Shams: New York Knicks Fire Head Coach Tom Thibodeau

[WargamesX]

I hate this. Yes, the way he refused to take players out of the game reached the point of absurdity, and yes there are potentially better options. But the Knicks exceeded expectations this year. Firing a coach who JUST lost in the Conference Finals when the team was not expected to even make it is crazy. Adding to that it could have very realistically gone the other way if not for a crazy sequence and miracle shot. The victory over Boston should have bought him another year.

I mean he’s been out coached by Spo and Carlisle enough times over his career I could see why the FO made a decision. The crazy part is this is like the second time him dealing with KAT got him fired.

[taikibansei]

Been a staunch Thibs defender here since his Twolves days and thought he did a good job this past season. We need better than good, though. We need somebody willing/able to completely re-envision this team on offense and on defense. Three high-level defenders in the starting five and two on the bench, plus two high-level scorers in the starting five and three others able to step up at any given time--that said, the parts never worked together smoothly, and our bench seemed consistently lost.

As I've posted before, Thibs was our Mark Jackson. Here's hoping we find our Steve Kerr--the young, hungry coach who sees a way to make all the parts fit in a new way.

You realize the two situations aren't remotely the same? For starters, there is no Steph Curry on the Knicks. And simply there is no more that you can squeeze out of this roster as currently constructed. They exceeded expectations and were 2 wins away from the Finals.

Firing Thibs has massive repercussions and for what? No coach will get more out of this roster than an ECF next year. What is the goal here?

Etc., etc. Yeah, bUt wE hAvE No GoOd PlAyErS!!!

Here's the thing: when Brunson was out (and Robinson still unsteady), we were forced to go to a freer 5-out offense and use our bench...and after a week of growing pains...suddenly we started to play well again. Very well.

And then Brunson came back, Robinson got fully healthy...and we went back to the very predictable offensive sets (basically hero-ball with Brunson and KAT...) that helped lose us this latest series.

So yeah, I think there's some room remaining for further tinkering....

[JujitsuFlip]

Great move, no more 7 man player rotations and zero offensive identity.

[Ambrose]

Feel like fans will like this...until they regress next year.

[Chuck Everett]

Then this has to be the roster for the most part. If you're changing the roster as well, Knicks are taking a step back next year. It was either tweaks on the roster or the coach, but not both, in my opinion.

Count me in the camp as NOT liking this decision.

[Butch718]

This change was needed.

He was out-coached by Carlisle. They had their entire team healthy for this playoff run and losing 4-2 to the Pacers is not an accomplishment, but a huge disappointment.

Glad this organization is serious about winning and not letting sentimentality get in the way of decision making. Thibs is the type of coach to make your team competitive again, but doesn’t have the flexibility or the intuitive in game decision making in high pressure situations. The first 2 games were lost by the slimmest of margins, and that’s where top tier coaching matters the most.

Thanks Thibs for making this team respectable again, but a new voice was definitely needed.

[jkvonny]

"Only" the ECF? I think they're standards are just a tad too high

Their FO has been iffy for decades.
Pretty disappointing they'd do this.

Weird.

Poor Knicks fans.

[NyKnicks1714]

They'll do something woke and it will backfire spectacularly. It is New York Afterall.

Please explain what this even means.

"Do something woke" = "hire a black coach". He's just too cowardly to say it.

[Woodsanity]

Depends on who we get. If we get Michael Malone then that would be a downgrade.

[Zeno]

I hate this. Yes, the way he refused to take players out of the game reached the point of absurdity, and yes there are potentially better options. But the Knicks exceeded expectations this year. Firing a coach who JUST lost in the Conference Finals when the team was not expected to even make it is crazy. Adding to that it could have very realistically gone the other way if not for a crazy sequence and miracle shot. The victory over Boston should have bought him another year.

I think, you could make the argument that they were underachieving with roster in the regular season and that is why they were not expected to make it to the conference finals. I don’t think they made the moves they did, expecting a loss in the 2nd round.

