After five years, the New York Knicks have shockingly fired Tom Thibodeau. Thibs took over the Knicks when they were one of the worst teams in the league, and helped them make the playoffs in each season. He made the Conference Finals this year. Now, with Thibs gone, what are some of the popular Knicks coaching options? Let’s take a look.
Top 5 New York Knicks Coaching Options With Thibs Gone
Michael Malone
This might be the dream scenario for the Knicks. Michael Malone is from New York, born and raised in Astoria, a neighborhood in the western part of the city. Malone has a championship resume, and his hard-nosed coaching style will be perfect for New York. Fans will certainly love his coaching and accountability of players.
Malone is known for his preference to play veteran players, and the good news for the Knicks is that they do not have many rookies and young players. If they get one or two veteran bench contributors, Malone can do a fantastic job.
Taylor Jenkins
Taylor Jenkins is a young coach who knows how to turn a franchise around. While he doesn’t have the championship resume of Malone, Jenkins had several winning seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies. Despite coaching for several seasons in the league, he is still only 39 years old. Taylor has a unique blend of youth and experience, making him a strong candidate as a proven coach. He might be one of the best available Knicks coaching options.
Frank Vogel
The Knicks’ biggest issue this season was their defense. Enter Frank Vogel, a coach known for his defensive abilities. With several good defenders on the roster, Vogel can work his magic and help the Knicks reach their championship potential. Some might say Thibs was known for his defensive schemes. Nonetheless, that didn’t help turn Karl-Anthony Towns into an average defender.
Some might question his leadership abilities, especially after his stint with the Phoenix Suns. But he led the Los Angeles Lakers to a title, showing he can handle the bright lights.
Sam Cassell
If the Knicks want to give an assistant a chance to be a first-time head coach, Sam Cassell is the guy. He has been praised as one of the best assistants in the league. He has championship experience as a player and as an assistant with the Boston Celtics last year. Cassell has worked under the mentorship of Doc Rivers for several years. Rivers is one of the winningest coaches in league history, and usually, his assistants do well. For example, Tyronn Lue won a title with the Cleveland Cavaliers and has done a great job with the Los Angeles Clippers. Cassell’s name has been in head coaching conversations for years, and it might be time to get a chance.
Steve Nash
Steve Nash has already made the first step toward finding a new head coaching job, appearing on a podcast with LeBron James. Some fans joke that being on LeBron’s podcast gets you a coaching job, and Nash might be the next in line.
While his stint with the Brooklyn Nets didn’t go well, Nash is still one of the smartest point guards in league history. He has a high basketball IQ and might follow in Jason Kidd’s footsteps. Remember, Kidd was fired by the Milwaukee Bucks as a failure, and then he completely changed the narrative with the Dallas Mavericks. Even the Lakers wanted him at one point.
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