Mark Bryant will become the Knicks’ assistant coach, according to Ian Begley of SNY. Begley adds that the long-time NBA center is regarded as one of the league’s top big-man instructors. Bryant, 59, was a member of Monty Williams’ Detroit coaching staff last season. Since his coaching debut in 2004, he has worked with Dallas, Orlando, Seattle/Oklahoma City, and Phoenix. Starting center Mitchell Robinson, who was limited to 31 games due to injury last season, should benefit the most from having Bryant on the coaching staff. The Knicks are still looking into backup centers after losing Isaiah Hartenstein to the Thunder in free agency.
Othella Harrington is already the big man coach in New York, so it’s unclear how he and Bryant will share those responsibilities, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post. According to Lewis, Bryant worked in Oklahoma City with Maurice Cheeks, who joined the Knicks’ coaching staff last month, and he helped develop newly acquired Mikal Bridges in Phoenix. Bryant was known as one of the strongest men in the NBA even after he retired, according to Fred Katz of The Athletic, who recounts Bryant’s practice clashes with former Thunder center Steven Adams. The move marks a homecoming for Bryant, who grew up in New Jersey and played at Seton Hall before starting his NBA career.
