Despite a losing skid after the NBA Cup win, Coach Brown emphasizes the process.
The New York Knicks were riding high after winning the NBA Cup in December, but things have gone south since then.
Now sitting at 23-13 and losers of four straight, head coach Mike Brown is keeping his cool and staying patient with his team.
After another loss extended the skid, Brown explained why he's not going to start yelling at his players.
"This is not a time for me to go crazy all the time because I know our guys care, I know they want to win," Brown said. "It's my time to keep it real with them, tell the truth, but coach them."
Knicks Struggling Since NBA Cup Win
In the NBA Cup Final on December 16, New York secured its first trophy since the 1973 NBA Championship by defeating the San Antonio Spurs 124-113 in Las Vegas.
However, the Knicks have since struggled, losing four consecutive games prior to their Wednesday game against the Los Angeles Clippers.
This includes a 121-90 defeat to the Detroit Pistons, in which they were outworked on both ends.
Jalen Brunson has kept doing his thing, putting up 29.1 points and 6.6 assists per game this season while shooting 48.2 percent from the field, and Karl-Anthony Towns is still a force in the paint with 22.3 points and 11.7 rebounds per game, good for second in the entire league in boards.
But the two stars haven't gotten much help with key guys out of the lineup.
Hart and Shamet Could Provide Spark When They Return
The Knicks have been playing shorthanded and it shows, with Josh Hart sidelined since suffering a right ankle sprain during the Christmas Day win over Cleveland.
Before going down, Hart was putting up 12.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game, and the team is 2-4 without him as they clearly miss his energy, hustle, and playmaking on both ends of the floor.
Hart is set to be re-evaluated this week and could be back on the court soon.
Landry Shamet has been out since November 22 after dislocating his right shoulder, but the good news is he's been cleared for basketball activities and could return within the next week.
Getting both guys back healthy would give the Knicks exactly what they need to turn things around and get back to playing the way they did before winning the NBA Cup.
Brown Staying Patient
Brown has been through tough stretches before in his coaching career so he knows the NBA season is a long grind, and he believes his guys will figure it out while he keeps coaching them up instead of adding extra pressure during a rough patch.
The Knicks are still in good shape in the Eastern Conference standings and have plenty of time to get right, so for now Brown is trusting the process and waiting for Hart and Shamet to give them a boost.