Latest news with #CleaningTheGlass
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Thibs out, Cal in? 4 Knicks coaching candidates to watch, and the perils of the college-to-pro route
Kenny Atkinson and Mark Daigneault have to feel a little uneasy on Tuesday afternoon. News of Tom Thibodeau's firing in New York will raise lots of questions about the future of the Knicks. But it also underlines the fungible nature of the coaching business in the NBA. Thibodeau, the NBA Coach of the Year in 2021, becomes the latest top-coach recipient to be fired within four years of winning the award. Actually, of the seven winners between 2016-17 and 2022-23, Thibodeau lasted the longest, getting four seasons worth of grace period before he was removed from his position. It's the same short runway Mike Budenholzer enjoyed after winning the award with the Bucks in 2019 — and winning a title in 2021. Advertisement The Coach of the Year curse is very much alive. Thibodeau, Budenholzer, Mike D'Antoni, Nick Nurse, Monty Williams and Mike Brown never saw as much as a fifth season with their teams after winning the award. Some, like Brown and Williams, were axed before seeing even a third. When Thibodeau took over a 21-45 team in 2019-20, a deliriously optimistic Knicks fan (and there are many) would have been laughed at if he or she envisioned a pathway to getting two wins away from the NBA Finals in less than a five-year span. But Thibodeau helped do just that. Along with the acquisitions by president of basketball operations Leon Rose, Thibodeau led the Knicks to back-to-back 50-win seasons, the first time since 1994-95 the organization has accomplished that feat. Despite the ending, Tom Thibodeau had a good run with the Knicks. (Photo by) (Dustin Satloff via Getty Images) Those who believe Thibodeau deserved better can't be dismissed outright. Thibodeau's well-chronicled reliance on structure and discipline were some of the very reasons why the Knicks were able to get to title contention quickly. But accelerating a timeline can create an own-goal of raised expectations. This preseason, oddsmakers set the over/under on the Knicks' regular-season win count to 53.5, and the Knicks 'only' won 51 games in the East. It's hard to see how this season could be viewed as a disappointment, considering they reached the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2000. Advertisement But star newcomer Karl-Anthony Towns never quite gelled with OG Anunoby, who signed the largest contract in Knicks history, along with Villanova teammates Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart. Thibodeau played that lineup to an extreme degree, but most of the time couldn't get the results he wanted. For the season, that five-man group played 940 minutes, more than twice as many as any other Eastern Conference lineup per data, but it never quite clicked. After a hot start, the offense fizzled and too often got bogged down into Brunson dribble fests. The defense routinely provided little resistance. Despite all the extreme minutes, the starting lineup ranked in the 51st percentile in point differential this season, according to Cleaning The Glass tracking. From that standpoint, the whole was not greater than the sum of its parts. It's understandable why Thibodeau was let go. Thibodeau waited until Game 3 of the East finals before he bailed on the underwhelming starting lineup and waited too long to lengthen his bench to more than two guys. Remarkably, the Knicks' top seven players played 93% of the team's minutes in the postseason, far more than the conference champs OKC (82%) and Indiana (80%). Given Bridges' chatter about too many minutes and the lack of Towns' defensive impact, I'd be surprised if we didn't hear more about certain college coaches who have experience leading some of these men to championships. Advertisement Where do the Knicks go from here? Here are four candidates to watch: John Calipari There's a man who knows how to win with Karl-Anthony Towns. This man also won an NBA Coach of the Year award and also happens to know what it's like to hold an NBA coaching job in the Tri-State area. Step right up, John Calipari! It's also true that over the years no coach has been closer to Rose and his No. 2 in the Knicks front office, William Wesley, than the Arkansas coach who coached Towns with both the University of Kentucky and the Dominican Republic national team. Calipari was the head coach for the New Jersey Nets for two and a half seasons, earning one playoff appearance in 1997-98 (he was swept). When Rose got the job to run the Knicks, Calipari spoke glowingly about Rose and his future in New York. (He was right that Rose would turn it around.) Advertisement Calipari reportedly has four years remaining on his five-year pact with the Razorbacks, who gave him an annual pay cut from his gig at Kentucky. If the Knicks came calling and offered him a job with a competitive salary, I'm sure he'd pick up the phone. As for college coaches in the NBA, the track record hasn't been overwhelmingly strong. Of the 13 coaches that made the jump, none has made it to the NBA Finals — something that eluded both Billy Donovan and Brad Stevens despite their successes. A Calipari hire would indicate the Knicks believe in Towns' long-term viability in New