The New York Knicks' shocking firing of head coach Tom Thibodeau proves there was likely more at play behind the scenes.
Even though the New York Knicks caught lightning in a bottle at the start of the NBA Playoffs, in which it propelled them to an Eastern Conference Finals appearance, they never seemed perfectly aligned to win an NBA Championship this season. In response to their conference finals blunder, the Knicks decided to fire head coach Tom Thibodeau.
As the Knicks look to take another step forward as an organization, they will now have to be without Thibodeau leading the way in the locker room. Among other priorities, the Knicks will have, such as upgrading their roster, the team must also add finding the right next head coach to their to-do list.
It's not that Thibs was a bad head coach; he just wasn't the leader that was going to take the Knicks to the next level. At least that's what the decision-makers decided after the move. Considering New York struggled in the regular season to win games against the league's best teams, this is probably a move that made the most sense.
The New York Knicks had more problems than was led on
You'd have to imagine that for this move to take place, there was probably more at play behind the scenes. It's not every day that you see a conference finalist fire their head coach. There had to be at least some disconnect between the ownership and Thibs or between Thibs and the players.
Is there a chance that they just wanted a fresh voice in the locker room after five seasons? Sure. However, something really doesn't add up here. It will be interesting to see what comes next for New York, especially considering that nothing is a certainty for this team heading into the offseason.
If the Knicks wanted, a new head coach may not even be the biggest move that this team ends up making. Considering they are still a level below the rest of the championship contenders across the league, it wouldn't be all that surprising to see New York explore the blockbuster trade market again.
For all their flaws, this Knicks' front office has not been shy about rolling the dice during the offseason. There could be another big gamble this summer if the right deal does come along. For now, the Knicks will at least be undergoing one big change. Make no mistake, there could be plenty more.