Mike Brown hopes to bring Warriors' pace and space to Knicks

NEW YORK — Knicks head coach Mike Brown may have dropped a subtle clue about the identity of his first team at Madison Square Garden.

Brown’s basketball philosophy has evolved alongside the sport itself — from his early days on the bench with the Washington Bullets at the Cap Centre in Landover, Md., to championship runs with the Golden State Warriors.

“When I was in San Antonio with David [Robinson] and Tim [Duncan], it was about playing inside out,” said Brown, who spent three years under Gregg Popovich before stops in Indiana, Cleveland, Los Angeles, and eventually Golden State. “Now fast forward to my time with Steve [in Golden State], it’s about pace and space.”

That evolution — from post-centric offenses with Duncan and Robinson to the pace-and-space revolution fueled by Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson — could be a preview of what’s coming to New York.

“That’s where the game is. Like I said, if you can’t evolve you’re going to get left behind,” Brown said. “I feel like I’m trying to do that. Hopefully we’ll bring some of that here.”

If so, it could be a transformative shift. The Warriors’ free-flowing offense is the antidote to the Knicks’ often stagnant, iso-heavy attack — one that leaned heavily on Jalen Brunson, who held the ball more than any player in the league last season.

“The first thing is, everyone knows I like to play fast. And like I said, we have an outstanding roster,” Brown said. “To have a guy like Jalen out there gives you the versatility to play all different kinds of ways. Which is what it’s gonna take over the course of a ballgame.”

Brown's new bigs

How will Brown utilize the pairing of Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson?

The Knicks only got a small sample size of their dual big lineup last season as Robinson’s offseason ankle procedure delayed his season debut to late February. Now, with a full training camp — and playoff data proving the Towns-Robinson lineup can be dominant on both ends of the floor — the new Knicks head coach has an opportunity to make the pair of seven-footers a permanent staple of the team’s identity.

“Once I get my staff together and we dive more into it, we’ll figure out all those types of things,” Brown said in his introductory press conference. “I’m excited that they’re both on the team because they’re two different players. Mitch is a vertical threat. KAT, as you know, is a space threat. And so to have the versatility that those two guys bring to the table is gonna be a lot of fun.”

Towns averaged 24.4 points, 12.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game his first season in New York but struggled as the team’s defensive anchor prior to Robinson’s return. The Knicks improved from their standing as a bottom-10 defense into the top-10 after their starting center returned to the floor.

Early summer league slump

The Knicks lost their Summer League debut in blowout fashion, 104-86, to the Detroit Pistons on Thursday. Every member of the starting five — a group that featured returning young players from last year’s roster — finished with a box score plus-minus of minus-14 or worse, with free agent forward MarJon Beauchamp posting a game-worst minus-24 in 26 minutes of play.

Second-year forward Pacome Dadiet, who the Knicks selected 25th overall in the 2024 NBA draft, finished with a team-high 17 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the field, and backup point guard Tyler Kolek added 10 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists but turned the ball over five times, an uncharacteristic string of giveaways for a steady floor general. The Knicks selected Kolek out of Marquette with the 34th overall pick in 2024. Second-year big man Ariel Hukporti put up six points, five rebounds and two assists against the Pistons in his first bit of extended run since tearing his meniscus in a Feb. 26 matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers. And Kevin McCullar Jr. finished with 13 points, six rebounds and three assists with a strong start to the Knicks’ Summer League opener on Friday.

Dadiet, Kolek and Hukporti are attempting to make a case for end-of-the-rotation minutes to the Knicks’ coaching. McCullar and Beauchamp are among a crop of players competing for New York’s final minimum salary roster spot.

Myles away from Indiana

New Bucks center Myles Turner believes he can help the Bucks compete for a title in the Eastern Conference.

Turner spoke to reporters in Milwaukee after leaving the Indiana Pacers fresh-off a trip to the NBA Finals to sign a four-year, $107M contract to play alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo on the Bucks.

“Ultimately [the decision to leave] was about just staying competitive. Two years ago, we got to the Eastern Conference finals. Obviously last year, we got to the Finals but being there and being part of winning basketball just changed my perspective on this league, and I saw a chance to remain competitive here [in Milwaukee],” Turner said. “And [Bucks GM Jon Horst] and [head coach Doc Rivers] have assured me winning is a top priority here, and we’re just aligned with our visions.”

Turner said he texted his Pacers group chat to inform them of his decision before the news broke on social media.

“There’s a saying I hate: I hate when they say the grass ain’t greener on the other side,” he said. “I’m confident enough to say the grass is gonna be green wherever I go. I truly believe that, and being on this side of things, I understand what was done to bring me here, but I’m in the prime of my career, still in the young part of the prime of my career, more focused than ever and more motivated than ever.”

The Pacers were not expected to remain in the championship hunt after Tyrese Haliburton tore his Achilles in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, an injury expected to sideline him the entire 2025-26 NBA season. Turner said his decision was strictly based on opportunity to win an NBA title.

“It wasn’t an easy one. I spent 10 years of my life in one place. But when I sat back and started to evaluate things and see where I was in my career, where I was in my life and what I wanted tor myself, I saw what the Bucks were putting together and I was excited for the opportunity,” he said. “There was alignment issues, I think, on [the Indiana] side, as far as me and them, and just out of respect for their organization and out of respect for this organization, I’m to gonna speak on that too much, but again, this was just the best decision for me moving forward.”

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