Knicks ready and willing to accept changes under new coach Mike Brown
GREENBURGH -- As the Knicks gathered Tuesday morning for media day, the kickoff to training camp, it marked the second straight season that they’d arrived with success on the court and change in the offseason behind them. And just like last season, the lofty expectations are countered by a need to prove the decision makers correct.
Unlike last summer when it was a trade that uprooted the organization, this time it was a coaching change. And with the change, the expectations may have been raised — the Eastern Conference Finals not enough to save Tom Thibodeau’s job — in a league where injuries have already crippled much of the competition. Now, the test will come once again on the court.
There is change as there is with any coach and the players, at least for now, were all on board. Play faster? They’re all in. Deeper rotation? Welcome to the roster. Even a change in the role for Jalen Brunson? Sure, why not?
“Yeah, we’ve got to obviously be willing to adapt, be willing to change, figure how we’re going to be the best team possible moving forward,” Brunson said. “If you want to win you’ll do it. It’s that simple.”
There has been no factor more responsible for the Knicks success than putting the ball in Brunson’s hands. While earning second team All-NBA honors the last two seasons and the NBA Clutch Player of the Year Award last season Brunson has been the unstoppable force for the Knicks. And now to take it up another level new head coach Mike Brown spoke of creating easier opportunities for Brunson, having him play off the ball more — at least until those clutch time moments.
“He seems like he’s embraced it and I’m looking forward to seeing if we can continue to try to find ways –especially when we start playing the game – to try to find ways to get him some easy catch and shoot looks,” Brown said. “Because the ball will be in his hands, especially down the stretch.”
Keeping the ball in Brunson’s hands in the most crucial moments is certainly a wise choice and one that will ease Brown’s transition. But there are plenty of other questions and decisions that await Brown — and the front office if there really will be close collaboration with the coaching staff.
Brown wasn’t declaring a starting lineup, instead noting that, “It will materialize throughout camp. I think it’s too early to say, this is what’s going to happen. [Knicks president] Leon [Rose] and his group did a fantastic job putting together a talented and deep roster and so you have to have a methodical approach when it comes to saying, hey these guys are going to start.”
He did say that he expected to use a rotation with nine or 10 players regularly seeing action, but the starters remain to be seen. The Knicks could go with Mitchell Robinson paired with Karl-Anthony Towns in the frontcourt, but Josh Hart was the starter and an important contributor all season long last year before moving to the bench for the final four playoff games. He said at that time that the decision to move to the bench was raised by him and after joking, “If I don’t start, I’ll probably ask for a trade, go somewhere else,” he said, “I think I’m a starter in the league. I think I deserve to be a starter in the league, but at the end of the day, it’s what’s best for the team. Last year, I talked about sacrifice the whole time and kind of being that separate mentality and being a good steward of my gifts and those kinds of things. So I think it would be extremely selfish for me to go out there and demand to start and all those kinds of things. So, whatever Mike wants to do or doesn’t want to do, I’m cool with. And time will tell what that is, but I’m going to figure it out.”
While the questions remain, the Knicks know they enter this season with huge expectations.
“I think last year showed us that we can do anything possible with our minds and we made the sacrifices and we’ve shown the world that we're willing to sacrifice for the betterment of the team,” Towns said. “So I expect nothing less than that this year. I feel our team is going to be even more unified. It's going to have more continuity, a whole year together, an off season obviously is going to give us a better understanding of each other and we understand the opportunity that's in front of us."
Notes & quotes: Hart said that a procedure to repair an injury to his ring finger on his right hand was re-aggravated and he would likely have to wear a splint this season and try for surgery again next summer.
Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
