Almost a month after Tom Thibodeau was fired, a new frontrunner has appeared in the New York Knicks head coaching job.
The New York Knicks played their best playoff runs in 25 years by reaching the Eastern Conference Finals, but lost to the Indiana Pacers in six games.
Just a few days later, they decided to fire Coach Tom Thibodeau, who had been with the team for five years.
They tried to reach out to several coaches, including Jason Kidd and Imewdoka, but their team even refused the opportunity to talk to them.
But exactly a month later, the Knicks finally have a front runner for work.
Mike Brown was his second coach in the NBA and most recently with the Sacramento Kings. He revived the franchise in 2023 by ending a 16-year playoff drought.
However, due to the team’s poor start in the 2024-25 season, they decided to fire him and appointed Doug Christie to replace him.
Brown was also asked for one first interview with former Memphis Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins.
However, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports that Brown is currently appearing as a front runner for work.
“Mike Brown held his second meeting with the New York Knicks for his head coaching job and emerged as a strong candidate, sources told ESPN,” Charania tweeted.
It was also reported that Dawn Stanley is one of the coaches being considered for the Knicks job.
All the names they expressed interest are well-received and sensational, but rival fans laughed at the franchise about handling the situation.
The announcement that Brown was reported as a front runner also led them to express their thoughts about the X.
One fan said: “If that’s the case, they should have kept Tom.”
Another addition: “Isn’t this a lateral movement from Tib? The Knicks sitting here on June 30th without a head coach and their plan is to move to a more likable version of Tib.”
Someone also said that Brown is not an upgrade from Thibodeau, who helped the Knicks into the best playoff performance in over a decade.
Users also said, “I’m really confused as to why people are acting like Mike Brown is a bad employment for the Knicks.”
“Mike Brown and Russ Westbrook… are your team trying to take an aggressive step next season?” asked another fan.
Once in the busy period of free agency, the Knicks will soon be required to finish their search and appoint an official head coach to begin their offseason plans.
They have shown a lack of offensive firepower in the playoffs this past season, so they need players who can add to their scores.
However, teams must first complete their head coaching search before making a decision, as it is key to know what players are needed for the roster for the system to work.