Woj: Knicks Hire Thibs - Official PG 64 - Woodson expected to join pg 66

[KnicksGod]

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I think that’s just his offensive philosophy hopefully lol.

[KnicksGod]

For contrast, Fizdale’s plan was to force the other team to shoot as many high % uncontested 3s as possible.

[iLLmatic860]

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?s=21

Good news. Lot of Kentucky guys I want us to go after in the future (Booker and AD preferably) but this def is a win/win for Knox and Mitch. Kentucky has had some great bigs.

[BowlRips]

Was reading old articles.
Thibs hated Rubio and almost traded him to us for Derrick Rose. Pills was too slow to pull the trigger on it but I tell you Thibs thinking Rose is a better player then Rubio is kind of scary

[Context]

Was reading old articles.
Thibs hated Rubio and almost traded him to us for Derrick Rose. Pills was too slow to pull the trigger on it but I tell you Thibs thinking Rose is a better player then Rubio is kind of scary

I'll be honest with you- on gut alone-the whole thibs coming to NY is scary to me

[thebuzzardman]

https://theathletic.com/1971674/2020/08/10/the-man-and-the-myth-who-the-knicks-are-getting-in-tom-thibodeau/


Some highlights. It's a long article

In the decade since he received his first head coaching job, Tom Thibodeau has seen his myth eclipse the man.

He is a reincarnation of the ur-coach; scowling, yelling, cursing, growling. In Chicago, he lived by a mantra: the magic is in the work. In Minnesota, his Range Rover was often the last one in the parking lot.

Basketball is his dogma. He is a junkie — feverish in his pursuit of it. The fundamentals, the nuances, the subtle changes in the angle of a high screen that escape all but those who have made a Talmudic study of it.

When he was an assistant in New York and Houston and unable to land job interviews to be a head coach, teams wondered if he had any other interests. Even as the NBA has come to lionize the athletes and coaches who share off-court projects, Thibodeau has remained consistently tunnel-visioned. Jeff Van Gundy, his former boss, didn’t know why they cared, or why Thibodeau couldn’t answer the question agreeably.

“Just make up a **** hobby,” Van Gundy says he told Thibodeau. “Just say you’re a stamp collector. I don’t know why anyone cares, but say you’re a stamp collector.”

Thibodeau’s dedication has never been in question. His reception has not always been simple, though.

The delta between his public perception and the one he has carved out amongst the people who know him may be as large as any coach in the league. As the Knicks barreled through a coaching search that felt like a coronation for Thibodeau, some around the league felt the hire was either unquestionably wise or concern-trolling that the organization was once again headed toward calamity because he would crater another relationship after a few years on the job.

In Chicago, Thibodeau famously feuded with the front office and was fired despite helping elevate the Bulls to their post-Jordan peak. In Minnesota, his tenure ended abruptly less than a year after the franchise made the postseason for the first time in 14 seasons.

In New York, Thibodeau will come in not as a savior but a mechanic, asked to help fix a machine that has repeatedly broken down for nearly a two decades now. The man who hired him last month, new team president Leon Rose, knows him as well as any person in the league. Their relationship goes back 20 years, and Rose served as his agent while running CAA Sports, where Thibodeau was a client. For the first time, Thibodeau might be in alignment with his front office, even better off than in Minnesota, where he was head coach and head of basketball ops and an example that authority comes with a point of diminishing returns.

The Thibodeau that takes over the Knicks will come into his dream job, a team he rooted for as a child, as a 62-year-old basketball lifer set up for his most quixotic task yet. He has cultivated a career through an insatiable hunger for the sport and a work ethic to match, even if the public image of him suppresses a greater depth.

“He lives a pretty simple life,” says Ron Adams, a friend and a Warriors assistant. “He’s a little like a farmer. He does his work, he gets up and he does his work again.”

And, Adams adds: “He’s a pretty good farmer.”

