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Knicks Next Coaching Target Revealed

The New York Knicks endured yet another rejection on the assistant coaching front but have quickly set their sights on someone new.
Geoff Magliocchetti|
Mar 16, 2017; Denver, CO, USA; Los Angeles Clippers assistant coach Brendan O'Connor in the first quarter against the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center. The Nuggets won 129-114. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
Mar 16, 2017; Denver, CO, USA; Los Angeles Clippers assistant coach Brendan O'Connor in the first quarter against the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center. The Nuggets won 129-114. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

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New York Knicks

The New York Knicks have gotten knocked down but they've been quick to get up again.

That might as well be the unofficial theme of their ongoing formation of a new coaching staff headed by Mike Brown, which endured another twist on Saturday: per SNY's Ian Begley, the Knicks were rejected by former guard and current Minnesota Timberwolves assistant Pablo Prigioni in an attempt to land him on their own bench but have set their sights on longtime Los Angeles Clippers assistant Brendan O'Connor.

"O’Connor has strong defensive acumen, has worked for LAC under Ty Lue and Doc Rivers," Begley said in a Saturday X post. "[The Knicks] will presumably continue to look for an assistant to help on offense even if they add O’Connor to help guide the defense."

O'Connor has been on the Clippers bench since 2013, having previously earned a championship ring while working with Larry Brown and the 2003-04 Detroit Pistons. Brown also brought O'Connor aboard his extended Knicks staff when he briefly served as head coach during the 2005-06 season.

In that span, Los Angeles has the second-most regular season wins in the NBA behind only the Golden State Warriors. This time around, O'Connor took on a larger role in the Clippers' everyday operations after both Tyron Lue and associate head and former Knicks boss Jeff Van Gundy were forced to miss time.

As Begley alluded to, O'Connor has been lauded for his work on defense. Under his partial watch, Pistons big man Ben Wallace broke out as a two-way star, earning three of his four Defensive Player of the Year titles during O'Connor's Motor City tenure.

The next man to join the Knicks' staff is reportedly set to join a hodgepodge of former Mike Brown collaborators such as Charles Allen and Riccardo Fois while Rick Brunson, Maurice Cheeks, and Darren Erman have reportedly been brought in from predecessor Tom Thibodeau's final staff.

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Geoff Magliocchetti
GEOFF MAGLIOCCHETTI

Geoff Magliocchetti is a veteran sportswriter who contributes to a variety of sites on the "On SI" network. In addition to the Yankees/Mets, Geoff also covers the New York Knicks, New York Liberty, and New York Giants and has previously written about the New York Jets, Buffalo Bills, Staten Island Yankees, and NASCAR.

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