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Mike Brown’s Communication-First Overhaul Fuels Knicks’ Fast Start

Players say his mid-game explanations with return timelines build confidence.

Overview

  • Brown routinely pulls players aside when subbing them out to explain the reason and when they will re-enter, a shift from Tom Thibodeau’s approach.
  • Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart describe high accountability without yelling, noting corrections happen immediately without raised voices.
  • Brown credits Steve Kerr and Gregg Popovich for his over-communication ethos and cites a leadership maxim to give hope while defining reality.
  • On the floor, New York is playing faster with more ball movement and threes, translating to a 5-3 record and a 5-0 start at Madison Square Garden.
  • Mikal Bridges points to growing defensive chemistry with OG Anunoby as Brown uses extra practice time for fundamentals and deliberate system installation.