Breaking: Tom Fired

[matchman]

Read on Twitter

That's more like it.

[Ravenxvirall]

Like I said...Thibs did it to himself...He can't get out of his own way...

Putting everything aside, I really feel bad for thibs. I posted this in January, I seen it coming.

TBH I really do hope Thibs quit with the shortsighted, stubbornness BS. He get in his own way to the point it's sad.

For a man that dedicated his entire life to basketball, no wife.. no kids, and to have only been out the second round once and hated by two fanbases (CHI and Minny) really sucks. Right now the Knicks is Last Chance U for him.. remember he was out of the NBA, if it weren't for Leon his coaching career probably would've been over. So if he can succeed here, it will make all his sacrifices worthwhile. But right now, history is not looking to favorable for him and I hate that for someone with so much passion.

Well said.. same here. For as much as I’ve wanted him to be fired for basketball reasons, when it happened, I actually felt bad for him on a human level because of everything you mentioned.

I’m sure thibs will feel terrible while he’s cashing 30 million worth of checks in the next couple years. My heart really goes out to him lmao

[MrDollarBills]

Hold up the new coach is going to be forced to have Rick on his staff....


Knicks are never beating the ridiculous allegations

we knew shenanigans are going on with CAA invovled. We have just been ok with it since Leon has been here he has won. And it helped us get Brunson.

Winning trumps all.

I question how this is going to impact the coaching search. Its a great job, loaded with talent, but having to deal with the star players dad on the staff is absurd. And might have a real negative impact on the search and the eventually the 'winning'

I don't think anyone should be forced to have Rick on their staff. If anything Rick needs to get another role with the team, front office or something.

Like I get it but he doesn't need to be on the sidelines.

[Ravenxvirall]

we knew shenanigans are going on with CAA invovled. We have just been ok with it since Leon has been here he has won. And it helped us get Brunson.

Winning trumps all.

I question how this is going to impact the coaching search. Its a great job, loaded with talent, but having to deal with the star players dad on the staff is absurd. And might have a real negative impact on the search and the eventually the 'winning'

I don't think anyone should be forced to have Rick on their staff. If anything Rick needs to get another role with the team, front office or something.

Like I get it but he doesn't need to be on the sidelines.

But how would we noticeably kiss Jalen’s ass? If daddy isn’t there he might get upset! (I don’t feel this way but there’s a million folks that do).

[MrDollarBills]

Putting everything aside, I really feel bad for thibs. I posted this in January, I seen it coming.

Well said.. same here. For as much as I’ve wanted him to be fired for basketball reasons, when it happened, I actually felt bad for him on a human level because of everything you mentioned.

I’m sure thibs will feel terrible while he’s cashing 30 million worth of checks in the next couple years. My heart really goes out to him lmao

Tom has more money than we'll ever see collectively on here, but i think there's a difference between feeling sorry for someone's circumstances, and feeling empathy for him as a person, because this is most likely the end of his coaching career.

Losing your passion or the thing that keeps you going day to day can literally kill you, doesn't matter how rich you are.

[stuporman]

Beating the Celtics means Thibs doesn't have to buy another dinner in NY, sure fans will always criticize him but he brought this team that was a dumpster fire back to respectability in his first season.

The players kept changing and many of them flawed but his teams fought hard, Knicks fans like that even though they tired of him.

Sure he wasn't the 'over the hump guy' but he was the guy who got them to the top of the hump, he is the Sisyphus of coaches.

[thebuzzardman]

I see this interest in getting Kidd, in that he has a relationship with Brunson, but also Giannis.

I can't see a trade that brings in Giannis that doesn't gut another position.

KAT for Giannis? I guess. If the FO thinks the Brunson/KAT defense has to be fixed.

But you need to go 4 out with Giannis as C. Who is the PF? OG? Great defender, a little undersized. Might work.

So, Kidd is rightly credited with developing Giannis, putting the ball in his hands, 7 ft PG etc.

But the version of the Bucks that won the chip didn't have Kidd as coach, and had Lopez/Portis as what made the team great (also JRue for point of attack defense), Middleton.

Giannis
OG
Mikal
?
Brunson

Doesn't feel like it's a chip team.

Ok. It's Giannis and KAT (yeah right), with KAT playing the role of sh*tty defense Brook Lopez.

KAT
Giannis
? (Can't be Hart)
Mikal
Brunson

Again, a problem.


Anyway, Kidd might be a good choice, and maybe there's a swap that rationalizes the roster that makes the team talent same but better fit, but not sure I'm seeing it with Giannis or KD in a way that doesn't hurt the starting lineup AND depth.

Unless the Knicks can magically get Schroeder and Oubre for next to nothing post trades. Not that they are all that, just better than Payne/Shamet.

[dukeknicksirish]

Was talking to one of the player's fathers after the news. His response was: very difficult to see it go down. We loved him. Next coach has to be like Tom in the aspect of pushing Brunson and the others. Can't be nice/buddy buddy style, that wont work. Need a guy that will get respect, dont think J.B. is that guy

[NowWHYcee7]

If we hire Mike Brown or Luke Walton, I'm done.

[Adelheid]

Read on Twitter

That's more like it.

pretty much

[Indomitable]

I would like to thank the Knicks and their owner for firing this narrow mind tunnel vision career ruiner.

Thibs I hope you never coach again.

Good Luck Knick Fans.

[rajajackal]

I question how this is going to impact the coaching search. Its a great job, loaded with talent, but having to deal with the star players dad on the staff is absurd. And might have a real negative impact on the search and the eventually the 'winning'

Its probably going to be Kidd (if he's let out of his deal) or Bryant both who have connections with the org and brunson.

They are probably two of the best candidates out there anyways so its not like we are compromising.