Although Thibodeau has a checkered history as an executive, as a coach he was more well-received. His reputation preceded him — “I was terrified,” one person says of his worries before first working with Thibodeau, concerned he would be intractable — but slowly melted away.

Practices, despite his notoriety in Chicago as a grinder, did not last exceptionally long, and he catered to a veteran team when he had one. Agents with players on his teams dispute that he is incongruous with modern players.

Most found Thibodeau to be likable. Away from the facility, he could be a good time.

He joined in on team dinners with the front office and gossiped about people he didn’t like around the league when the mood struck. Occasionally, he would stand up as if he were to give a toast, grabbing everyone’s attention before turning to the analytics team and peppering them with questions, seriously but warm-heartedly. He still talked about basketball but was willing to let loose.

“A glass of wine and breaking down tape,” says one agent who got to know Thibodeau. “A perfect evening.”

Although Thibodeau holed up in his office working long hours, coworkers got the sense he appreciated like-minded souls who searched for answers as much as he did.

He fixated on the next game and the next opponent. To some, it was a bunker mentality. To others, it was the basis of his genius. All had no shortage of awe for his passion.

“I don’t question his knowledge of the game, his technical ability, his ability to communicate concepts,” the executive says. “Those are really, really good. If you’re looking for someone to put their arm around you and ask you how your wife is doing, your kids, that was not him. Some people in the NBA do it in a way that’s really phony, so maybe I shouldn’t be critical of Tom because it would be phony if he went up to me and asked me how my wife was.”

“I’m not sure he’s the most well-rounded person I ever met,” the executive adds. “I’m pretty sure he isn’t. I don’t know that I know anyone who cares as much about winning.”

O Coach, my coach

[Clyde_Style]

https://theathletic.com/1971674/2020/08/10/the-man-and-the-myth-who-the-knicks-are-getting-in-tom-thibodeau/


Some highlights. It's a long article

In the decade since he received his first head coaching job, Tom Thibodeau has seen his myth eclipse the man.

He is a reincarnation of the ur-coach; scowling, yelling, cursing, growling. In Chicago, he lived by a mantra: the magic is in the work. In Minnesota, his Range Rover was often the last one in the parking lot.

Basketball is his dogma. He is a junkie — feverish in his pursuit of it. The fundamentals, the nuances, the subtle changes in the angle of a high screen that escape all but those who have made a Talmudic study of it.

When he was an assistant in New York and Houston and unable to land job interviews to be a head coach, teams wondered if he had any other interests. Even as the NBA has come to lionize the athletes and coaches who share off-court projects, Thibodeau has remained consistently tunnel-visioned. Jeff Van Gundy, his former boss, didn’t know why they cared, or why Thibodeau couldn’t answer the question agreeably.

“Just make up a **** hobby,” Van Gundy says he told Thibodeau. “Just say you’re a stamp collector. I don’t know why anyone cares, but say you’re a stamp collector.”

Thibodeau’s dedication has never been in question. His reception has not always been simple, though.

The delta between his public perception and the one he has carved out amongst the people who know him may be as large as any coach in the league. As the Knicks barreled through a coaching search that felt like a coronation for Thibodeau, some around the league felt the hire was either unquestionably wise or concern-trolling that the organization was once again headed toward calamity because he would crater another relationship after a few years on the job.

In Chicago, Thibodeau famously feuded with the front office and was fired despite helping elevate the Bulls to their post-Jordan peak. In Minnesota, his tenure ended abruptly less than a year after the franchise made the postseason for the first time in 14 seasons.

In New York, Thibodeau will come in not as a savior but a mechanic, asked to help fix a machine that has repeatedly broken down for nearly a two decades now. The man who hired him last month, new team president Leon Rose, knows him as well as any person in the league. Their relationship goes back 20 years, and Rose served as his agent while running CAA Sports, where Thibodeau was a client. For the first time, Thibodeau might be in alignment with his front office, even better off than in Minnesota, where he was head coach and head of basketball ops and an example that authority comes with a point of diminishing returns.

