Mike Brown is the new head coach of the New York Knicks, which has led to discussions about his offense. Many people see him as a Tom Thibodeau upgrade. However, people like Antonio Daniels see potential problems with the offense.
The New York Knicks are among the top teams in the Eastern Conference ahead of the 2025-26 season. Some might even say they are the favorites to represent the East in the 2026 NBA Finals. They have the experience and roster to compete and dominate, especially with new head coach Mike Brown.
When Tom Thibodeau was the Knicks’ head coach, the defense was the team’s biggest strength. It was excellent, as the Knicks played scrappy basketball and got under opponents’ skin. The defense should be just as strong under Brown, but the offense must improve.
Critics often pointed out Thibodeau’s lack of creativity on offense and rotations. With Brown at the helm, the Knicks should have a more creative coach. Former NBA point guard Antonio Daniels discussed that the offense should be creative but still centered on Jalen Brunson.
Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty ImagesDaniels thinks Brunson remains the focus of the Knicks’ offense
During his tenure with the Sacramento Kings, Brown had a two-pronged offense. His system focused on De’Aaron Fox starring at the perimeter, while Domantas Sabonis dominated the paint. It is a similar dynamic to that of Brunson and big man Karl-Anthony Towns on the Knicks’ roster.
The Kings did well, specifically in the 2022-23 season. Brown earned his second Coach of the Year award during that campaign, but they did not build on that momentum. The NBA started to figure out how to defend them, and the Kings fired Brown and traded Fox away.
Now, Brown is responsible for adjusting to the Knicks’ system and making the offense foolproof. While Brunson already likes Brown as a coach, it is challenging to break away from a familiar style. Despite that, people like Antonio Daniels still want the system built around Brunson and not Towns.
“The New York Knicks are constructed completely differently from that Sacramento Kings team… The one thing that they do have in common is that their point guard is the best player on their team,” Daniels said on SiriusXM NBA Radio.
“Sacramento went as far as De’Aaron Fox went, and the Knicks will go as Jalen Brunson goes. That’s the one thing they have in common, but they are completely different players.”
“You have to be creative offensively, and that’s being able to think out of the box. Like you did with the Sacramento Kings, now you’ve got to put that behind you. You don’t have De’Aaron Fox in New York, you have Jalen Brunson. But everything still has to be centered around him.”
The Knicks have a bright future in the 2025-26 season
Ahead of the 2025-26 season, the Knicks and the Cleveland Cavaliers are heavy favorites to win the East. It will be a pressure-packed season, but that is due to the major injuries sustained by their East rivals.
The Knicks must capitalize, and they can do so under Brown. He is an excellent basketball mind who has won the Coach of the Year twice in his career. Brown is one of the league’s most intelligent coaches, so he wants to bring that to the Knicks.
With such a pressure-filled job as the Knicks’ head coach position, Brown looks prepared. People like Paul Pierce have already expressed their excitement for the new Knicks head coach. The fans should be glad that a coach like Brown is leading the Knicks in their quest for a title.