Tom Thibodeau is a proven winner, he’s everything the Knicks need. He’s going to bring leadership, accountability, and be all about hard work. Thibodeau is everything team president Leon Rose said he was looking for in a head coach.
Now, as Thibodeau assembles his coaching staff, the focus for the Knicks is pivoting towards the future. There’s a handful of young players on the roster the staff will need to evaluate.
Thibodeau and his staff will look closely at this roster and with good reason.
R.J. Barrett and Mitchell Robinson are two building blocks for the Knicks to establish a foundation. Kevin Knox and Frank Ntilikina have both struggled to find consistent playing time, the next step in their progression is a critical one.
Which players can hang? Which players need to be moved out?
If we’re using Thibodeau’s track record as a compass, we know what the requirements are to play for him. Here’s three things to watch for:
Defense is a must
The Knicks have not been known for their defense since Jeff Van Gundy was their head coach. Thibodeau was a long-time assistant to Van Gundy in New York and with the Houston Rockets. He went on to coordinate the defense for Doc Rivers’ Boston Celtics and help them win an NBA championship.
All three of those teams, with Thibodeau on the coaching staff, were tough and played elite defense. As a head coach, his defenses ranked in the top 10 in opponents points per game five times in eight years.
Putting in the work to get better.
Rose, Thibodeau, and general manager Scott Perry will work collectively to upgrade the talent. The Knicks have a healthy salary cap and a plethora of draft picks – seven draft picks in the next two seasons, 12 in the next four. That’s plenty of assets for the team’s new management group to use as they see fit. It will take time and patience to build out a winning product. Thibodeau, meanwhile, will demand his players defend, compete, and play hard. Consistency has been an issue for the Knicks, it won’t be under Thibodeau.
Put the team first, show up on time, and be ready to play.
In a fascinating one-on-one with Steve Serby of the New York Post, Thibodeau was asked what he won’t tolerate. He pointed towards two areas. “Anything that takes away from winning,” said Thibodeau. “And the second thing is tardiness. I don’t have a lot of rules, but that’s one thing that bothers me.” Thibodeau’s reputation as a demanding coach is well-known. Critics of his hiring will point towards how his stints in Chicago and Minnesota concluded.
If Thibodeau has evolved or lightened up, with age and experience, remains to be seen. But what there won’t be for the Knicks is a lot of room for excuses, not on his watch.