The Thibodeau that takes over the Knicks will come into his dream job, a team he rooted for as a child, as a 62-year-old basketball lifer set up for his most quixotic task yet. He has cultivated a career through an insatiable hunger for the sport and a work ethic to match, even if the public image of him suppresses a greater depth.

“He lives a pretty simple life,” says Ron Adams, a friend and a Warriors assistant. “He’s a little like a farmer. He does his work, he gets up and he does his work again.”

And, Adams adds: “He’s a pretty good farmer.”

Although Thibodeau has a checkered history as an executive, as a coach he was more well-received. His reputation preceded him — “I was terrified,” one person says of his worries before first working with Thibodeau, concerned he would be intractable — but slowly melted away.

Practices, despite his notoriety in Chicago as a grinder, did not last exceptionally long, and he catered to a veteran team when he had one. Agents with players on his teams dispute that he is incongruous with modern players.

Most found Thibodeau to be likable. Away from the facility, he could be a good time.

He joined in on team dinners with the front office and gossiped about people he didn’t like around the league when the mood struck. Occasionally, he would stand up as if he were to give a toast, grabbing everyone’s attention before turning to the analytics team and peppering them with questions, seriously but warm-heartedly. He still talked about basketball but was willing to let loose.

“A glass of wine and breaking down tape,” says one agent who got to know Thibodeau. “A perfect evening.”

Although Thibodeau holed up in his office working long hours, coworkers got the sense he appreciated like-minded souls who searched for answers as much as he did.

He fixated on the next game and the next opponent. To some, it was a bunker mentality. To others, it was the basis of his genius. All had no shortage of awe for his passion.

“I don’t question his knowledge of the game, his technical ability, his ability to communicate concepts,” the executive says. “Those are really, really good. If you’re looking for someone to put their arm around you and ask you how your wife is doing, your kids, that was not him. Some people in the NBA do it in a way that’s really phony, so maybe I shouldn’t be critical of Tom because it would be phony if he went up to me and asked me how my wife was.”

“I’m not sure he’s the most well-rounded person I ever met,” the executive adds. “I’m pretty sure he isn’t. I don’t know that I know anyone who cares as much about winning.”

O Coach, my coach

I love this stuff. And I don't want the rumor mill to Hillary Clinton Thibs and turn him into a What About Thibs? meme where even his supporters feel like they have to soft pedal their enthusiasm because the popular sentiment prefers to sit on the fence and bitch about the guy's flaws.

This guy is the real deal. We got a legit NBA lifer for once. Yet people still want to carp about it. Whatever. Hiring Thibs is the best thing the Knicks have done in ages.

[KnicksGod]

He's gonna do well. We need this and he needs this and our roster will look a lot better in a year.

[DaGawd]

Was reading old articles.
Thibs hated Rubio and almost traded him to us for Derrick Rose. Pills was too slow to pull the trigger on it but I tell you Thibs thinking Rose is a better player then Rubio is kind of scary

Rose is better tho

[Hes_On_Fire]

Was reading old articles.
Thibs hated Rubio and almost traded him to us for Derrick Rose. Pills was too slow to pull the trigger on it but I tell you Thibs thinking Rose is a better player then Rubio is kind of scary

Rose is better tho

Maybe in his pre injury days.

[F N 11]

Was reading old articles.
Thibs hated Rubio and almost traded him to us for Derrick Rose. Pills was too slow to pull the trigger on it but I tell you Thibs thinking Rose is a better player then Rubio is kind of scary

Rose is better tho

He’s proven to be good in Thibs system. Can’t even front on that. Rubio is more pass first. Thibs wants aggression from the back court. This is why I think RJ is going to go off in year 2.

