Mike Brown’s Coaching Approach: Quick Timeouts for Improvement
Mike Brown isn’t the type to let issues linger without taking action. The Knicks’ coach has made it clear that he’s prepared to use timeouts early to tackle problems as soon as they arise on the court. Notably, in four of their last five games, he called timeouts within the first six minutes.
In fact, in the last five games—including a victory against the Jazz—he’s used timeouts twice within just the first two minutes.
“I’ve seen situations where we start to struggle and suddenly we’re down 16-4,” Brown mentioned. “I’ll do whatever it takes to prevent that. The tricky part is that calling a timeout means I’m interrupting the flow. But if it’s necessary, I will do it to jolt the team awake.”
Starting games has been a challenge for the Knicks lately. Over their past ten outings, they’ve been outscored by an average of 3.2 points, ranking them fourth-worst in the NBA during that timeframe, only better than teams like Brooklyn, Dallas, and Washington.
“We’re trying to change the game dynamic right from the start, but it seems like they’re not responding,” Brown explained. “If they are reacting, it’s usually because we’re fouling and sending them to the free-throw line. We need to hit some three-pointers early. In our last three games, opponents have come out firing, hitting threes quickly. We struggle to close out on our shooters effectively. If we handle the ball better, it won’t lead to their transition opportunities. We need to start strong, but we’re not creating chances for ourselves. There’s a level of complacency in how we approach these games, and we’ll keep working to address this until we figure out how to slow it down.”
As for player updates, Josh Hart (knee soreness) and Karl-Anthony Towns (bilateral knee soreness) are currently listed as questionable for the upcoming game against the Pacers.
Hart missed the recent win over the Jazz due to the same issue. Towns seemed to have injured his knee during Monday’s game against the Clippers yet continued to play.
Interestingly, the Pacers are struggling this season, holding the worst record in the East with ten consecutive losses. However, they have faced the Knicks fiercely this year, including a recent overtime victory at Madison Square Garden.
