A few belated thoughts on Tom Thibodeau's exit from the Knicks
The need for a Noisy Cricket, throwing bones, and more
I’ve had a few paying subscribers ask for my thoughts on Tom Thibodeau’s firing, which I haven’t had a chance to expound upon fully, given everything else going on. But I’m nothing if not responsive to the people responsible for my electricity bill. Reminder: Founding members can request an article about a current NBA topic of their choice (within reason)!
A week ago, New York fired Tom Thibodeau despite the coach leading the Knicks to their most successful season since the Mesozoic Era. While it wasn’t a total shock, plenty of people (including me) thought an Eastern Conference Finals appearance would have iced his seat. Guess not!
Was it a good idea? There’s no denying that Thibodeau has plenty of strengths as a coach, particularly in the regular season. While I’ve been hard on Thibs this year, he actually did a pretty good job overall in the playoffs, even showing the ability to adjust base defensive schemes and tailor game plans to opponents to a far greater degree than he has in the past.
I still can’t believe that the Knicks were able to beat the Celtics (and likely would have even if Jayson Tatum had stayed healthy). New York was resilient all season long, rarely letting go of the rope, and Thibs deserves credit for instilling that mindset in his players.
But Thibodeau’s stubbornness is legendary. There are some uniquely frustrating things he does that have grown even more annoying with each passing year. The starter minutes are the headliner, but there’s far more nuance to that problem than simply wearing down your best players (although that’s certainly a component).
I think of it this way: The NBA is an industry, and each team is a (mostly) competing business.