York. It also wouldn't be the only high-profile college legend who might be in the running. Jay Wright Calipari has won one championship with a current Knick, but Wright has cut down the net multiple times with future Knicks. Wright stepped away from Villanova in 2022 after an immensely successful run with the Wildcats, winning the 2016 and 2018 NCAA tournaments with Brunson, Hart and Bridges helping along the way. Advertisement At 63 years old, Wright would find himself on the older end of the NBA coaching ranks, but he wouldn't be an outlier. Heck, Rick Carlisle is two years older than Wright and he's coaching one of the NBA's youngest teams in the NBA Finals. Unlike Calipari, Wright has never been on an NBA bench, and it's unclear if he'd have any interest in a pro gig. But having already coached Brunson, Bridges and Hart — all of whom are under contract next season — and taken them all the way, it isn't far-fetched to imagine he might consider the job. As Rick Pitino found out the hard way in Boston, though, coaching former college players isn't as easy as it looks. Michael Malone Watching ESPN broadcasts during the playoffs, I felt like Malone was a natural on TV. But I don't think he wants to be there long. Advertisement The coaching lifer is the son of former longtime Knicks assistant head coach Brendan Malone. He also has one bullet on his resume that Thibodeau and the rest of the names on this list do not: head coach of an NBA champion. Even though he lost the locker room in Denver, which eventually cost him his job, I'd be shocked if Malone isn't coaching somewhere next season. Considering Thibodeau was ousted just days after losing Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals, it seems like the Knicks already have a coach in mind. Malone could be that target now that he's a free agent. Also working in Malone's favor is that he's a CAA client, which bodes well considering the Rose-led Knicks are already so intertwined with that agency. Jeff Van Gundy I would make the call. Who knows if Van Gundy would entertain a reunion with Knicks owner James Dolan and the Knicks. But he's the last coach who took the Knicks to the NBA Finals and few names garner as much respect around the league as JVG. As Tyronn Lue's lead assistant this season, Van Gundy helped turn the Los Angeles Clippers into a top-three defense even without Kawhi Leonard for half the season. He knows what it takes to win in New York and still has a firm grasp on the modern NBA. Though the Clippers stumbled to the finish line this season, Van Gundy could be rejuvenated by a much younger roster in New York than the one that starred in the Intuit Dome.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Thibs out, Cal in? Four Knicks coaching candidates to watch, and the perils of the college-to-pro route
Kenny Atkinson and Mark Daigneault have to feel a little uneasy on Tuesday afternoon. News of Tom Thibodeau's firing in New York will raise lots of questions about the future of the Knicks. But it also underlines the fungible nature of the coaching business in the NBA. Thibodeau, the NBA Coach of the Year in 2021, becomes the latest top-coach recipient to be fired within four years of winning the award. Actually, of the seven winners between 2016-17 and 2022-23, Thibodeau lasted the longest, getting four seasons worth of grace period before he was removed from his position. It's the same short runway Mike Budenholzer enjoyed after winning the award with the Bucks in 2019 — and winning a title in 2021. Advertisement The Coach of the Year curse is very much alive. Thibodeau, Budenholzer, Mike D'Antoni, Nick Nurse, Monty Williams and Mike Brown never saw as much as a fifth season with their teams after winning the award. Some, like Brown and Williams, were axed before seeing even a third. When Thibodeau took over a 21-45 team in 2019-20, a deliriously optimistic Knicks fan (and there are many) would have been laughed at if he or she envisioned a pathway to getting two wins away from the NBA Finals in less than a five-year span. But Thibodeau helped do just that. Along with the acquisitions by president of basketball operations Leon Rose, Thibodeau led the Knicks to back-to-back 50-win seasons, the first time since 1994-95 the organization has accomplished that feat. Despite the ending, Tom Thibodeau had a good run with the Knicks. (Photo by) (Dustin Satloff via Getty Images) Those who believe Thibodeau deserved better can't be dismissed outright. Thibodeau's well-chronicled reliance on structure and discipline were some of the very reasons why the Knicks were able to get to title contention quickly. But accelerating a timeline can create an own-goal of raised expectations. This preseason, oddsmakers set the over/under on the Knicks' regular-season win count to 53.5, and the Knicks 'only' won 51 games in the East. It's hard to see how this season could be viewed as a disappointment, considering they reached the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2000. Advertisement But star newcomer Karl-Anthony Towns never quite gelled with OG Anunoby, who signed the largest contract in Knicks history, along with Villanova teammates Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart. Thibodeau played that lineup to an extreme degree, but most of the