The New York Knicks and Tom Thibodeau are finalizing a five-year agreement according to Adrian Wojnarowski. This would make Thibodeau the fifth coach since 2016. He will be tasked with leading a young team with players like RJ Barrett.
Tom Thibodeau the Next New York Knicks Head Coach
Thibodeau is expected to be the next head coach with the New York Knicks. This will be the third team Thibodeau has been the head coach for.
The New York Knicks and Tom Thibodeau are finalizing a five-year deal to make him the franchise’s next coach, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 25, 2020
He will oversee a Knicks team that has not been in the NBA playoffs since 2013. However, there are a lot of young players on the New York Knicks roster. This includes Barrett and Dennis Smith Jr.
History of Tom Thibodeau as Head Coach and Accolades
Thibodeau was the head coach of the Chicago Bulls from 2010-15 and was the head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves from 2016-18. In his coaching career, he has experience with a young team. The most notable one was the Bulls when they had Derrick Rose. His highlight is being an NBA All-Star head coach with the Bulls in 2012. He also won NBA Coach of the Year in 2011.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrZtpWNbosE
Lastly, he was an assistant coach on the Boston Celtics’ NBA Championship squad in 2008. This is what was said about Thibodeau according to Ian Begley of SNY.
“He’s an elite defensive coach. There’s no question. Those guys will be playing hard for him and, if they follow his scheme, they’ll defend the pick-and-roll well. They’ll take away drives and control the paint,” Begley said.
Begley would also talk about his ability to develop players with the Bulls. This might be another reason why the Knicks are looking to hiring Thibodeau. Lastly, with the Bulls, Thibodeau became the fastest coach in NBA history to earn 100 victories according to the Associated Press in 2012.
Overview of Tom Thibodeau and the New York Knicks
Thibodeau is in an ideal position to build up the historic franchise, which has not made the NBA playoffs since 2013. However, the results of his coaching career have been mixed. With the Bulls, he was able to take them to multiple playoff appearances including the Eastern Conference Finals in the 2011 NBA playoffs.
However, the Timberwolves only made the NBA playoffs once under his tutelage. They would lose that series four games to one to the Houston Rockets in the 2018 NBA playoffs.
Still, the New York Knicks need stability. In recent years, the Knicks head coaches have only lasted for two-three years, at most. The signing of Thibodeau will bring some stability to a franchise that desperately needs it.