You were right when you said winning is all that matters. So if it doesnt negatively impact that im cool with nepotism.

i really hate having brunson's dad on the staff. i would have fired him before firing thibs

[Adelheid]

should have just made him a scout

[Stannis]

not necessarily.. giannis could always try his hand at string arming his way here

How many times have we had this fantasy with top players "strong arming" their way to the Knicks ?

It never happened lol

Melo

Yeah. That was the best example. But even he was willing to sign with the Nets if the Knicks didn't give up everything they had.

And he might have actually gone to the Nets if it wasn't for George Karl wanting NBA ready players on rookie deals over draft picks

So let's assume Bucks / Giannis are in the same situation... We don't even have prospects on cheap deals (no Gallo, Chandler, Felton, Mosgov related guys on our roster). Everybody is either on a fat contract or due for one soon. We don't have the picks (all those were given up in Bridges trade) .

Only case where I can see this happening is with KD, where it would be a KAT for KD swap.

[Stannis]

Bring Phil Jackson back. Let's try the triangle one more time

11chmpi0;nshiprngs

[KnixinSix]

Also, it’s funny that the thibs defenders are still in here trying to blame the roster for everything and saying he overachieved. We were the favorites against Indiana last year and we should’ve beaten them. We were the favorites against Indiana this year and we should’ve won in 5 games max. We should’ve swept Detroit.

Former players all agree if you swapped coaches the Knicks win the series handily. So why is anyone complaining about the roster?

Do we have the best bench in the league, no. Do we need it? Also no. Because our top 1-4 competes with any other teams 1-4 if used correctly. In fact our top 1-4 overshadows 99% of other teams.

The fact that our starting lineup SHOULD be one of the best starting lineups in the league yet it was a net negative all year long because thibs is too stubborn to bench hart and insists on playing him 37 mins a night should be enough for thibs glazers to see the light.

It was time to move on. Thibs was a floor raiser and great for instilling a lunch pail/ work your tail off culture. He helped bring this organization back to respectability. But with this roster especially now with KAT it was time to move on. Now get the new coach right because that will be a HUGE factor in determining future overall success.

[E-Balla]

Leon should get rid of those 7 players who wanted Thibs gone

This could be a straight Michael Corleone type clean up offseason

When I get players say they hate Thibs what I hear is they don't like the grind. According to the Athletic he's the coach guys want to play for least and half the league wouldn't want to play for him. That's the half you don't want on your team.

Or perhaps they simply prioritize staying in peak condition throughout the season to extend their careers, ensuring they're fresh for the playoffs. And maybe they'd rather play under a modern NBA coach who motivates them with something beyond mean mugging them every waking moment.

Peak condition requires conditioning. All these guys breaking career highs in games played but we supposed to think they were in peak condition? Half these players barely show up for work consistently and barely improve they're lazy and out of shape.

[Guano]

Its probably going to be Kidd (if he's let out of his deal) or Bryant both who have connections with the org and brunson.

They are probably two of the best candidates out there anyways so its not like we are compromising.

You were right when you said winning is all that matters. So if it doesnt negatively impact that im cool with nepotism.

i really hate having brunson's dad on the staff. i would have fired him before firing thibs

Same, its embarrassing. It feels like it narrows the options. Cause no way a respected vet coach is gonna want to be forced to employ a stars dad on his staff. Its lil league type sht. That said its not a killer. But it definitely can cause problems with others in the locker room and limit options.

[rajajackal]

You were right when you said winning is all that matters. So if it doesnt negatively impact that im cool with nepotism.

i really hate having brunson's dad on the staff. i would have fired him before firing thibs

Same, its embarrassing. It feels like it narrows the options. Cause no way a respected vet coach is gonna want to be forced to employ a stars dad on his staff. Its lil league type sht. That said its not a killer. But it definitely can cause problems with others in the locker room and limit options.

the fact that jalen's best friend blew up at him is all we needed to know about how the other guys must feel about it

[E-Balla]

How did he overachieve?? The Knicks got progressively better every year he's been here. The front office needs to get credit for that.

We didn't get better THIS year and we went further because we were healthier, but I said before the season we got worse, and we gave up all our assets to do it, and now Thibs is getting axed for not benching the guys we gave up so much for.

Every year we added better pieces, but we are acting like he took the same team from year one to the ECF. It would make sense if he improved the same roster, the same players making annual jumps in development and team wins...that didn't happen...we gave him shiny new pieces.

Every year BEFORE last year. I had us projected at 46/47 wins, we were way healthier than I expected and won 51. About what I expected on the high end.

And still we won just one more game than last year, a year where we didn't have our All Star forward for half of it, finished the season with strained hamstrings, abdominal muscles, broken hands and dislocated shoulders....and we took the same team to 7 games. Now, was that blue collar team a better fit for Thibs style of coaching.....take shot, miss shot, get rebound, take another shot.....definitely yes, but you can't tell me this year's team didn't have more potential if Thibs tinkered with a few things.

They didn't. Donte+Julius >>>> KAT. Mikal not enough to cover for that or the loss of Hartenstein. We should've spent 6 draft picks on Jarrett Allen or something to replace Hartenstein's 24 minutes a night. We lost against Indy in 2024 because we packed depth and defense. So what do we do? Return with a less deep team with a worse defense. Firing Thibs because Mikal and KAT aren't that good is dumb to me.

If you believe getting Bridges and Kat, about 50 PPG combined on great efficiency, wasn't an improvement, that last year's team was better than this one and it was just health that got us this far, then I respect your opinion and I rest my case, no need to debate further.

Its not about believe. We literally are worse than we were last year. Better health and we won 1 more game.

You're talking about PPG, that's the issue. No talk about fit, no talk about DEFENSE, no talk about the identity of the team, no talk of chemistry. This isn't 2K it's real life.