Tom Thibodeau is a real head-coaching candidate for the New York Knicks but is he the right one
Many questioned whether it was right, or fair, for the New York Knicks to fire head coach David Fizdale after just 104 games over less than two seasons. However, during those games, he had compiled a 21-83 record and the franchise had seen enough. They were ready to move on from Fizdale.
Heading into the offseason, the Knicks are expected to hire a new coach. While they could very well remove the interim tag of current coach Mike Miller, who helped the Knicks go 17-27 after the firing of Fizdale, there’s a really good chance that New York will try to make a splashy move in naming a new head coach.
After all, it’s the New York thing to do. They’ve attempted to do so many times. While it’s not known who exactly the Knicks desire as their next head coach, there’s reportedly one candidate that will likely be in play: Tom Thibodeau.
The Nets' process to name a full-time replacement for Kenny Atkinson is not expected to hit top speed until this season is either completed or canceled, but they have been collecting names and, at this juncture, Tom Thibodeau is believed to be solely a Knicks candidate
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) April 23, 2020
We last saw Thibs with the Minnesota Timberwolves before the team elected to move on from his last season when the franchise was trying to move past all the Jimmy Butler drama. As far as the Knicks are concerned, there are definitely worst moves.
Thibs, while he has his faults, has proven to be an accomplished coach in the NBA. He’s had success during his eight-year coaching career. Even though he hasn’t won an NBA Championship yet, that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t add value to a team that desperately needs leadership and a strong locker room voice.
The real question is whether or not the Knicks believe that Thibs is the coach that will be able to carry them to new success. The Knicks aren’t in a place where they’re ready to be contenders. Short of making a big trade during the offseason, the Knicks are still very much in a rebuild. And a long one at that.
They have, maybe, one true building block in RJ Barrett and possibly Mitchell Robinson, and then not much beyond that. Would Thibs be a coach that this relatively young team could grow around and with?
That will be decided this summer, but it appears Tom Thibodeau is very much a real candidate.