NEW YORK, NY — With the start to a new NBA season on the horizon and with a new head coach in Mike Brown replacing Tom Thibodeau, the expectations for the New York Knicks may be the highest its been since the heydays of Patrick Ewing, John Starks and Pat Riley. The Knicks finished this past regular season with a 51–31 record (.622 win percentage), good for third in the Eastern Conference standings and second in the Atlantic Division.
With the Eastern Conference wide open due to injuries to stars like Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics and Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers, the Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers have emerged as the heavy favorites to come out of the East. That reality has many Knicks fans wondering—could this finally be the year?
The Knicks open up their 2025-2026 regular season on Wednesday, October 22nd vs. the Cavaliers at Madison Square Garden – Image Credit: NBA
After losing to the Pacers in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Knicks made a decision to fire Thibodeau on June 3rd, 2025, a move not only stunning Knick fans but the entire basketball world—especially considering he led the team to its first Eastern Conference Finals appearance in 25 years.
Over five seasons as the Knicks’ head coach, Thibodeau compiled a 226–174 record (.565) with four playoff berths, including consecutive 50-win campaigns, and was named the Coach of the Year in 2021. The last time the Knicks organization won 50 games in back-to-back seasons was in the 1993-94 and 1994-95 seasons. Despite the mixed feelings fans may have had towards the former head coach, Thibodeau played a pivotal role in changing the narrative around the franchise, taking the franchise from a frequent target of jokes to a legitimate force in the Eastern Conference.
Days after the Knicks were eliminated by the Pacers in the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals, the organization parted ways with Tom Thibodeau – Image Credit: Glenn James/Getty Images/NBA
That’s why it was a surprise when Team President Leon Rose made the decision to part ways with Thibodeau. In a heartfelt full-page ad in The New York Times, Thibodeau expressed gratitude to fans, players, and staff, “To the best city in the world with the best fans in the world thank you. When I was hired in 2020, I said this was my dream job. I am grateful that dream became a reality… I am proud of everything we accomplished together, including four playoff appearances and this year’s run to the Eastern Conference Finals—our first in 25 years.”
After a strenuous search, the Knicks finalized a deal to bring in Mike Brown as their new head coach. Brown spent the last three seasons as the head coach for the Kings (2022–2025), winning Coach of the Year in his first year in Sacramento. His track record as a head coach of the Kings, Cavaliers, Lakers as well as an assistant coach with Golden State, the Spurs, Wizards, and Pacers, shows that he can engineer an elite offenses while also improving the defense when needed.
Mike Brown was hired by the Knicks during the first week of July as NBA’s free agency just kicked off – Image Credit: NBA
For the Knicks, this suggests they’ll play sharp, efficient basketball with room for growth on both ends of the court. Seems like a perfect balance to the philosophy of their former head coach in Thibodeau. Knicks fans hoping for a fresh approach will find reassurance in Brown’s coaching resume.
Brown has established himself as one of the NBA’s most respected coaches, working as an assistant coach for Gregg Popovich on the Spurs’ staff from 2000 to 2003, winning a championship in his final season with the team. With his system-based approach and emphasis on total roster utilization, rather than relying solely on his star players talent to win the game, Brown consistently places trust in his bench. During the 2022–23 season with the Kings, he utilized a 10-man rotation in which each player averaged 15+ minutes per game. That strategic depth paid off, as the Kings finished second in the NBA in bench scoring with 38.3 points per game, demonstrating his consistent focus on creating a well-rounded offensive attack—an approach that helped earn him Coach of the Year honors.
Mike Brown played a major part in several NBA championships as an assistant coach and made major impacts on multiple postseason contenders throughout his coaching career – Image Credit: NBA
The Knicks may not have the depth to roll with a 10-man rotation, but it could still benefit Brown and the organization to carve out minutes for a young player like Pacôme Dadiet.
One key question for Brown, his coaching staff and front office is how they view Deuce McBride—do they view him as a the backup point guard, or is his better suited as an off-ball option?
Looking to add to their bench depth this offseason shows in their additions of key role players such as former NBA Sixth Man of the Year Jordan Clarkson and ex-Sixers forward Guerschon Yabusele.
The Knicks attempted to improve on their bench depth this past offseason, which made for a glaring issue in the 2024-2025 season – Image Credit: NBA
Bench depth had been a glaring issue last season—one that team president Rose prioritized addressing before bringing in a new head coach. That weakness was exposed in the 2025 ECF, where the Knicks’ lack of reliable bench options ultimately contributed to their second straight playoff exit at the hands of the Pacers.
Knicks fans, known for being overly optimistic, will have very high expectations heading into this new season, and no one knows that better than New York’s superstar big man Karl-Anthony Towns.
Towns, a New Jersey native, sat down with Carmelo Anthony on his “7PM In Brooklyn Podcast” and spoke on his first in person dinner with New York’s new head coach.
“We have a chance to win a championship and that’s only going to happen if everyone’s connected,” the Dominican-American said on the Knicks and meeting with newest head coach Mike Brown.
The Eastern Conference appears more wide open than it has been in years, creating a prime opportunity for New York to make a serious push. According to Bet MGM & Fanduel, the Knicks have emerged as one of the favorites to win the East, with betting odds ranging from +650 to +850 to capture the NBA championship—placing them on par with, or slightly ahead of, Cavaliers in many sportsbooks.
Follow us on Social Media for updates and exclusive content
Instagram: @latinosportsoficial
Facebook: Latino Sports
Twitter: @latinosports
