After months of waiting and debating, the New York Knicks announced that Tom Thibodeau would be the next head coach of the franchise.
Well, after a crazy 24 hours on Knicks Twitter with rumors about Jason Kidd as a possible leading candidate, it was announced today that Tom Thibodeau would be the next head coach of the New York Knicks.
The New York Knicks and Tom Thibodeau are finalizing a five-year deal to make him the franchise’s next coach, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 25, 2020
The tip captured by Stefan Bondy’s article on Friday made it seem like the Knicks front office was throwing fans off the scent after months of speculation that Thibodeau was a lock for the job. A rumor about Jason Kidd being your next head coach will do that. Or, Leon Rose and his staff were adequately conducting their due diligence and concluded that Thibodeau was the right leader to mold a team that has had no identity for the past six years (I’d go with the latter).
Thibodeau brings a lot of experience to the table and should be able to help the young Knicks roster grow and become a competitive team over the next couple of years. As I wrote in my previous piece, Thibodeau had a lot of success in Chicago before his stop with the Minnesota Timberwolves (which is a mixed bag). He is ranked 12th all-time in winning percentage and has notably developed players such as Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, Jimmy Butler, Taj Gibson, and Luol Deng.
There is concern that he will stick to his poor habits, such as overplaying his athletes, a seemingly outdated defensive scheme, his heavy reliance on veteran players, and a heavy isolation offensive style. Nevertheless, fans should be open to the more positive culture he will bring to the team. Knicks fans should expect a tough-nosed team that holds itself highly accountable.
Fans should also know that they’re getting a coach who will outwork the next coach to win because all he does is eat, drink, and breathe is basketball. As Brian Scalabrine said:
"“Very similar to Bill Belichick…Every smallest detail of his practice is talked about. Every pass has to be seamed. Every shot has to be quick and balanced. Every pick-and-roll you have to come off shoulder-to-hip.”"
Yet, with all the excitement about the Thibodeau hire, there should be some reasonable expectations about the short-term. The New York Knicks are not going to be contenders for a while. Depending on how this offseason goes, they could become a playoff team this upcoming season.
Thibodeau is here to develop the team and create a winning environment. Whether or not he will be around after his five-year contract (let’s just hope he will be around after two years), this is the first phase of a rebuild. Just like other teams have done, you hire a coach to bring the team to a certain level of competence before transitioning into the next phase, which is championship-contending.
Whether it was the Golden State Warriors going from Mark Jackson to Steve Kerr; the Milwaukee Bucks firing Kidd and going to Mike Budenholzer; the Raptors going from Dwayne Casey to Nick Nurse; or the Brooklyn Nets moving on from Kenny Atkinson to whomever their next hire may be, each coach has a shelf life.
Nevertheless, let’s rejoice in the fact that Thibodeau is an established coach who is ready to steer the team in the right direction.