Dylan Backer
When the New York Knicks were down 2-1 to the Atlanta Hawks in round 1 of the playoffs, many were calling for Mike Brown to be fired after just one season as head coach. For what it’s worth, losing in the first round for a team with Finals expectations would have been a total disaster.
Knicks’ Mike Brown has coached a fantastic playoffs
However, since that moment, Brown’s coaching and leadership has led this group on an unprecedented run to the NBA Finals. Since they trailed in that Atlanta series, the Knicks have not lost a game, having won a franchise record 11 straight playoff games, including back-to-back sweeps of the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the conference finals.
The Knicks replaced Tom Thibodeau with Brown in the offseason to expand the potential of their offense. After it not always being apparent during the regular season, the offense in the playoffs has been lethal.
The Knicks lead all playoff teams in points per game (119.9), assists per game (26.7), field goal percentage (51.5%), three-point percentage (40.0%), and have by far the highest net rating this postseason at 20.1. The next closest team in net rating is the Oklahoma City Thunder at 11.2.
New York isn’t just winning games, they are dominating them and leaving no remorse. Brown plays a big part in the success, as he notably changed the way the offense runs by primarily playing through Karl-Anthony Towns, and he can also go back to using Jalen Brunson as the main engine if he needs to.
Brown’s adjustments have paid off
Brown has done a great job at keeping his guys focused on the task at hand and buying into their roles. The sacrifices made by each of the players has led to beautiful team-branded basketball each game.
Another good example is in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against Cleveland. Down 22 with only seven minutes left, Brown opted to put Landry Shamet in the game over Josh Hart to provide some offense, though it seemed like a final gasp at an attempt of a comeback.
The move paid off, as Shamet’s impact on both ends helped fuel a miraculous comeback to win in overtime. Shamet knocked down three three-pointers down the stretch, including the game-tying three with less than a minute to go in regulation.
That stretch gave Shamet a boast of confidence, as he would go on to have a major impact the rest of the series. Shamet shot 11-for-12 from three in the conference finals, a ridiculous mark of 91.7%.
Brown still has more work to do, as getting to the Finals was only the bare minimum. With the way they are playing right now on both ends, they have a real chance at finally snapping the 53-year title drought.
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