Shams: New York Knicks Fire Head Coach Tom Thibodeau

[NZB2323]

2015 Bulls with Thibbs: 50 wins, win a playoff series
2016 Bulls without Thibbs: 42 wins, misses playoffs

[Wingy]

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? To play 9 guys instead of 7 and get bounced in the second round instead?

Yes.

People would give Thibs less grief if he rested and load managed guys all the way to a 6th seed and first round exit.

[Edrees]

I am unsure if it was a good move, but I think they got real luck nobody got injured in the playoffs this year with those minutes played, so it's probably best moving forward.

When I look at the roster it actually is extremely talented top to bottom , they need to either use their current depth or acquire more depth next year

[djsunyc]

when detroit let carlisle go, it was for larry brown.

outside of kerr, no replacement around would compare in terms of resume.

bud, vogel, nurse all had issues in their stops after their chip.

[Woodsanity]

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

Honest question: What would Knicks fans consider an upgrade?

To be honest there isn't any clear upgrade available.

We might have to take a risk on someone who hasnt held a HC position before like Johnnie Bryant. I rather do that than hire poor man's Thibs aka Michael Malone.

[JujitsuFlip]

I need proof anyone was burned out. If we’re blaming thibs for the collapse I need proof.

The proof is in the pudding (Thibs is fired).

But the rumbles of the coaching staff getting mad at Bridges for calling them out for too many minutes.

And also the rumbles of the coaching staff being mad KAT did not take defense serious enough.

It's time for a new voice. Thibs playground offense does not work when push comes to shove. Thibs has never been to a Finals as a head coach, not by coincidence.

Knicks starters averaged a cumulative 20 more mpg than the the median...so we are talking 4 minutes per game on average. 12 minutes per week of game action. Players don't even practice anymore. You think that's a big deal?

Thibs no longer has a job, so yeah, I'd say it was a big deal to someone in/on the Knicks lol

[infinite11285]

Read on Twitter

sounds like it was the players decision to get thibs out of here

How can any team hope to build continuity anymore when player empowerment has quietly shifted from roster control to dictating coaching decisions—allowing players to dodge accountability and even force a head coach’s firing?

[Wingy]

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.

Isn’t that akin to saying Brunson has been outplayed by Giannis and SGA over his career? The game’s best, so it shouldn’t be a surprise.

I guess the only silver lining I can see in this bad decision is that you can’t find one of the game’s most elite coaches if you don’t try! Good luck succeeding there though.

Hopefully they trade for Donte and bring in Jay Wright!

[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.

Isn’t that akin to saying Brunson has been outplayed by Giannis and SGA over his career? The game’s best, so it shouldn’t be a surprise.

I guess the only silver lining I can see in this bad decision is that you can’t find one of the game’s most elite coaches if you don’t try! Good luck succeeding there though.

Hopefully they trade for Donte and bring in Jay Wright!

They don’t play the same positions, and Hali did out play him this year and he does need to get better. However, it’s not a consistent thing. A better example would be Derozan and Lebron. Lebron use to own Derozan year after year, and eventually the Raptors traded him for Kawhi because Lebron can’t just outplay Kawhi and then the Raptors won a championship.

Sometimes change is good.

[NyKnicks1714]

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.

Isn’t that akin to saying Brunson has been outplayed by Giannis and SGA over his career? The game’s best, so it shouldn’t be a surprise.

I guess the only silver lining I can see in this bad decision is that you can’t find one of the game’s most elite coaches if you don’t try! Good luck succeeding there though.

Hopefully they trade for Donte and bring in Jay Wright!

They don’t play the same positions, and Hali did out play him this year and he does need to get better. However, it’s not a consistent thing. A better example would be Derozan and Lebron. Lebron use to own Derozan year after year, and eventually the Raptors traded him for Kawhi because Lebron can’t just outplay Kawhi and then the Raptors won a championship.

Sometimes change is good.

This is a terrible analogy and you know it. One, it had nothing to do with LeBron, and he signed with the Lakers before the trade was made. It's freaking Kawhi Leonard, of course you trade Derozan for him, even for the one year rental. And who is this coach who's head and shoulders above Thibs that the Knicks are going to hire?

[tamaraw08]

Watch them hire someone who also just plays heavy minutes with the starters lol

wait, are they trading for JJ Redick?

