A few notes on the Knicks as they continue their coaching search...
It’s obvious to say at this point, but the Knicks clearly didn’t have a shoo-in replacement in mind when they fired Tom Thibodeau.
They’ve been denied permission by at least five teams to speak with their current head coaches (ATL, CHI, MIN, HOU, DAL).
These requests for permission get leaked out because of the formal nature of the process. It gives off the impression that Leon Rose & Co. are flying blind on this coaching search. But league sources familiar with the Knicks' thinking push back against that narrative. When the Knicks request permission to speak to Jason Kidd, Chris Finch, Ime Udoka and others, they are doing their due diligence. Making sure they know exactly who is – and isn’t – available to them.
This approach makes sense, given the circumstances.
There is no head coach in waiting for New York. So the Knicks need to know as much about the landscape as they continue their search.
New York’s search will include NBA head coaches who are currently unemployed and current assistant coaches.
WHAT ABOUT JOHNNIE?
As noted last week, the timing of the Thibodeau firing was not tied in any way to the Suns' decision on Johnnie Bryant, a former Knicks associate head coach. Bryant was a finalist for the Suns' job, though they ended up hiring former Cleveland assistant Jordan Ott. I don’t believe that Bryant – at the moment – is at the top of the Knicks’ list of candidates – if such a list exists. This is not a reflection of Bryant, but more so the idea that the Knicks prefer a coach with experience.
CLASSY MESSAGE FROM THIBODEAU
Thibodeau took out a full-page ad in the New York Times to thank his coaches, players and fans for their effort and support during his Knicks tenure.
“To the fans, thank you for believing in me and embracing me from day one. Watching you support our team, and seeing the Garden ignite with that incomparable Knicks energy, is something I will never forget,” Thibodeau wrote.
Thibodeau did not mention the Knicks' front office or owner James Dolan in the statement. Maybe the omission was intentional, maybe it wasn’t. Only Thibodeau knows the truth there.
For what it’s worth, people in touch with Thibodeau in the aftermath of the firing described him as surprised by the move and disappointed by the decision. (Attempts to reach Thibodeau for comment were unsuccessful). Those reactions are understandable when you lead a team to its best season in 25 years. Whoever the Knicks hire next, that coach will be judged against Thibodeau’s success. Not an easy bar to reach.
Under Thibodeau, the Knicks won 50-plus games in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1993-94 and 1994-95. They made the playoffs in four of Thibodeau’s five seasons. They also won at least one playoff series in three consecutive seasons. From 2000-01 to 2019-20, the Knicks had won just one playoff series in total. It bears repeating: if the Knicks and their next head coach win the title, Thibodeau should be among the group of players/coaches/execs who never have to pay for a meal in New York again.
The why behind the Thibodeau firing has been covered here and elsewhere. We may never know the specific reasons for the firing. But we know that player input played a role in the final decision. I don’t know what players referenced when they talked to Rose, Dolan and whoever else was in the room about Thibodeau’s shortcomings.
I do know a couple of things that players were surprised about over the course of Thibodeau’s tenure:
The Knicks didn’t have full scrimmages during an entire training camp one season, which is uncommon. The players found it odd that they didn’t scrimmage during the camp; Thibodeau’s Knicks didn’t scrimmage often in season, which is more common in the NBA. But the lack of scrimmaging hindered the players’ ability to develop cohesion, they’ve said.
Players were also surprised that they didn’t work on specific end-game situations during the season, which is something that most teams do. They found it strange that the coaching staff didn’t go over those situations during practice.
Are these reasons to fire Thibodeau? Probably not. But the players involved questioned the approach. Again, I don’t know if these critiques were raised during the meetings with Dolan, Rose and whoever else was in the room.
WHAT ABOUT THE NEXT STAFF?
I assume the next Knicks coach will have the freedom to bring in his own staff. The coach will presumably be able to choose whether to keep current Knicks assistants or let them go. There has been plenty of speculation about assistant Rick Brunson’s past/current/future role with the Knicks. (I think the idea that Rick Brunson has some massive influence over what happens with the Knicks is overblown.)
As noted above, I think it’s fair to assume the next coach will be able to decide independently whether they want to keep Brunson, Mo Cheeks, Mark Bryant, Darren Ermann and others on the staff.
Just my opinion, but I think if that coach is smart, he keeps Rick Brunson on his bench because firing Rick Brunson would probably anger Jalen. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. The Knicks have to figure out who that next head coach is first. I don’t think they are in a rush to make a hire and I’d expect them to spend some more days gauging the landscape/figuring out their options.
