Tom Thibodeau will be the next head coach of the New York Knicks. These are three reasons we know RJ Barrett will thrive under his new coach.
Tom Thibodeau spoke to reporters for the first time as head coach of the New York Knicks on Thursday. On the hot topic of the team’s young players, Thibodeau stated he doesn’t want to make judgments on any of them until he works with them one-on-one.
One of the guys Thibodeau will be working with is RJ Barrett. In his Zoom presser, Thibodeau said Barrett — along with teammate Mitchell Robinson — have a bright future.
Since Thibodeau’s name first came up in connection with the Knicks head coaching job, one of the most significant sticking points about his candidacy has been his track record with young players.
In theory, Thibodeau’s tenure with the Chicago Bulls should definitely shut the door on those doubts. He coached Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah — the youngest MVP in NBA history and a Defensive Player of the Year — before developing Jimmy Butler from the 30th overall pick to the franchise player.
But his time with the Minnesota Timberwolves is a reason for concern. According to The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski, Thibodeau struggled the most in Minnesota with engaging with players and developing relationships.
Krawczynski notes that Thibodeau’s many former Bulls on the team attempted to reassure the young guys that the coach had their best interests at heart. But Thibodeau and Karl-Anthony Towns never got along. That was a leading reason for the coach’s downfall.
The players who love Thibs all swear by him. Taj Gibson, Nate Robinson, and the great Patrick Ewing have all endorsed their former coach. But one thing that’s been made clear is that it takes a certain kind of player to play for the guy.
“To win games you got to go through a lot of hard work,” Gibson told Marc Berman of The New York Post: “Sometimes young players don’t understand it.”
“He had a bunch of guys in Chicago willing to learn, willing to listen in Chicago. They were young guys who really wanted to listen.”
So, is Barrett more Butler or Towns? I think it’s the former. That’s why he’ll thrive with his new coach. Here are three reasons why.