[jigga_man]

We're eventually getting to a point where a coach will be fired days after winning a championship

Results don't matter anymore

[HotRocks34]

Michael Malone is a good coach IMO.

He's also a coach who will run starters into the ground and not utilize the bench to its full potential.

He is from NYC so that might be a benefit from a fit perspective.

[WargamesX]

Isn’t that akin to saying Brunson has been outplayed by Giannis and SGA over his career? The game’s best, so it shouldn’t be a surprise.

I guess the only silver lining I can see in this bad decision is that you can’t find one of the game’s most elite coaches if you don’t try! Good luck succeeding there though.

Hopefully they trade for Donte and bring in Jay Wright!

They don’t play the same positions, and Hali did out play him this year and he does need to get better. However, it’s not a consistent thing. A better example would be Derozan and Lebron. Lebron use to own Derozan year after year, and eventually the Raptors traded him for Kawhi because Lebron can’t just outplay Kawhi and then the Raptors won a championship.

Sometimes change is good.

This is a terrible analogy and you know it. One, it had nothing to do with LeBron, and he signed with the Lakers before the trade was made. It's freaking Kawhi Leonard, of course you trade Derozan for him, even for the one year rental. And who is this coach who's head and shoulders above Thibs that the Knicks are going to hire?

Either you take the lesson from history or not. When the goal is a championship you can’t afford to be sentimental and think anything less is acceptable.

[NyKnicks1714]

They don’t play the same positions, and Hali did out play him this year and he does need to get better. However, it’s not a consistent thing. A better example would be Derozan and Lebron. Lebron use to own Derozan year after year, and eventually the Raptors traded him for Kawhi because Lebron can’t just outplay Kawhi and then the Raptors won a championship.

Sometimes change is good.

This is a terrible analogy and you know it. One, it had nothing to do with LeBron, and he signed with the Lakers before the trade was made. It's freaking Kawhi Leonard, of course you trade Derozan for him, even for the one year rental. And who is this coach who's head and shoulders above Thibs that the Knicks are going to hire?

Either you take the lesson from history or not. When the goal is a championship you can’t afford to be sentimental and think anything less is acceptable.

So cliches > facts I guess. Again, who is this far superior coach the Knicks are hiring?

[WargamesX]

Michael Malone is a good coach IMO.

He's also a coach who will run starters into the ground and not utilize the bench to its full potential.

He is from NYC so that might be a benefit from a fit perspective.

All the reporters with insider knowledge are saying he isn’t the person they are looking at. Johnnie Bryant is the name they all are saying pay attention too, but are also hedging the FO might wait to see who becomes available at the end of the season.

[WargamesX]

This is a terrible analogy and you know it. One, it had nothing to do with LeBron, and he signed with the Lakers before the trade was made. It's freaking Kawhi Leonard, of course you trade Derozan for him, even for the one year rental. And who is this coach who's head and shoulders above Thibs that the Knicks are going to hire?

Either you take the lesson from history or not. When the goal is a championship you can’t afford to be sentimental and think anything less is acceptable.

So cliches > facts I guess. Again, who is this far superior coach the Knicks are hiring?

The season isn’t over so no one knows who is available. Sometime Cliches are just the way things are.

[tamaraw08]

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

Honest question: What would Knicks fans consider an upgrade?

To be honest there isn't any clear upgrade available.

We might have to take a risk on someone who hasnt held a HC position before like Johnnie Bryant. I rather do that than hire poor man's Thibs aka Michael Malone.

I understand a re-thread may not work but for every 1 Mark Daigneault, there's a few more Wes Unseld Jr, Chauncey Billups, Kokoskov, Earl Watson, etc.

[Curmudgeon]

This would have been a lousy move if Make Malone were not available, along with a few other good coaches.

[NyKnicks1714]

Either you take the lesson from history or not. When the goal is a championship you can’t afford to be sentimental and think anything less is acceptable.

So cliches > facts I guess. Again, who is this far superior coach the Knicks are hiring?

The season isn’t over so no one knows who is available. Sometime Cliches are just the way things are.

Name a coach who is available or could potentially be fired who is head and shoulders above Thibs. Malone? Jenkins? Bud? Doc? Vogel? None of them is a clear upgrade nor worth firing a coach who just got to the ECF over.

I half-jokingly mentioned JVG earlier, but maybe him? That's the only person I can think of.