“2023: Will the New York Knicks Finally Break Through This Year?”
50 win seasons, conference finals, a total culture shift, and still the Knicks said, “Not good enough.” They just fired Tom Thibido, their most successful coach in 25 years. From 2012 to 2020, six Knicks coaches had 238 wins combined. Fibs nearly matched that alone with 226 in just five seasons. Bridges doing it all now. made his last two shots and an alli to Robinson. Beautiful unselfish play. Tom Thibido led the Knicks to back-to-back 51 seasons for the first time since 1,995. Three straight trips to at least the conference semi-finals. A top five offense, their best since 2000. He took a team once viewed as a leaguewide joke and turned them into legitimate contenders. But despite that progress, the Knicks just fired him. Why? Because New York doesn’t want progress. They want banners. And even with 52 wins and a conference finals appearance, the front office believed Thibs had taken this group as far as he could. The Knicks had the worst bench scoring in the entire NBA at just 21 points per game. Dead last, five points worse than even the struggling Lakers. That’s a problem. When the starter sat, the offense evaporated. So now the Knicks are betting it all on change. Mike Brown is in as the new head coach. And the front office believes a few critical roster additions will unlock the next level. But let’s be real, they’re not just changing the voice on the sideline. They’re doubling down on a flawed core that never fully gelled. their big five of Brunson, Bridges, Aninobi, Hart, and Towns. Despite the hype, he posted a negative net rating for most of the year. The Knicks did make real noise knocking out the defending champion Celtics in the second round, but the cracks were always there. Now, the league is watching closely because if New York actually gets this next move right, the NBA might be facing a serious Knicks problem. Noah Hart now orchestrating looking for the connection with Robinson. Hart then takes it away, feeds Robinson. Think about this. Fivestar players making over $150 million combined. And they couldn’t even outscore their opponents. In the playoffs against Indiana heading into game six, that group had a net rating of minus 33. That’s not a typo. The Knicks best lineup was getting torched by a team they finished above in the regular season. So, what went wrong? First, the pace. The Knicks played at just 97.2 possessions per game, 25th in the league. In a modern NBA where teams like Indiana sprint the floor and apply pressure from the jump, New York looked stuck in cement. Thibido’s grinded out system may have thrived in 2004, but in 2025 it’s a liability. Every possession turned into a slow, painful slog. The clock would wind down and Yolan Brunson, brilliant as he is, would be forced into hero mode. And while he was the clutch player of the year, no one wins a title running isolation, plays every possession. Then came the spacing disaster. Despite having legitimate shooters, Fibs never committed to a true five out offense. He insisted on outdated lineups like Josh Hart at the three in towns in the post there than leveraging spacing. Smart defenses exposed it quickly. Put a center on Hart, wings on Towns, and forced the Knicks into a clogged paint. The result, New York ranked 22nd in three-point attempts and 24th in corner threes. That’s bottom tier shooting volume for a team that supposedly had range. And despite shooting 41% from deep, Miles McBride only saw 19 minutes per game. That’s not just a bad decision. That’s coaching is following it inside. Kicks it on the win. [Applause] Then there’s the minutes meltdown. It might have been Thibido’s biggest mistake. Mikl Bridges and Josh Hart ranked first and second in total minutes played across the entire NBA. OG and Yinobi was eighth. No fiveman lineup in the league. Loged more time together than the Knicks starters. By January, the signs of wear and tear were already visible. By March, they were completely gassed. And by the conference finals, they had nothing left in the tank. Thibido’s solution. Play them more. It was deja vu from Chicago where he famously ran Derek Rose into the ground. He didn’t learn. He never adjusted. Then there was the Brunson Towns disconnect. The most disappointing story line of the season. On paper, it should have been a dream duo. Brunson’s elite pick and roll play paired with town shooting and versatility. In reality, they looked like two guys who just met at a pickup game. Throughout the entire Indiana series, Brunson assisted Towns only five times. Their chemistry was non-existent. Opposing teams didn’t even need to overthink it. They just switched the pickandrol. Towns rarely punished smaller defenders in the post, and Brunson struggled against bigger wings. Their combined $90 million price tag only made the dysfunction louder against elite competition. It all unraveled. Knicks went 0 to10 against top tier teams like Cleveland, OKC, and Boston. That’s not bad luck. That’s exposure. Enter Mike Brown. Dot. This hire wasn’t random. The Knicks chose Brown because he represents everything Thibido couldn’t or wouldn’t be. While both share defensive roots and come from the Papovich tree, Brown has evolved. He sat inside the Warriors dynasty. He watched Steve Kerr redefine modern basketball. Then he transformed Sacramento into a historic offense, posting a 118.6 offensive rating in his first year, the highest since 1996. This isn’t just a coaching change. It’s a philosophical. Got it. Under Mike Brown, Sacramento transformed overnight. They went from 29th to third in pace, 22nd to 7th in three-point attempts, and built an elite modern offense. He elevated Daran Fox from promising to all-star. Alstammanis became the offensive hub, dishing out seven assists per game. Even role players like Keegan Murray thrived in his space and pace system. Now that offensive vision is headed to New York. At his introductory press conference, Brown said, “What this group did this past year shows their potential, not just defensively, but offensively, too. I love their length and versatility. The ceiling is high on both ends, but his true superpower, adaptability. In Cleveland, he leaned into LeBron’s isolation dominance. With the Lakers, he tried motion sets. In Sacramento, he built one of the most efficient and beautiful offensive systems in NBA history, his first year with the Kings, a 118.6 offensive rating, the highest ever tracked since 1996. This is the Knicks, Brown said. Madison Square Garden is iconic. I embrace the pressure and he’s not walking into a rebuild. He inherits