time couldn't get the results he wanted. For the season, that five-man group played 940 minutes, more than twice as many as any other Eastern Conference lineup per data, but it never quite clicked. After a hot start, the offense fizzled and too often got bogged down into Brunson dribble fests. The defense routinely provided little resistance. Despite all the extreme minutes, the starting lineup ranked in the 51st percentile in point differential this season, according to Cleaning The Glass tracking. From that standpoint, the whole was not greater than the sum of its parts. It's understandable why Thibodeau was let go. Thibodeau waited until Game 3 of the East finals before he bailed on the underwhelming starting lineup and waited too long to lengthen his bench to more than two guys. Remarkably, the Knicks' top seven players played 93% of the team's minutes in the postseason, far more than the conference champs OKC (82%) and Indiana (80%). Given Bridges' chatter about too many minutes and the lack of Towns' defensive impact, I'd be surprised if we didn't hear more about certain college coaches who have experience leading some of these men to championships. Advertisement Where do the Knicks go from here? Here are four candidates to watch: John Calipari There's a man who knows how to win a championship with Karl-Anthony Towns. This man also won an NBA Coach of the Year award and also happens to know what it's like to hold an NBA coaching job in the Tri-State area. Step right up, John Calipari! It's also true that over the years no coach has been closer to Rose and his No. 2 in the Knicks front office, William Wesley, than the Arkansas coach who coached Towns with both the University of Kentucky and the Dominican Republic national team. Calipari was the head coach for the New Jersey Nets for two and a half seasons, earning one playoff appearance in 1997-98 (he was swept). When Rose got the job to run the Knicks, Calipari spoke glowingly about Rose and his future in New York. (He was right that Rose would turn it around.) Advertisement Calipari reportedly has four years remaining on his five-year pact with the Razorbacks, who gave him an annual pay cut from his gig at Kentucky. If the Knicks came calling and offered him a job with a competitive salary, I'm sure he'd pick up the phone. As for college coaches in the NBA, the track record hasn't been overwhelmingly strong. Of the 13 coaches that made the jump, none has made it to the NBA Finals — something that eluded both Billy Donovan and Brad Stevens despite their successes. A Calipari hire would indicate the Knicks believe in Towns' long-term viability in New York. It also wouldn't be the only high-profile college legend who might be in the running. Jay Wright Calipari has won one championship with a current Knick, but Wright has cut down the net multiple times with future Knicks. Wright stepped away from Villanova in 2022 after an immensely successful run with the Wildcats, winning the 2016 and 2018 NCAA tournaments with Brunson, Hart and Bridges helping along the way. Advertisement At 63 years old, Wright would find himself on the older end of the NBA coaching ranks, but he wouldn't be an outlier. Heck, Rick Carlisle is two years older than Wright and he's coaching one of the NBA's youngest teams in the NBA Finals. Unlike Calipari, Wright has never been on an NBA bench, and it's unclear if he'd have any interest in a pro gig. But having already coached Brunson, Bridges and Hart — all of whom are under contract next season — and taken them all the way, it isn't far-fetched to imagine he might consider the job. As Rick Pitino found out the hard way in Boston, though, coaching former college players isn't as easy as it looks. Michael Malone Watching ESPN broadcasts during the playoffs, I felt like Malone was a natural on TV. But I don't think he wants to be there long. Advertisement The coaching lifer is the son of former longtime Knicks assistant head coach Brendan Malone. He also has one bullet on his resume that Thibodeau and the rest of the names on this list do not: head coach of an NBA champion. Even though he lost the locker room in Denver, which eventually cost him his job, I'd be shocked if Malone isn't coaching somewhere next season. Considering Thibodeau was ousted just days after losing Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals, it seems like the Knicks already have a coach in mind. Malone could be that target now that he's a free agent. Also working in Malone's favor is that he's a CAA client, which bodes well considering the Rose-led Knicks are already so intertwined with that agency. Jeff Van Gundy I would make the call. Who knows if Van Gundy would entertain a reunion with Knicks owner James Dolan and the Knicks. But he's the last coach who took the Knicks to the NBA Finals and few names garner as much respect around the league as JVG. As Tyronn Lue's lead assistant this season, Van Gundy helped turn the Los Angeles Clippers into a top-three defense even without Kawhi Leonard for half the season. He knows what it takes to win in New York and still has a firm grasp on the modern NBA. Though the Clippers stumbled to the finish line this season, Van Gundy could be rejuvenated by a much younger roster in New York than the one that starred in the Intuit Dome.
