"The Knicks clearly have made changes, firing coach Tom Thibodeau despite the success he brought, importing Mike Brown to revamp the system and strengthening the bench. But all of the changes that work fine on paper work only if the Knicks can figure out a way to play to their strengths - the offensive ability of Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns."
"A new system might ease some of the pressure on Brunson to create, but they were very good with the ball in his hands. It reminds me of the triangle offense, which one player described at the time as "run through it for 20 seconds and then give Michael [Jordan] the ball." The theory is nice, but Brunson's bully ball worked well enough for the Knicks to earn a spot in the Eastern Conference finals last season."
"Do they get that fortunate again when you see other teams devastated by injuries to stars? Josh Hart, who led the NBA in minutes per game last season, played seven minutes in the preseason opener and has been sidelined since then. Mitchell Robinson already is being handled with caution. OG Anunoby sat out three of the preseason games and Towns has nursed a quadriceps injury."
The Knicks fired Tom Thibodeau, hired Mike Brown to revamp the system, and strengthened the bench. Team success hinges on leveraging Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns' offensive abilities. A new system could reduce Brunson's creation burden, but the team excelled with the ball in his hands and relied on Brunson's aggressive play to reach the Eastern Conference finals. The training staff ranked top in the NBA last season, and maintaining player health is critical amid early injuries to Josh Hart, Mitchell Robinson, OG Anunoby, and Towns. Elevated expectations after the coaching change increase pressure for deep playoff results.
Read at Newsday
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