fast-forward to one week into this season, and I’m pleased with what I’ve seen so far.

Knicks Win 1st Two Games

The Knicks took down the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers, two perennial playoff contenders. In the game against Cleveland, Brown spread minutes out to 11 players. Even though most of the playing time went to Brunson, Towns, Anunoby and Bridges, Shamet and Kolek got time to show what they’re made of. Five players scored in the double digits, with Anunoby’s 24 and Brunson's 23 leading the way. As a team, the Knicks shot 43% from the field and 35% from 3-point range, which is lower than last season but still good.

During the game against Boston, Brown ran a 10-man rotation, with Hart coming off the bench in his season debut, snagging 14 rebounds in 19 minutes. Brunson led the team in scoring with 31 points, while Towns put up a 26-point and 13-rebound double-double. That day, the Knicks shot 38.4% from the field and 37.8% from beyond the arc, another OK showing with room to improve.

Knicks Drop 3rd Game to Heat

However, the Knicks lost some steam by losing to the Miami Heat 115-107 on the road. Brown’s offensive scheme wasn’t good enough to keep up with the Heat, who were led by Bam Adebayo and Norman Powell. Brunson had 37 points, but the next closest was Bridges with 20.

I don’t think this is much of a concern, because losses are bound to happen in an 82-game season. For the Knicks, that meant dropping their third game, and hopefully they will learn from this experience. Therefore, with Brown in control, I have faith the Knicks will succeed this season and play top-notch basketball. New York’s next test will be Tuesday night against Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Milwaukee Bucks.