Mike Brown won 62% of his games while head-coaching the Cavaliers and Lakers over seven-plus seasons. As lead assistant, he helped the Warriors win last season’s title and filled in for Steve Kerr at times.
LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson obviously factor prominently into Brown’s impressive record.
But Brown also worked his way up as a Spurs assistant. And his record of success, no matter the reason, shouldn’t be ignored.
All that should at least warrant an interview in the NBA’s widest coaching search, which the Knicks conducted.
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN:After talking with Golden State Warriors assistant Mike Brown, the New York Knicks have completed interviews for the franchise’s head-coaching job and team officials are huddling to reach a consensus on the hiring of a candidate, league sources told ESPN.
The Knicks hope to hire a new coach this week, sources said.The known candidates:
- Former Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer
- Former Grizzlies coach David Fizdale
- Former Cavaliers coach David Blatt
- Former Warriors coach Mark Jackson
- Warriors assistant Mike Brown
- Clippers assistant Mike Woodson
- Spurs assistant James Borrego
- Heat assistant Juwan Howard
- Celtics assistant Jay Larranaga
- Raptors minor-league coach Jerry Stackhouse
- TV analyst Kenny Smith
This is how to run a coaching search. Speak with many candidates of varying backgrounds. Make it a priority, not a vacation-interrupting chore.
The Knicks aren’t guaranteed to make the right choice. Even if they do, they could undermine him with a lacking roster.
But New York is giving itself the best chance of hiring the optimal coach by considering such a large pool.