New York Knicks: Lessons Tom Thibodeau hopefully learned

Tom Thibodeau and his staff are preparing the New York Knicks for the 2020-21 season. Hopefully, he has learned from his prior missteps.

After months of watching highlights and old footage of the past New York Knicks teams, the Knicks social media accounts are FINALLY posting photos of Tom Thibodeau and his staff working with the current roster. And if you’re a New Yorker like me, you’re probably ready to start watching Knicks games again, especially if you’re also a New York Jets fan who needs a boost in morale.

Phase one of the COVID-era workout programs began last week. Players and coaches were able to start partaking in one-on-one drills. Now, teams are on phase two of scheduled practices, which involves group workouts. If the photos are any indication, the Knicks are ready to put in the work for the 2020-21 season.

Amidst the excitement, a big question mark looms over Thibodeau. We hope that Thibodeau has grown and improved as a coach. As we are all well aware, his tenure with the Chicago Bulls and the Minnesota Timberwolves ended on poor terms for different reasons. Chicago ended after he failed to get to the Bulls to the NBA Finals, while in Minnesota, it came down to some faulty business decisions.

Even though his failure to reach the finals and inept decision making were the main reasons for his release, there were other valid concerns over his coaching style. Don’t get me wrong, Thibodeau is still an excellent hire for the Knicks. But to make sure that his time doesn’t end abruptly (as coaching tenures tend to do in New York), hopefully, Thibodeau has grown on three characteristics of his coaching style.