"Good things will come": Mike Brown wants to change the way the Knicks play

The New York Knicks made it clear what their expectations are by parting ways with Tom Thibodeau. Not even the most successful season in 25 years or popular support were enough: the franchise no longer settles for just approaching an NBA championship.

The chosen one to continue that path is Mike Brown, who fully understands the magnitude of the challenge. In his presentation, the new coach stated that he is prepared to meet the organization's high demands:

"I don't know if anyone has higher expectations than me. I love being in a position where you feel that pressure. For me, it means what you do is important. We know what our job is. It starts tomorrow, and it's one step at a time, every day, every practice, every session. We have to face it with determination. If we accept our roles and the culture we want to build here, good things will come."

The summer also brought positive news for the franchise. Mikal Bridges signed a four-year extension for $150 million, an amount below the maximum he could have received, giving the management room to strengthen the roster. Bridges himself explained his decision:

"If I came here talking about how much I want to win and then tried to keep every dollar, it would make the organization's job difficult and seem like a fraud. That's not me. I want to win, and I will do whatever it takes."

With the arrivals of Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele, Brown will have more options. The coach acknowledged that he aims to make the best use of the roster:

"I try to play with as many players as possible. Even in Sacramento, when there were injuries, I ended up starting a two-way player like Keon Ellis. I will do the same here: whoever helps us win will play."

One of Brown's first challenges will be deciding who completes the starting lineup alongside Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, and OG Anunoby. The position, which was mostly held by Josh Hart last season, remains open. The coach himself asked for time:

"That will be defined during training camp. I think it's too early to say what will happen."

Josh Hart, jokingly, responded to the uncertainty with a jest before showing readiness:

"If I don't start, I'll probably request a trade. I think I'm a starter in this league and I deserve it, but at the end of the day, it's about what's best for the team. Last year I talked about sacrifice and having a service mentality. It would be selfish to demand a starting spot. Whatever Mike decides is fine with me."

The forward also revealed that he will continue to deal with discomfort in the ring finger of his shooting hand after an injury in the past playoffs:

"I hate playing with something on my hands because I feel like I lose the touch. I'll have to get used to it."

Changing the way the Knicks play

Beyond the names, Brown insisted that his main goal is to change the way the Knicks play, as in the Thibodeau era they were one of the slowest teams in the league. His approach will be to speed up the pace and spread the court:

"The first thing is to tell them to run faster. For us, the most important thing is to occupy the corners. If you have players capable of getting there quickly, especially shooters and playmakers, that flattens the defense and creates opportunities. If our team embraces it, and I'm sure they will, that's where the whole process begins."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, "Las cosas buenas llegarán": Mike Brown quiere cambiar la forma de jugar de los Knicks