The Knicks are near hiring veteran Brendan O’Connor to function their defensive coordinator on the assistant employees, a supply confirmed Thursday.
O’Connor is leaving his longtime house with the Clippers, the place he served as an assistant since 2013, and may have a primary seat on Mike Brown’s bench. He additionally was an assistant with the Pistons throughout their championship run in 2004, when he labored below Larry Brown and established a relationship with present Knicks govt William Wesley.
The Knicks are nonetheless available in the market for an affiliate head coach to run the offense. They tried to rent James Borrego, Jay Triano and Pablo Prigioni, however have been both denied permission by their respective groups or turned down by the candidate.
O’Connor, a graduate of St. Anselm Faculty in Brooklyn, served below Ty Lue and Doc Rivers with the Clippers. He additionally had earlier stops with the Knicks, Hornets, Kings and Nets.
The Knicks protection slipped to No. 13 within the NBA in ranking final season — 5 spots under the 2023-24 marketing campaign — and O’Connor has the difficult activity of boosting a unit that includes Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Cities, two below-average defenders.
The Clippers ranked fourth in protection final season, with Jeff Van Gundy and O’Connor thought of as massive causes for the success.
With O’Connor as the most recent addition, Brown’s first employees in New York is taking form. He introduced over two lower-level assistants from his final gig in Sacramento — Charles Allen and Riccardo Fois.
A number of holdovers from Tom Thibodeau’s employees are anticipated to return, together with Rick Brunson, Mark Bryant, Darren Erman, Mo Cheeks and Jordan Brink.
Others have been knowledgeable they’re not coming again.
As The Put up first reported, Cube Yoshimoto, Andy Greer, Daniel Brady and Othella Harrington are all gone.
Greer’s brother, Larry, was an advance scout below Thibodeau and is predicted again.
In line with sources, Gary St. Jean, a present assistant with the Lakers, and Patrick Mutombo, who’s with the Grizzlies (and no relation to Dikembe), have been thought of.