[Optms]

Been a staunch Thibs defender here since his Twolves days and thought he did a good job this past season. We need better than good, though. We need somebody willing/able to completely re-envision this team on offense and on defense. Three high-level defenders in the starting five and two on the bench, plus two high-level scorers in the starting five and three others able to step up at any given time--that said, the parts never worked together smoothly, and our bench seemed consistently lost.

As I've posted before, Thibs was our Mark Jackson. Here's hoping we find our Steve Kerr--the young, hungry coach who sees a way to make all the parts fit in a new way.

You realize the two situations aren't remotely the same? For starters, there is no Steph Curry on the Knicks. And simply there is no more that you can squeeze out of this roster as currently constructed. They exceeded expectations and were 2 wins away from the Finals.

Firing Thibs has massive repercussions and for what? No coach will get more out of this roster than an ECF next year. What is the goal here?

Etc., etc. Yeah, bUt wE hAvE No GoOd PlAyErS!!!

Here's the thing: when Brunson was out (and Robinson still unsteady), we were forced to go to a freer 5-out offense and use our bench...and after a week of growing pains...suddenly we started to play well again. Very well.

And then Brunson came back, Robinson got fully healthy...and we went back to the very predictable offensive sets (basically hero-ball with Brunson and KAT...).

So yeah, I think there's some room remaining for further tinkering....

I'll check back with you next year when the Knicks become a play-in team.

[Childs]

I think these guys may want the job. Need a 4th pool and 7th kitchen in the house.

[Profound23]

Bucks need to fire Doc, Knicks need to hire Doc!

[zimpy27]

Yeah Bud is ideal tbh.

They have a Bud style team with KAT at the 5.

[taikibansei]

You realize the two situations aren't remotely the same? For starters, there is no Steph Curry on the Knicks. And simply there is no more that you can squeeze out of this roster as currently constructed. They exceeded expectations and were 2 wins away from the Finals.

Firing Thibs has massive repercussions and for what? No coach will get more out of this roster than an ECF next year. What is the goal here?

Etc., etc. Yeah, bUt wE hAvE No GoOd PlAyErS!!!

Here's the thing: when Brunson was out (and Robinson still unsteady), we were forced to go to a freer 5-out offense and use our bench...and after a week of growing pains...suddenly we started to play well again. Very well.

And then Brunson came back, Robinson got fully healthy...and we went back to the very predictable offensive sets (basically hero-ball with Brunson and KAT...).

So yeah, I think there's some room remaining for further tinkering....

I'll check back with you next year when the Knicks become a play-in team.

You do that. FYI though, I'm 3-0 in these little bets. Want to see if I get to 4-0? (Need to wait until I see who we hire--will post again when that becomes clear.)

[NyKnicks1714]

I hate this. Yes, the way he refused to take players out of the game reached the point of absurdity, and yes there are potentially better options. But the Knicks exceeded expectations this year. Firing a coach who JUST lost in the Conference Finals when the team was not expected to even make it is crazy. Adding to that it could have very realistically gone the other way if not for a crazy sequence and miracle shot. The victory over Boston should have bought him another year.

I mean he’s been out coached by Spo and Carlisle enough times over his career I could see why the FO made a decision. The crazy part is this is like the second time him dealing with KAT got him fired.

Your reasoning is that he's been outcoached by two of the best coaches ever? I mean who are the Knicks going to hire who will outcoach guys like Spo and Carlisle?

[Godymas]

on the one hand, there are so many coaches available, how could you not.

on the other hand, Thibs did enough this year to earn his stay

but imo this means that the Knicks will not be breaking anything up this off season as far as roster. They will add a few pieces and run back the same roster with a veteran coach.

Vogel, Budenholzer, Malone, etc.

Plenty of options

[Snakebites]

I get that Thibs is unpopular (Knicks fans seem happy with this move) but did the Knicks really underachieve this year?

[jkvonny]

Fired the coach that just got them to the Conference Finals for the first time since 99' smh.

Actually 2000.

But, yes, this was a bad move.

Typical Knicks FO move.

[Zenzibar]

Knicks should trade a FRP for Doc.