Following a 51-31 season and a trip to the conference finals, the Knicks fired head coach Yom Thibodeau. He was with New York for five years and made four playoff appearances. He was the first Knicks head coach in 25 years to lead the team to the conference finals. 

This offseason, the Knicks have hired Mike Brown as their next head coach. He was the Kings’ head coach in 2024-25 before they let him go after 31 games. Recently, NBA insider Ian Begley reported on changes that could happen to the starting lineup in 2025-26. Begley anticipates Mitchell Robinson to become a starter again for New York.

Mike Brown will not use the same starting five as Tom Thibodeau

Knicks can start:
Brunson, Bridges, OG, KAT and Mitch Rob

Off the bench:
Hart, Clarkson, Deuce, Yabusele, Kolek, Hukporti and Dadiet

That’s a very good, deep team.

— Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer) July 1, 2025

Tom Thibodeau’s largest flaw as head coach of the Knicks was his stubbornness in not utilizing the depth he had on the bench. This strategy worked for New York in the regular season but backfired in the playoffs. That’s why Thibodeau is out of a job for the 2025-26 season. As his replacement, the Knicks have hired Mike Brown. He was previously the head coach of the Kings for three seasons.

After a 13-18 start to the 2024-25 season, Brown was fired by Sacramento. This offseason, the Knicks have added depth to their roster. That includes Guerschon Yabusele and Jordan Clarkson. Yabusele is six-foot-eight, but he can play power forward and center for New York. NBA insider Ian Begley says this will allow Mike Brown to make changes to the starting lineup.

BREAKING: The New York Knicks are expected to land on two-time NBA Coach of the Year Mike Brown as the franchise’s next head coach, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/LOXb74LFe4

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 2, 2025

This past season, New York used Mitchell Robinson off the bench. Karl-Anthony Towns was the starting center. Begley noted that Yabusele added frontcourt depth the Knicks did not have in 2024-25. His addition will allow Towns to start at PF and Robinson at center in 2025-26. Jalen Brunson will play PG, Mikal Bridges SG, and O.G. Anunoby SF.

That means Josh Hart will likely come off the bench in a sixth-man role for New York. This will be a change for the 30-year-old after averaging a league-leading 37.6 minutes per game last season. Hart is a team player and will likely accept his bench role for the betterment of the team. He’ll still be a productive player for New York, just not in a starting role. How far can first-year head coach Mike Brown take the Knicks next season?

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