Mike Brown Has Erased Any Knicks Doubts After Dismantling 76ers

The Knicks' decision to hire Mike Brown looks better and better as the playoffs go on. | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The Knicks are officially headed back to the Eastern Conference Finals for a second straight season after sweeping the 76ers on Sunday. However, despite the same destination, New York is advancing for different reasons.

Chief among those is the ways this team has evolved since last campaign, and that's a direct result of the new approach Mike Brown has introduced as Tom Thibodeau's replacement. Considering how different this otherwise similar roster looks under Brown's leadership, New York can now feel that it absolutely made the right hire.

Knicks' Mike Brown hiring totally vindicated by 76ers series

Brown did not begin these perception-altering playoffs from a position of strength. After all, this marked his first return to the postseason as a head coach since the 2022-23 campaign, and he hadn't notched a series win in a non-assistant role since 2011-12.

The championship-or-bust mentality that followed the Knicks only heightened the pressure on Brown. When New York went down 2-1 in shocking fashion against the Hawks, there was serious speculation around his job security. Brown was repeating past sins that have doomed this franchise, like living and dying with a struggling Jalen Brunson, while also being rigid with defensive matchups and sticking to rotations.

But Game 3 of the Atlanta series seems to have been a turning point for Brown. He found ways to hide Brunson on defense, sticking him with the offensively challenged Dyson Daniels. He also made a clear shift to having Karl-Anthony Towns operate as the fulcrum of the offense, which has sparked the entire starting lineup playing at an insanely level ever since.

Knicks head coach Mike Brown relying on Karl-Anthony Towns has made a world of difference in the playoffs. | John Jones-Imagn Images

In the 76ers series, Brown's impact has been on full display. He's remained committed to KAT as a centerpiece of the offense, leading to an almost effortless 15.5 PPG, 8.0 RPG and 7.5 APG over the Philadelphia series. This, in turn, has only helped Brunson get back to his superhero ways, as he put up a staggering 31.3 PPG over the first three games of this series before Sunday's shellacking.

Brown also had an answer for everything the Sixers needed to go right for them to win this series. With a hobbled Embiid out there, Brown made attacking the immobile big man a focus, with Brunson in particular a main beneficiary. When Tyrese Maxey became Philly's No. 1 option with Embiid out, Brown ramped up the heat on the high-scoring guard with traps and aggressive defense that clearly frustrated the ascending guard.

That's not even to mention the fact Brown has not just survived the massive loss of OG Anunoby, but actually helped his team thrive despite losing a defensive monster who's also averaging 21.4 PPG in the playoffs. New York responded to Anunoby's two-game absence with a 14-point win and then a 30-point blowout on Mother's Day.

Brown's leadership, and influence on Knicks has been on full display in second round

That is a clear sign of a team bought in and focused on the bigger task at hand, which is a direct reflection of Brown as a leader. No one was in panic mode; nor was anyone worried about their number being called. This shows up in the efforts of bench players like McBride and Landry Shamet, who both rose to the occasion in Philadelphia with Anunoby out.

Shamet, in particular, went from being demoted in the postseason rotation to being a difference-maker in Game 3, as his 15 points represent the margin of victory. Not many players would respond to a benching like this, but it's clear Brown and his staff managed to keep Shamet engaged despite his role being scaled back earlier in the playoffs.

Brown's work with the bench, in particular, is one marked difference from his predecessors. And it's proved massive during this latest ECF run, with McBride and Shamet only being a sampling of reserves who've contributed.

Jordan Clarkson has been a steady source of production and defense, while Jose Alvarado being tactically deployed when the team needs a jolt of energy is another savvy display as a coach by Brown. Even third-string big Ariel Hukporti had his moment in the sun when KAT and Mitchell Robinson ended up in foul trouble.

Another influential departure from the Thibodeau squads is the increased emphasis Brown has put on the three ball. After being No. 27 in attempts in 2024-25, the Knicks shot up to No. 12 in Brown's first year. This has given them more diversity and ways to change or even decide games on the offensive side.

A three-point barrage (25-of-44) on Sunday helped New York close the Sixers out. It also helped run Philadelphia off the court in Game 1 (19-of-37 from deep), and the Knicks stuck with it despite posting under 30% on threes during the second and third games. That's another undeniable sign that players are committed to Brown's vision, and he is making them feel trusted even when struggles inevitably happened.

The main reason to oust Thibodeau for anyone, despite his success, is the belief there was more potential to be unearthed from this squad. Brown is showing the Knicks' thoughts there were exactly right.

He's taken a roster with a bunch of the same faces but has them playing different and operating differently as a whole. He's also broadened their horizons by putting more focus on the bench and three-point shooting, while also finding new ways to deploy his talented starters.

This 76ers series leaves no doubts that Brown could lead New York to a championship, putting to rest any lingering questions about the Knicks having picked the right guy.