Thibodeau, Magic’s Mosley feel for fired coach Brown

ORLANDO, Fla. — As the Knicks prepared to face Orlando on Friday night, what they really game-planned was Jamahl Mosley, the Magic’s coach.

Orlando’s stars were mostly in street clothes, but somehow the Magic have managed to hang near the top of the Eastern Conference standings. They entered the night in fourth place, two games behind the third place Knicks.

As one star after another has been injured, the Magic have relied on the tough defense designed by Mosley. Tom Thibodeau can relate, having done the same with the Knicks last season. The two coaches also shared a common bond as candidates for NBA Coach of the Year honors, an award Thibodeau has taken home twice. Mosley finished second last season, three spots ahead of Thibodeau.

The other common bond: Two of the best coaches in the league saw how little it means when the Kings unceremoniously fired Mike Brown on Friday afternoon. The move came just six months after they signed him to a three-year, two-season extension after he was the unanimous choice for NBA Coach of the Year.

“You hate to see that,” said Thibodeau, who was let go by two previous franchises despite turning them over each time. “It’s part of what we’re going through. Mike’s a great person and a great coach. It’s unfortunate.”

Mosley is in his first head coaching job but has excelled and kept the magic together even though Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Mo Wagner have been out for extended periods – or the entire season. He paid his dues as an assistant, including working with Jalen Brunson in Dallas, and he felt the immediacy of Brown’s firing.

“I’ve said it before, that’s what we know we’ve signed up for in some ways,” Mosley said. “It doesn’t explain the why behind it when it happens, because I think he compiled a 107-88 record when he was there. He kind of changed the culture of what he was doing. I say these things not just as a co-coach. I say that because he’s been a close friend of mine and I know how good he is and how he’s helped pave the way for so many of us who are in playing right now.

“And it stings because of the man that I know he is and what he represents and what he’s done for this game and for so many of us sitting in these seats right now. It goes back to understanding the nature of this business. You assume a great responsibility, and whether it is good or bad, you must accept these pieces. But for a man who has done what he has done, I cannot speak for another organization I just know who he is and what he represents.”

It’s a coach’s life, easily recognized for what they build and blamed only when things go wrong. The Kings suffered a 17-year absence from the playoffs under Brown, but have struggled this season. They are riding a five-game losing streak that has dropped them to 13-18 and 12th in the Western Conference.

Mosley’s Magic brought a 19-13 record into Friday night’s game just behind the Knicks (20-10). Mosley may do an even better job this season than he did in 2023-24, and the key has been the same one Thibodeau has clung to for most of his career — focusing on defense and toughness, traits he do not need. stars for.

“I think Jamahl has done a great job here,” Thibodeau said. “They’re built with length and versatility, guys that can guard multiple positions. Obviously you want to be strong on both sides of the ball, but (their defense) gives you your foundation and you can build it from there. It is the way to go. There are nights when you’re not going to shoot the ball well, but you can still have a chance to win.

“I think that’s the importance of having that foundation. It gives you a chance if you have injuries, which everyone does at some point. You don’t replace a Banchero or Wagner, both Wagners, individually. But you can do that together.”

Notes and quotes: Thibodeau said Mitchell Robinson’s return, which is slated for the end of January at the earliest, remains without a definitive timeline, but he noted, “Overall, he’s doing very well. Still not cleared for practice. That will be the next step, and he’s getting closer. I’m not sure. He’s done a great job. He’s working extremely hard just make sure that we are patient and let him work through it. I don’t want to say that it is the next step. It is going to be full speed ahead through it, then contact, and then he will probably be cleared for training.”

Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with virtually every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.