Tom Thibodeau led the Knicks to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in a quarter century. So why was he fired?
On the surface, it was surprising to see the Knicks fire their head coach on Tuesday afternoon. But anyone who follows the Knicks closely understands that Tom Thibodeau earned his pink slip from his Madison Square Garden bosses, Leon Rose and James Dolan.
Photo courtesy CNN
SNY’s Ian Begley mentioned Thibodeau was in danger of being fired before the playoffs started. Could it be that the Knicks decided to fire him, no matter what happened in the playoffs, save winning an NBA championship?
Perhaps. But I think the big reason is this: Thibodeau never showed any inclination to change as a head coach. He ran players into the ground by playing them exorbitant amounts of minutes during the regular season. Despite being healthy (perhaps the healthiest of playoff teams), it’s no wonder they had nothing against the Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals.
With a predictable offense led by Jalen Brunson, other top players–Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby–would get the ball if they were lucky. Bench-sitters played sparingly, and the defense overall was spotty, especially against the three.
Even with all of that, my take is that Thibs would still be the coach if he knew how to utilize Towns and trusted his bench players. Instead, Thibodeau used Towns more as a decoy than a second offensive weapon, and he didn’t give younger players–Tyler Kolek and Miles McBride are prime examples–the opportunity to develop as they should.
There were four pluses in Thibodeau’s overall body of work, including his overall record with the Knicks (226-174) and the fact that his teams were good enough to make the postseason four times. His teams improved every year, and he brought professionalism to an organization that badly needed it.
Graphic courtesy YouTube
But there’s an overriding matter–about winning a championship–and the ownership and management believe they can win with Bruson, Bridges, and Towns. That means the head coach is replaceable, and necessarily so. Thibs didn’t and wouldn’t win a championship relying on Brunson. Anybody who watched the Eastern finals saw that, and without having an approach that involved the entire roster, it was a sure thing that the Knicks would extend their championship drought, which they did.
Bottom line? Thibodeau took the Knicks as far as he could, given his approach to head coaching. Ironically, an example of what he could be was sitting close by throughout the Eastern Finals. Indiana’s Rick Carlisle has adapted and evolved as an NBA head coach, establishing his reputation as a defensive coach and then becoming a solid offensive coach.
That’s why Thibs paid the ultimate price at the end. Hubris helped him succeed, but it also contributed to his downfall.