serious talent. Yolan Brunson, Olan Ba guard and clutch player of the year, Carlin Tony Towns, four-time all-star and one of the best shooting bigs ever. Meal Bridges, a two-way wing who defends one through four OG Anobi, an elite defender with a growing offensive game. Josh Hart, the hustle guy. Every contender needs Mitchell Robinson, a top five rim protector when healthy. But talent without structure is just potential. Brown’s championship experience and elite offensive mind give this team a shot at something real. And the Knicks didn’t stop at coaching. They had to fix the bench a disaster last season. Just 21 points per game. Dead last. The league average nearly 38. That’s a 17-point swing when the starters sat. Enter Jordan Clarkson. A walking bucket. He averaged 17 points in just 26 minutes last season. He’s done it for six straight years. Won six man of the year 2021 and thrives in pressure. He shoots 44.5% from the field, 34.5% from deep, and creates his own shot. He scores 1.02 points per isolation, hits 41% on pull-up jumpers, and can run pick Andrew. When Brunson sits, Clarkson keeps the offense alive. Add in his veteran presence, versatility, and playoff experience, and for just over $3 million a year, that’s a steal. But Clarkson isn’t the only upgrade. Ganon Yabasel, how did he move out of the way? And then he dishes. Yes, that Yabasel, the same one who looked out of place during his 74game stint with the Celtics. But that was 6 years ago. The version returning from Europe is a completely different player. After dominating with Real Madrid and starring for France in the Olympics, Ghanon Yabasel brings something the Knicks badly need. Front court versatility at 68. 260 lbs. He’s built like a linebacker but moves like a wing. In Europe, he overhauled his game. His three-point shooting jumped from 32% to 43% over four seasons. He learned to attack closeouts, create plays, and became a legitimate two-way threat. Defensively, he can guard two through five, combining strength, mobility, and high basketball IQ. In Madrid, he even became their closer in crunchtime moments. And what makes Yabasel perfect for the Knicks? He solves multiple problems. When Mitchell Robinson inevitably misses time, the Knicks were left with Jericho Sims or Precious Achiwa at backup center. Now they can slot in Yabasel as a small ball 5 who also provides floor spacing. These signings, Clarkson and Yabasel, won’t make headlines or sell jerseys, but they directly address New York’s biggest flaws. No bench scoring and no lineup flexibility. Over the past year, the Knicks have made three massive swings, trading for Mikl Bridges, trading for Carlanthony Towns, and firing Tom Thibido. The draft picks are gone. The financial wiggle room is gone. There’s no plan B, but here’s why this might actually work and why the NBA should take notice. Mike Browns Kings played at 100.2 and two possessions per game, third in the league. That pace suits Yan Brunson perfectly, unlocking easier transition buckets and covering up kicks it back out for three. And he knocks it down. More possessions mean more opportunities and less pressure on each trip down the floor. Under Mike Brown, expect true five out spacing that forces defenses to guard everyone. That opens driving lanes for Brunson and unleashes towns as a stretch big taking 8 to 10 threes a game instead of clogging the post. The offense transforms completely. Add in real bench depth and the days of the starters being gassed by May are over. Fresh legs in June could mean Bridges and Anobi actually playing elite defense deep into the playoffs. And then there’s the Town’s Renaissance. Brown turns Sabonis into a passing hub without sacrificing his scoring. With Town Superior shooting, we might see him average 25 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists on 40% from deep. This isn’t just improvement. Still gets you to the paint. floater’s good. We’re tied. Then there’s the Eastern Conference vacuum. Boston and Indiana just lost their stars to torn Achilles injuries. Giannis is surrounded by inconsistency. Philly still one Joel Embiid injury away from falling apart. The path to the NBA finals hasn’t been this wide open in years. And if the Knicks can finally put it together, if Mike Brown unlocks the offense, the bench holds up, if Brunson and Towns build real chemistry, this isn’t just a playoff team. It’s a championship contender that matters. Because in a league where New York has been irrelevant for two decades, a dominant Knicks team changes everything. Madison Square Garden becomes must-see TV again. Free agents finally consider the Knicks a real destination. The league’s biggest market regains its power. That’s the NBA’s looming New York problem. Make no mistake, this is the Knicks. Biggest gamble in decades. They fired the most successful coach they’ve had in 25 years, brought in an offensive innovator, and addressed the lack of bench depth that sank them last poss. I saw it. But unlike Tom Thibido’s early days, Mike Brown isn’t walking into chaos. He’s got an all-NBA guard in Brunson, a sharpshooting big in towns, elite wings like Bridges and Anobi, real bench production from Jordan Clarkson, versatility from Gerson Yabi Cell, and an organization finally acting like the big market. Giant it should be. The question isn’t if they’ll be good. They will be. The real question, can they be great? Will this be the year New York finally breaks through? Or is it just another classic Knicks overreaction? Let us know what you think in the comments. And if you enjoyed this breakdown, make sure to hit that like button and subscribe for more smart, bold NBA content.
The New York Knicks just made their boldest gamble in 25 years.
They fired Tom Thibodeau—their most successful coach in decades—hired offensive mastermind Mike Brown, and completely revamped their bench. With the East wide open and stars like Brunson, Towns, Bridges, and Anunoby locked in, the Knicks aren’t just aiming for the playoffs—they’re gunning for a championship.
In this video, we break down:
Why Thibodeau was fired despite winning
How Mike Brown’s system can unlock this roster
The impact of key bench additions like Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele
The brutal truth about New York’s playoff collapse
Why this could finally be the year the Knicks become real contenders
Is the NBA ready for a New York Knicks takeover?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments, and don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe for more deep-dive NBA content!
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