[dougthonus]

I couldn't find it on a google search, so I assume if anyone knows, it would be the collective minds of the Knicks forum. Anyone know how much Thibs contract is? I could only find sources quoting years but not dollars.

[god shammgod]

I couldn't find it on a google search, so I assume if anyone knows, it would be the collective minds of the Knicks forum. Anyone know how much Thibs contract is? I could only find sources quoting years but not dollars.

to my knowledge it's never been reported

[dougthonus]

I'm sure the opinions on Thibs are also well documented, but having watched every Bulls game he coaches, I'll say these things were generally his strengths and weaknesses.

1: Coaches for the moment / game and not the season. Forget rest, minute limits, or anything like that. He'll run everyone into the ground. If the guys can absorb the minutes without injury this has a strong impact on improving regular season record.

2: Great defensively and his defensive principles are now the the fundamental essentials of everyone in the league. Fundamentally wants to keep people out of the middle and run people off the three point line while being willing to compromise on the baseline drive.

3: Loves to overload the strong side of the court and favors help defenders, particularly big men, whom can recover quickly and switch frequently.

4: Offensively, he has a very guard lead guard centric offense and loves gunner PGs. Rose was a star for the Bulls, duh, but Nate Robinson, D.J. Augustine, C.J. Watson, John Lucas III all were similar types of gunner PGs that excelled under Thibs offensive system. I think Thibs looks for his guards to make something happen off the dribble and isn't looking for amazing creative passers or tons of passes in his sytem.

5: Love defensive guards, Kyle Korver had perhaps his worst fit under Thibs and Thibs hated playing him with Rose on the court despite the fact that Rose/Korver split was one of the best on the team, but kept Korver on the bench in favor of Keith Bogans.

6: Take that guard play and just say that Thibs loves defensive players overall and probably will be fairly intolerant of defensive mistakes. I feel based on point #4 that there is a lot more complexity to the defense than the offense and making defensive mistakes will get you in more trouble than offensive ones.

Overall, I thought he was excellent and that he'll probably do a good job as long as the players buy in.

[GONYK]

I'm sure the opinions on Thibs are also well documented, but having watched every Bulls game he coaches, I'll say these things were generally his strengths and weaknesses.

1: Coaches for the moment / game and not the season. Forget rest, minute limits, or anything like that. He'll run everyone into the ground. If the guys can absorb the minutes without injury this has a strong impact on improving regular season record.

2: Great defensively and his defensive principles are now the the fundamental essentials of everyone in the league. Fundamentally wants to keep people out of the middle and run people off the three point line while being willing to compromise on the baseline drive.

3: Loves to overload the strong side of the court and favors help defenders, particularly big men, whom can recover quickly and switch frequently.

4: Offensively, he has a very guard lead guard centric offense and loves gunner PGs. Rose was a star for the Bulls, duh, but Nate Robinson, D.J. Augustine, C.J. Watson, John Lucas III all were similar types of gunner PGs that excelled under Thibs offensive system. I think Thibs looks for his guards to make something happen off the dribble and isn't looking for amazing creative passers or tons of passes in his sytem.

5: Love defensive guards, Kyle Korver had perhaps his worst fit under Thibs and Thibs hated playing him with Rose on the court despite the fact that Rose/Korver split was one of the best on the team, but kept Korver on the bench in favor of Keith Bogans.

6: Take that guard play and just say that Thibs loves defensive players overall and probably will be fairly intolerant of defensive mistakes. I feel based on point #4 that there is a lot more complexity to the defense than the offense and making defensive mistakes will get you in more trouble than offensive ones.

Overall, I thought he was excellent and that he'll probably do a good job as long as the players buy in.

This is why I think Okoro may be more of a target than people are anticipating. Thibs may advocate to get his PG some other way.

Or we may just draft Anthony

[Juco24]

I'm sure the opinions on Thibs are also well documented, but having watched every Bulls game he coaches, I'll say these things were generally his strengths and weaknesses.

