Knicks’ Firing of Thibodeau a Curious Case

With the exception of the 2015-16 season, Tom Thibodeau has been an NBA head coach for 13 of the last 14 seasons. In those 13 seasons, he has compiled a record 578-420, a winning percentage of .579. 

In back-to-back seasons, Thibodeau led the New York Knicks to 50+ wins - 50 in 2023-24 and 51 in 2024-25. Last season, the Knicks lost in seven games in the second round to the Indiana Pacers. Just a few days ago, they lost a sixth game at home to the Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals. 

For a franchise and fan base starving for a championship (going on 52 seasons now), just merely making the playoffs is not good enough. However, the firing of Thibodeau is a strange one. 

Yes, he is known for playing his starters heavy minutes. He is a throwback to the days of old in his approach. 

In 1989, Thibodeau was a young assistant under head coach Bill Musselman in Minnesota. He was an assistant for two years in San Antonio, then for two years in Philadelphia. In 1996, he became an assistant under Jeff Van Gundy and later Don Chaney in New York. Then, he was Van Gundy’s assistant yet again, this time in Houston, for four seasons. In 2007, he was hired by the Boston Celtics to be Doc Rivers’ right hand and defensive guru. In 2010-11, he led the Chicago Bulls to 62 wins and was named Coach of the Year. Thibodeau coached the Timberwolves from 2016-2019, and in 2020 was named head coach of the Knicks. In his first season, he led the club to 41 wins (72 games) and was named Coach of the Year once again. 

Point being, Thibodeau has been around the league. At 67 years old, he has seen a lot of NBA basketball. The Knicks are no doubt a franchise that wants to win, needs to win. But how fair was it to let Thibodeau go? How much sense does it make?

Not very and not much.

The Knicks had an arguably better and deeper roster last season, when they won 50 games. Julius Randle, RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, and Isaiah Hartenstein became Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, and OG Anunoby. Randle and star guard Jalen Brunson’s styles didn’t mesh well, so Towns was brought in to stretch the floor, a guy who won’t go off the dribble as much and attack. Randle likes to handle the ball. Towns does less of that. Bridges and Anunoby are high level two-way guys. 

But what the Knicks did over the course of the last 12 months is become top heavy, a roster with four established players, two of whom are star players, and not much else. Last season, where you had Quickley and Quentin Grimes, you this season had Miles McBride (who to his credit played well in some games), Landry Shamet, Delon Wright, and Cam Payne. Less punch. Less spark. 

Grimes was dealt to the Detroit Pistons at 2024’s trade deadline. In New York, he averaged 20.2 minutes per game. After six games in Detroit where he averaged 19.2 minutes, he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks and eventually to the Philadelphia 76ers. With injuries in Philadelphia, Grimes got his opportunity, starting 25 games, averaging 34 minutes, and posting 21.9 points (47% from the field), 5.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists. Between Dallas and Philly, he had 23 games of 30+ points, including games of 46 points and 13 rebounds, and 44 points and 6 rebounds. Grimes turned 25 last month. 

Thibodeau’s decision to deal him? Or Leon Rose’s?

The Knicks dropped defensively this season, 111.7 points given up (9th) versus 108.2 given up last year (2nd). You wouldn’t think that that would be the case given the Anunoby and Bridges acquisitions. That you could place on Thibodeau’s plate.

But the Knicks could use perimeter shooting. They could use a jolt off the bench. They don’t have those things. Mitchell Robinson did not play his first game of the season until March 2. The team was thin with a 7-man rotation with guys like Wright and Shamet that would typically be 9, 10 off the bench if that - Wright has not played over 20 minutes on average in four of his last six seasons. Shamet averaged 15 minutes in 50 games this season. 5.7 points per game. The Knicks were in the bottom five in bench points. While first round opponent Detroit had a bench, the Knicks did not. The team played a good series against the Celtics, but while the Pacers had a bench, the Knicks did not. 

In July 2023, the Knicks traded Obi Toppin to the Pacers. This postseason, Toppin has had double-digit scoring games of 10 (16 minutes), 13 (14 minutes), 20, 11 and 18. His 18 points, on 7-for-11 from the field, 2-for-4 from 3-point range and 5-for-7 from the line, happened in the clinching 125-108 win in Game 6 that sent the Knicks home. 

Was the decision to deal Toppin on Thibodeau? Or Leon Rose?

One logical fit to be the next head coach in New York is Michael Malone, 53, curiously axed by the Nuggets late in the regular season. Three 50-win seasons in Denver. 47-32 this season before his firing. Title winning coach. Queens native. His late father, Brendan, was an assistant with the Knicks in three different stints.

There’s Jay Wright, 63, who was the coach at Villanova University from 2001-2022. He coached Brunson, Bridges, and Josh Hart as Wildcats. Another logical fit.

Another is Taylor Jenkins, who in six years in Memphis led the Grizzlies to four seasons above .500, including 56 and 51 in consecutive years (2021-2023). They could hire Sam Cassell, a career assistant who has paid his dues and is due for a head gig. A former player who knows the game. 

Because after Mike Woodson from 2012-2014 (109-79), the organization went to Kurt Rambis and Derek Fisher in 2015 and 2016 (49-114 combined) to Jeff Hornacek (60-104) to Mike Miller (17-27) and to David Fitzdale (21-83). No answers when it came to their head coach. No continuity. No direction. Thibodeau gave them that. A coach with pedigree and respect.

Now they are starting all over. This next hire is crucial. They need a coach with pedigree. One that commands respect. 

Otherwise, what are the Knicks doing?