A worrisome new report suggests there are still major problems in the New York Knicks locker room, and it might mean the front office moving on from head coach Mike Brown sooner than anyone expected, or a big blockbuster trade soon.
Over the first few months of the season, the NY Knicks looked like one of the best teams in the league and a real title contender. Especially after they beat the San Antonio Spurs in the finals of the Emirates NBA Cup. However, they have started to worry their fans during a disastrous January.
Heading into their matchup on Wednesday against the Brooklyn Nets, they have lost nine of their last 11, including an embarrassing Martin Luther King Day defeat to the lowly Dallas Mavericks. It has created a lot of speculation about what’s wrong with this talented team and what needs to be done to fix it.
Following their loss in the Eastern Conference Finals last year, the front office boldly decided to fire head coach Tom Thibodeau following exit interviews with players who seemed to grow tired of his coaching style. The hope was that replacing him with Brown would improve any lingering issues.
Mike Brown record: 479-322 (25-18 with Knicks)
Well, it looks like it may not have worked, according to a new report from SNY NY Knicks insider Ian Begley.
“In digging around on this, one theme has come up consistently over the past couple of weeks: This group is not tied together in the way that their early-season success would suggest,” Begley wrote. “Players haven’t fully bought into their roles under head coach Mike Brown. Those reasons are cited often when you talk to people about the Knicks’ flaws.
“Now, these issues aren’t unique to this year’s team. They existed to a degree in the locker room last season. But the Knicks coaching change hasn’t rooted them out,” he added.
Could Mike Brown be one-and-done with the NY Knicks?
Clearly, changes are needed. The Eastern Conference is as wide open as ever, and there may not be a better chance for the NY Knicks to get to the Finals and win a championship than this spring. This opportunity can’t be wasted. The desperation of the moment may open up the door for the team to move on from Brown.
However, the problem with that is it would imply that the Knicks’ decision-makers made a huge mistake. Furthermore, it would mean more money owed to a head coach no longer with the team. Nevertheless, if they disappoint this spring, Browns firing after the season can’t be ruled out.
It seems more plausible that a big trade is coming soon. Be it shipping Karl-Anthony Towns out of town — the most probable move — or trading other expensive players on the roster — Mikal Bridges perhaps — to really shake things up. Either way, something big could be coming from the NY Knicks in the next few weeks.
