The man tasked with getting the Knicks over the hump and back into the Finals for the first time since 1999 is Mike Brown. Brown is taking over for Tom Thibodeau, who was fired shortly after the Knicks' loss to the Pacers in the conference finals.

During his first run as a head coach, Brown took the Cleveland Cavaliers to the NBA Finals in 2006-07, only to get swept by Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs. Two seasons later, Brown guided the Cavs to a franchise-record 66 wins and a spot in the Eastern Conference finals, earning him his first Coach of the Year Award.

Brown, who takes over a Knicks team that reached the Eastern Conference finals before firing head coach Tom Thibodeau in the offseason, said the team's identity will be based on a trust centered around sacrifice, connectivity, competitive spirit and belief in the process and each other.