In surprising move, Knicks fire Tom Thibodeau as head coach
Despite the Knicks reaching the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 25 years — and then team star Jalen Brunson sticking up for him — Tom Thibodeau has been fired as head coach of the New York Knicks.
The news comes just days after the Knicks finished their best playoff result in a quarter century. However, the franchise is focused on winning a title and believes that a ceiling has been reached, necessitating a new voice to lead the locker room, according to reports. The decision was made by team president Leon Rose, a close confidant of Thibodeau's, with the support of owner James Dolan, reports Ian Begley of SNY.TV.
The firing appeared to catch the Knicks players off guard.
Heading into the playoffs, there was a buzz in league circles that if the New York Knicks got bounced in the first two rounds of the playoffs, head coach Tom Thibodeau's job would be in jeopardy. However, after the team made the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 25 years, and considering Thibodeau's close ties to Rose and Brunson, it was thought by many around the league that Thibs had earned another chance.
The limitations exposed by the Pacers in the East finals were a combination of Rose and the front office not giving the Knicks enough of a bench and Thibodeau's reluctance to trust players he did have, like Landry Shamet, who stepped up when called upon. The problem of constructing a roster that could not defend — a team that had to play the gutty but undersized Brunson and center Karl-Anthony Towns, whose defensive deficiencies were on full display in Game 6 — should not be placed on Thibodeau.
Among the early names to watch as a replacement are Michael Malone (who was just let go by Denver near the end of the season) and whispers of college coaches such as Jay Wright.
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