USA Today
08-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Warriors' Jimmy Butler speaks out in Stephen Curry's defense
Warriors' Jimmy Butler speaks out in Stephen Curry's defense Jimmy Butler on Steph Curry: 'I've never seen an individual get fouled more than he gets fouled.' — Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) April 7, 2025 The Golden State Warriors suffered a humbling defeat at the hands of the Houston Rockets on Sunday, April. 6. Ime Udoka's team set the tone, both in intensity and physicality, often fouling Stephen Curry to limit his overall impact on the game. During his postgame news conference, Jimmy Butler shared his frustration at how little protection Curry receives from the game officials. The veteran forward explained that Curry is consistently fouled without getting a whistle and is then forced to fight through the contact despite having a case to get to the free-throw line. 'I've never seen an individual get fouled more than he gets fouled,' Butler said. 'To me, I think that's been happening for 16 straight years and I get to see it, and it really angers me that he's on my team and he gets hacked like that. He's found a way through it, around it, under it—whatever you want to call it.' According to Cleaning The Glass, Curry has drawn a foul on 8.2% of his shots this season, placing him in the 46th percentile throughout the NBA. When you think of the gravity Curry possesses and how hard the opposing team's closeout ot him on the perimeter is, that number does seem incredibly low. While Butler's frustration is undoubtedly warranted, it's unlikely that his comments will have much impact on how the officials protect Curry. Fortunately for the Warriors, the superstar guard has found ways to counter how opposing defenses play him, and he continues to be one of the most impactful scorers in the NBA. This post originally appeared on Warriors Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
Forbes
05-04-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Boston Celtics Break NBA Record For Most 3-Pointers In A Season
In what has become a record-setting year for various NBA title contenders, the Boston Celtics are joining the party. There are new perimeter kings in the building, taking that label away from the Bay Area. The Celtics have broken the NBA's all-time record for most 3-pointers made in a season, surpassing the Golden State Warriors' mark of 1,363 set during the 2022-23 campaign. This comes just a few days after Derrick White overtook Isaiah Thomas for the most individual threes in a season in Celtics' franchise history. Boston claimed the latest record in the second quarter of Friday's game versus the Phoenix Suns. For context on how impressive this feat is, consider the fact we still have a week remaining in the NBA schedule. The Celtics have five games left, meaning they could destroy this number for the time being. Currently averaging 17.8 made threes per game, they have a chance to blow past the Warriors' mark by 100 or more. Plus, considering how intentional and extreme the Celtics have been with adjusting their shot profile to stay ahead of the curve, there's no guarantee other teams will take enough to catch them. Boston entered Friday 156 threes ahead of the Cleveland Cavaliers, who rank second in the league with 1,200 makes. It's the largest gap between the first and second-place teams since the 2018-19 Rockets, who were 218 ahead of the Milwaukee Bucks. Those were the same Rockets that famously ditched the concept of playing traditional centers by trading Clint Capela at the deadline, leaning into small-ball lineups that spaced the floor and launched from deep. This isn't just a matter of high volume for the Celtics, either. For the third straight year, they are top 10 in perimeter efficiency, per Cleaning The Glass. Heat map of the Boston Celtics' shot profile 2024-25 Season But yes, they do take a large proportion of their shots from downtown. In fact, this is the first time in NBA history a team has taken at least 50% of its shots from 3-point range. Filtering out garbage time, the Celtics are seven percentage points higher than second place in 3-point volume this season. There's a reason for it, too. When the coaching staff experienced an overhaul in September 2022, the identity shifted. And it has led to an offensive juggernaut that stresses – and stretches – opponents beyond their limits. Joe Mazzulla, finishing up his third season as Celtics head coach, is perhaps the most ruthless competitor on NBA sidelines. He doesn't care one iota about the league's ratings concern, or how aesthetically unpleasant their offense might be compared to past eras. The only two things he's focused on? Stacking wins and figuring out the best equation that yields playoff success, regardless of the opponent. When asked about the Celtics leaning into this perimeter-based approach, he kept things simple. 