Brown wants everyone's feedback going into Game 3.
The New York Knicks are heading to Atlanta with their first-round series against the Hawks tied at one game apiece, and the sting of Monday's Game 2 collapse is still fresh.
New York blew a 12-point fourth-quarter lead at Madison Square Garden, falling 107-106 after CJ McCollum torched them for 32 points.
With Game 3 at State Farm Arena on Thursday night, head coach Mike Brown is leaning into something beyond X's and O's.
Brown Opens the Floor
At practice on Wednesday, Brown discussed the post-Game 2 conversations and how he wants his group to respond.
"Our conversations are always open," Brown said. "I'm a full believer in giving not just the players but my coaches too [input]. I don't have all the answers. I've never claimed to have all the answers, but when you give people ownership, the buy-in seems a higher level."
That approach has defined Brown's first year in New York, where he led the Knicks to a 53-29 record and the No. 3 seed in the East.
His willingness to listen has built trust in a locker room with championship expectations.
Who Needs to Step Up
The bigger question heading into Game 3 is whether the Knicks can get more from their supporting cast.
Jalen Brunson has been brilliant through two games, averaging 28.5 points and 7.0 assists this series, but he cannot carry the offense alone.
Karl-Anthony Towns, who averaged 20.1 points and 11.9 rebounds this season, had 18 points in Game 2 but went silent in the fourth quarter.
His scoreless final period was a major reason the lead evaporated, and Brown pointed to turnovers and missed free throws as factors that swung the game.
Mikal Bridges also needs to be better when it counts.
His missed jumper as time expired was the final shot of a game that never should have been that close, and the bench combined for just 20 points in the loss.
Fixing the Defense
The Knicks also have to clean up their pick-and-roll coverage to survive on the road.
The Hawks got too many clean rolls to the basket in the second half of Game 2, with Jonathan Kuminga and Onyeka Okongwu finding open space as weak-side help arrived late.
McCollum and Gabe Vincent turned ball screens into easy baskets while New York's rotations broke down.
The personnel is there to fix those problems, with OG Anunoby, Bridges and Josh Hart all capable of switching and recovering on defense.
But execution has to tighten up.
Brown's philosophy suggests those conversations have already happened, and now the Knicks need to prove it against a Hawks team that went 24-17 at home this season.
Atlanta is brimming with confidence after stealing one at the Garden, and New York cannot afford to let another game slip.