Latest news with #TomThibodeau
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Celtics Champion Tabbed 'Unbelievable Fit' for Knicks
Celtics Champion Tabbed 'Unbelievable Fit' for Knicks originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Heading into the 2024-25 NBA season, just about any reasonable Knicks fan would have called 50-plus wins in the regular season, playing deep into the Eastern Conference finals and not being eliminated from the playoff hunt until May 31 a successful season in Gotham. Advertisement Yet with the Knicks being knocked out by the No. 4 seed Pacers, a team that was decidedly a longshot to be in the championship picture this season, it's hard not to look at the opportunity New York had as a chance squandered. After all, this team blew a 14-point lead with less than five minutes to play in Game 1, not to mention a nine-point lead with less than a minute to go. Heading into the offseason, the question around the Knicks is whether the team should consider drastic changes, like chasing Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo on the trade market or even replacing coach Tom Thibodeau. New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) and Boston Celtics center Al Horford (42) work for the ball in the fourth quarter during game one of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images Neither is likely. What we're probably going to see from the Knicks is some fixes around the margin, especially in the frontcourt, where a lack of depth at center proved costly. Advertisement And for ESPN's Tim Bontemps, one name stands out as a potential 2025-26 Knicks addition: Celtics big man Al Horford. "Al Horford is a free agent," Bontemps said on "The Hoops Collective" podcast. "I don't think it makes a lot of sense at this point for Al Horford to be back in Boston. Maybe he will be. But given where things are with the Celtics, I think that he is much more in play than he was a month ago. Al Horford is a longtime friend of Karl Towns, has played with him for the Dominican national team for a long time—if they go get him this summer, who I think would be an unbelievable fit on this roster. … "And they have a bench of Al Horford, another ballhandler, Deuce McBride and Mitchell Robinson to go with their starting five, that's a much better team. That's a team that could beat the Pacers next year." Advertisement Now, there's a chance Horford will retire this offseason, and if he plays, he probably won't want to leave Boston. But Horford turns 39 this week. If he is going to play, he is going to want to win, and with Jayson Tatum out for what is likely to be the entire 2025-26 season, that won't be with the Celtics. Could it be with the Knicks? Assuming Horford would be willing to take a modest contract, and considering his pedigree as a 2024 NBA champ, his fit would, indeed, make sense. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
New York Knicks Make Tom Thibodeau Decision After Loss to Pacers
New York Knicks Make Tom Thibodeau Decision After Loss to Pacers originally appeared on Athlon Sports. New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau had a successful fifth year with the club, posting a 51-31 record and making an Eastern Conference Finals appearance. Advertisement With Jalen Brunson at the helm, with his co-star being Karl-Anthony Towns, Thibodeau took the Knicks deep into the playoffs, being just two wins away from an NBA Finals berth. As New York was facing a series deficit in the Eastern Conference Finals, the suggestions for the franchise were swirling -- whether it be trade Towns, fire Thibodeau or something else. The conversations, then, were premature. The day after the loss to the Indiana Pacers, however, the Knicks have to begin making serious decisions and look at tough conversations with the offseason arriving. Something shown in the current playoffs -- with the Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder making the NBA Finals -- is that quality depth matters heavily. New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau with center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) against the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center.© Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Thibodeau often plays starters heavily, the Knicks are a top-heavy talent team. Changes could very well be on the way. Advertisement New York reportedly has a decision on Thibodeau's future with the club, however. "The coach has the backing of team president Leon Rose," The Athletic reports. "...as well as full buy-in from Brunson, who signed with the Knicks in 2022 in part because he wanted to play for Thibodeau. But ultimately, owner James Dolan is the final decision-maker.' While James Dolan has the final say, going against the franchise superstar and owner of the organization doesn't sound like a savvy business move. More than likely, Thibodeau will be roaming the sidelines in Madison Square Garden next season, though his squad could be looking a bit different, should Dolan still aim to make changes. Advertisement Considering how the Knicks played both in the regular season and the playoffs, it might be premature to shake things up in a big way. Trying to add depth wouldn't be a bad decision at all, however. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Knicks Players, Coaches Had Major Karl-Anthony Towns Complaints During Season
Knicks Players, Coaches Had Major Karl-Anthony Towns Complaints During Season originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The New York Knicks traded for Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges last offseason with the hopes that they could, after 26 years, finally make the NBA Finals. Advertisement They got close, falling to the Indiana Pacers in six games in the Eastern Conference Finals. While New York had the talent (but not the depth) to keep up with the Pacers, their effort all season had been questioned. While Josh Hart, OG Anunoby, and Bridges seemed to fit perfectly with Jalen Brunson in Tom Thibodeau's system, Towns was the odd man out, despite his undeniable talents. New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau with center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) against the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center.© Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Towns Showed No Effort on Defense In the postseason, Towns' offensive efficiency and scoring numbers took a slight hit, but it was nothing too serious. However, on defense, he didn't look bought in, which quickly wore down his teammates and coaching staff. Advertisement "Publicly, Knicks players made veiled comments all season about poor communication causing their inconsistencies," reported The Athletic's James Edwards III (subscription required). "Behind the scenes, they and coaches expressed frustration with Towns' defensive habits — less concerned with his talent level and more with his process on that end. Too often, Towns executed incorrect coverages without communicating why he did it. After it became a theme, players worried Towns didn't grasp the importance of the matter." In the postseason, Jalen Duren shot 71.4 percent when guarded by Towns in the first round, and Luke Kornet shot 83.3 percent when guarded by him in the second round. In the Conference Finals, Myles Turner shot only 56 percent from the floor and 31.8 percent from deep, and Towns held him to 0-for-6 shooting from deep, although his interior defense was suspect at best all season long. Advertisement As the Knicks look to retool and make another Finals push next season, KAT is already the odd man out and has already been included in trade rumors. Check out the All Knicks home page for more news, analysis, and must-read articles. Related: Fans React to Timothee Chalamet Announcement During Knicks-Pacers Game 6 Related: New York Knicks Make Tom Thibodeau Decision After Loss to Pacers This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
Newsweek
15 hours ago
- Sport
- Newsweek
Tom Thibodeau's Status With Knicks Reportedly Decided After Playoff Exit
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The New York Knicks fell short of their quest to win the NBA title, losing in the Eastern Conference Finals to the Indiana Pacers. New York was simply outplayed at different times by the Pacers, and they now will head into the offseason with some questions to answer. After the series ended, rumors started coming up about the status of head coach Tom Thibodeau. Thibodeau has been the subject of criticism over time for multiple reasons, and with the Knicks falling short again, there was some wonder on his future with the team. But according to James L. Edwards III and Fred Katz of The Athletic, Thibodeau seems safe for now. "Thibodeau absorbed criticisms about heavy minutes for the starters, hardly a new critique, but New York's roster was one of the NBA's healthiest all season and concluded the playoffs with no one injured. The coach has the backing of team president Leon Rose, league sources said, as well as full buy-in from Brunson, who signed with the Knicks in 2022 in part because he wanted to play for Thibodeau. But ultimately, owner James Dolan is the final decision-maker." INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MAY 25: Head coach Tom Thibodeau of the New York Knicks reacts against the Indiana Pacers during the fourth quarter in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2025 NBA... INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MAY 25: Head coach Tom Thibodeau of the New York Knicks reacts against the Indiana Pacers during the fourth quarter in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on May 25, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. More Photo byThis article will be updated...
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Five reasons the New York Knicks lost the Eastern Conference finals
The New York Knicks will have plenty of time to dissect what went wrong in the Eastern Conference finals. New York was trying to make its first NBA Finals since 1999, and, after being eliminated in consecutive years by the Indiana Pacers, the Knicks must be proactive and honest about changes they will need to make to break through. Advertisement For one, the team relies so significantly on All-Star point guard Jalen Brunson that he's often tasked with saving New York. But that's just the beginning. OPINION: Small-market Pacers party down in big way with NBA Finals trip MORE: Pascal Siakam named Eastern Conference finals MVP after Pacers down Knicks Five reasons why the New York Knicks lost the Eastern Conference finals against the Indiana Pacers: 1. Going down 0-2 at home Teams simply cannot gift games during the postseason, especially during the conference finals. Game 1, when the Knicks held a nine-point lead with 58.8 seconds left to play, was the epitome of a missed opportunity. The Knicks actually held a 17-point lead midway through the fourth quarter, but they became complacent and could not answer Indiana's pace. It was bad enough for the Knicks to drop the series opener at home, but it was even worse when they dropped Game 2 in the Garden to fall behind 0-2 headed to Indiana. 2. Trying to match Indiana's tempo From Game 1, it appeared that Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau's preference was to try to match Indiana's speed, rather than to grind games down. It would turn out to be misguided. The Knicks ranked 27th in the regular season in pace, generating 97.64 possessions per 48 minutes. Indiana ranked seventh (100.76). While the Knicks sometimes did have success against the Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics in the earlier rounds when pushing tempo, New York would've been far better off slowing the game against the Pacers because this was exactly how Indiana wanted to play. 3. Turnovers The Knicks committed more turnovers than the Pacers in all but one of the games, and New York lost the turnover margin overall, 93-75. In itself, that's pretty bad, but it gets worse. Because of the speed with which the Pacers play, those turnovers turned into easy offense: the Pacers posted a crushing 140-61 advantage in points off turnovers throughout the series. 4. Transition defense The previous point feeds somewhat into this. But whether it was off of turnovers, missed shots or even out of inbounds passes on made attempts, New York did not sustain precise focus on spotting Pacers leaking out in transition. While physically demanding, Thibodeau could've done more to tweak strategy, insisting that players drop back to prevent fastbreak chances. The Pacers registered more fastbreak points than New York in every game this series. Frankly, that was always going to be the likely outcome; the margin is what was concerning. The Pacers scored 106 fastbreak points across the six games, while the Knicks put up just 48. 5. Tom Thibodeau's inconsistent use of the bench Knicks center Mitchell Robinson battles for the ball against Pacers forward Pascal Siakam, rear, and center Myles Turner (33) during Game 6. It wasn't until Game 3 of the series, after the Knicks were already desperate and down 0-2, that Thibodeau tweaked the rotation to match up better with Indiana. Thibodeau has always been a coach set in his ways, and his reluctance to go with fresher legs — against a team that sprints up and down the floor — was baffling. This is magnified further because guards Delon Wright and Landry Shamet are known to be plus-defenders, something New York sorely needed earlier in the series when Indiana's guards were scoring at will. Thibodeau did receive some credit when he eventually extended his rotation; it came far too late. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: New York Knicks: Eastern Conference finals loss explained