'Red Auerbach said it best,' Mazzulla began. 'Rebounding is the second most important thing (in basketball). The first is shooting.' Boston embraces the identity it has built. Their offensive system isn't predicated on jacking threes with no rhyme or reason. This isn't the Mike D'Antoni Rockets that finished 20% of their possessions with isolation attempts. The Celtics offer a stylistic blend of drive-and-kick offense, off-ball screening, and mismatch hunting out of ball-screens that every successful offense has featured in the modern era. With the deadly lineup options Boston has – and the luxury of both Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford shooting the lights out as centers – most of their actions inevitably lead to threes. That's precisely why Boston is a matchup problem for nearly every opponent, but especially those with traditional drop-coverage big men. The Celtics are going to force them to move on the perimeter and cover an exceptional amount of ground. And, no, they will not budge from that identity. Since Mazzulla took over, there have been 198 instances of Boston knocking down at least 15 threes in a game. That's 61 more times than the next-highest team, Golden State. The Celtics have won 163 of those games, translating to an 82.3% winning percentage. In other words – over the course of a standard season, they are a 67-win team (based on performance) when making at least 15 threes. Extend it to 20 makes, which is no longer a rarity for this franchise, and it's even more ridiculous. The Celtics are 53-6 under Mazzulla when drilling at least 20 threes, including playoffs. That's a better winning percentage than the famous 73-9 Warriors. You've likely heard over the last few months just how 'detrimental' this play style is for the popularity of the sport. And it couldn't be further from the truth. It's flat-out silly to suggest television ratings have dropped because of the NBA's 3-point revolution, mostly because it ignores the impact of cable-cutters and illegal streaming that's running rampant across the sports world. There's a heavy proportion of viewers that aren't being captured by the metrics. Also, there's only one particular group that's irritated by Boston's shot chart. It's the old heads. The ones who think it's a smarter offensive decision to pass up wide-open threes in favor of contested mid-range looks, or ineffective post-ups. The NBA – and its broadcast partners – never do themselves any favors by having older generation stars dominate the conversation on national television. When fans are incorrectly being told how much worse the game is today versus the 1990s and 2000s … that doesn't seem to be a logical way of boosting viewership. The truth is, Boston hasn't aimlessly launched threes. It has been strategic. And the way they generate those opportunities is entertaining for basketball junkies. Behind the right personnel moves over the last few summers and smart, detailed coaching, they have unlocked the most competent and reliable offense in the game. Ten months ago, the old adage of 'jumpshooting teams can't win a championship' was demolished, and the Celtics have followed it by taking the crown as 3-point kings. As viewers, we should all just learn to enjoy the difference in styles around the league. I promise, it's more fun that way.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Is Celtics' Jayson Tatum unguardable?
Jayson Tatum is a fearsome prospect for every team in the NBA. The Boston Celtics forward is a top-five player in the world. He's an elite playmaker, scorer, shot creator and help defender. When Tatum is on the floor, Cleaning The Glass has Boston outscoring opponents by +9.4 points per 100 possessions. During his pregame news conference before the Boston Celtics overcame the Brooklyn Nets on March 18, Jordi Fernandez admitted that he had no answers on how to guard Tatum. Fernandez did, of course, explain that his team does a good job of trying to contain Tatum — and any other elite player in the league. 'I don't know how to guard him," Fernandez said. "He's too good.' Tatum is on track to make his fourth consecutive All-NBA First Team this season. He also has all the motivation needed to make a push for a conference finals and NBA finals MVP award after being overlooked for both last season. You can watch the full news conference by clicking on the embedded video above. Watch to the "Celtics Chronicle" podcast on: YouTube: Substack: This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Is Boston's Jayson Tatum unguardable?
