Mike Brown’s Hot Start Signals a New Era for the Knicks

Published: Sunday, October 26, 2025

by William Gilhooly

Last year, the New York Knicks reached their first Eastern Conference Finals in 25 years. And yet it was not enough reason for the front office to commit to coach Tom Thibodeau for another year.

After trades for forward Mikal Bridges and center Karl Anthony-Towns, the Knicks held one of the most dangerous offenses in the conference on paper. However, the team would not live up to expectations, finishing 27th in three-point attempts and 24th in pace per play.

While New York finished fifth overall in offensive rating, that does not showcase the team fell from tied for fourth before the all-star break, to tied for 12th after the all-star break. Thibodeau was also heavily criticized by the media and front office for having the least amount of bench production in the league with only 21.7 points per game coming from non-starters.

This is where Mike Brown could make a significant difference for the Knicks. Brown served under Steve Kerr during the Golden State Warriors dynasty that redefined offensive production and included three NBA titles from 2016-2022. He is now one of the best offensive minds in the league.

After the Warriors won the 2022 championship, Brown took a head coaching job with the Sacramento Kings and turned them around, bringing them from 24th in offensive rating in 2023 to seventh in 2024. This leap led the Kings to their first playoff appearance since 2006.

The rapid change in offensive firepower in Sacramento made Brown the perfect candidate for the coaching vacancy in New York.

Two games into the season, the Mike Brown offense is already correcting many of the issues from last season. The Knicks have jumped to fifth in three-pointers attempted, have moved up to 20th in pace of play, and have featured a bench that has gone six players deep in the wins over Clevaland and Boston.

Brown has placed a great emphasis on giving a team that is loaded with great three-point shooters opportunities to shoot from hotspots.

Mikal Bridges and Deuce McBride have largely lived by the corner, Karl Anthony-Towns and Jalen Brunson continue to shoot at high percentages from the top of the key, and OG Annunoby has seen a rise in confidence shooting from the wing.

While the Knicks are only two games into a long season, there have already been some noticeable changes to the New York offense, leading to a 2-0 start. What remains to be seen is whether or not this trend will continue, which the league will find out soon.

As of now, what is certain is that the Mike Brown era has arrived, and the Knicks are already making a statement that they have returned hungrier than ever.

William Gilhooly can be reached at william.gilhooly@student.shu.edu 

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