1: Coaches for the moment / game and not the season. Forget rest, minute limits, or anything like that. He'll run everyone into the ground. If the guys can absorb the minutes without injury this has a strong impact on improving regular season record.

2: Great defensively and his defensive principles are now the the fundamental essentials of everyone in the league. Fundamentally wants to keep people out of the middle and run people off the three point line while being willing to compromise on the baseline drive.

3: Loves to overload the strong side of the court and favors help defenders, particularly big men, whom can recover quickly and switch frequently.

4: Offensively, he has a very guard lead guard centric offense and loves gunner PGs. Rose was a star for the Bulls, duh, but Nate Robinson, D.J. Augustine, C.J. Watson, John Lucas III all were similar types of gunner PGs that excelled under Thibs offensive system. I think Thibs looks for his guards to make something happen off the dribble and isn't looking for amazing creative passers or tons of passes in his sytem.

5: Love defensive guards, Kyle Korver had perhaps his worst fit under Thibs and Thibs hated playing him with Rose on the court despite the fact that Rose/Korver split was one of the best on the team, but kept Korver on the bench in favor of Keith Bogans.

6: Take that guard play and just say that Thibs loves defensive players overall and probably will be fairly intolerant of defensive mistakes. I feel based on point #4 that there is a lot more complexity to the defense than the offense and making defensive mistakes will get you in more trouble than offensive ones.

Overall, I thought he was excellent and that he'll probably do a good job as long as the players buy in.

This is why I think Okoro may be more of a target than people are anticipating. Thibs may advocate to get his PG some other way.

Or we may just draft Anthony

Anthony/Frank/Mitch/Davis/Barrett

[Mecca]

The answer is Kira Lewis if LaMelo doesn’t drop

[3toheadmelo]

Excellent read

Read on Twitter

[3toheadmelo]

Post all star break RJ averaged 17 PPG 3.1 assists. With Morris gone, he really started to thrive

[knickstape4ever]

I'm sure the opinions on Thibs are also well documented, but having watched every Bulls game he coaches, I'll say these things were generally his strengths and weaknesses.

1: Coaches for the moment / game and not the season. Forget rest, minute limits, or anything like that. He'll run everyone into the ground. If the guys can absorb the minutes without injury this has a strong impact on improving regular season record.

2: Great defensively and his defensive principles are now the the fundamental essentials of everyone in the league. Fundamentally wants to keep people out of the middle and run people off the three point line while being willing to compromise on the baseline drive.

3: Loves to overload the strong side of the court and favors help defenders, particularly big men, whom can recover quickly and switch frequently.

4: Offensively, he has a very guard lead guard centric offense and loves gunner PGs. Rose was a star for the Bulls, duh, but Nate Robinson, D.J. Augustine, C.J. Watson, John Lucas III all were similar types of gunner PGs that excelled under Thibs offensive system. I think Thibs looks for his guards to make something happen off the dribble and isn't looking for amazing creative passers or tons of passes in his sytem.

5: Love defensive guards, Kyle Korver had perhaps his worst fit under Thibs and Thibs hated playing him with Rose on the court despite the fact that Rose/Korver split was one of the best on the team, but kept Korver on the bench in favor of Keith Bogans.

6: Take that guard play and just say that Thibs loves defensive players overall and probably will be fairly intolerant of defensive mistakes. I feel based on point #4 that there is a lot more complexity to the defense than the offense and making defensive mistakes will get you in more trouble than offensive ones.

Overall, I thought he was excellent and that he'll probably do a good job as long as the players buy in.

I still have my reservations about Thibs. I do think he's a good coach and will help this team, I just didnt think he was the best fit. I would have gone w/ Atkinson

I'm also kinda surprised they didnt try to pursue Billy Donovan. I mentioned a few months back he was in the final year of his contract, so they'd be able to get him w/o compensation. He's an elite coach, and a New Yorker, who played for the Knicks