The New York Knicks had one of the best runs last season, especially in the playoffs. The team made it to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2000. However, they faced the red-hot Indiana Pacers team led by Tyrese Haliburton. Their run ended after six games, and most of the blame was put on then-head coach Tom Thibodeau.
This led to the eventual firing of the head coach, who had worked with the Knicks organization since 2020. He’s also the first coach to lead the team past the second round since then. Unfortunately for Thibs, the team believes they can do better if they had a different coach. Which is what led them to fire him.
Knicks star Jalen Brunson revealed that he was sad about Thibs’ firing. However, he understands that it’s a business decision handled by the management.
Brunson talked about Thibs’ firing on the Knicks’ media day on Tuesday.
“It’s sad to see a man I’ve known for a long time part ways with this organization,” the star guard said. “He’s meant a lot to me. I’ve expressed that to him publicly and personally. He’s meant a lot to my career up to this point.”
“My job is to go out there and find a way to help this team win,” said Brunson. “There’s different people in this organization with different jobs and different things they have to do to be able to make this team better. That’s their point of view. So for me, I have to just come in and do my job to the best of my abilities.”
Over the summer, the New York Knicks hired Mike Brown to replace Thibs’ position.
Brunson is excited for the New York Knicks’ new head coach
With a new head coach, it’s expected that the New York Knicks will have a different identity next season. During the 2024-25 season, their play style was centered around half-court executions under Thibs. This time, it will be different, since they’re under Brown.
Brunson is aware of the difference in how they’ll play next season and will need adjustment. However, he’s ready to learn what the system the two-time Coach of the Year will be for their group.
“I mean, understanding that everyone being new to this is going to take some time, I’m very excited to learn more and understand his philosophy and concepts,” the star guard said. “Once we get started, I’m really going to go off the right path.”
There’s a lot of excitement for the Knicks under Brown, as they seek to make it to the NBA Finals.
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen on Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
