Tom Thibodeau
Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images
Are the New York Knicks satisfied with their season? While they may have had championship expectations, so did a handful of other teams. While Tom Thibodeau’s Knicks built a potential powerhouse, their adventurous season came to an end in the Eastern Conference Finals after the Indiana Pacers defeated them in six games.
Should the Knicks have been able to accomplish more? Many around the league feel they should have been able to defeat the Pacers, but now that they didn’t, who does the blame fall on?
Some feel like the finger should be pointed at coach Thibs for not maximizing the potential of his well-stocked roster. After all, the Knicks have invested a lot into their star core.
Recently, when SNY’s Ian Begley appeared on Zach Lowe’s podcast, he took time to express concern over the future of Thibodeau in New York. Will the Knicks keep their coach of the past five years? Or has he worn out his welcome?
“I’m very curious. I think he’ll be back, you think he’ll be back. It’s logical for him to be back. I’m just very curious to see how the Thibodeau situation plays out. Maybe it ends up in him being back, but I think there’s a real evaluation period there right now for him, his staff and for the players that will shape this offseason for him.”
SNY’s Ian Begley on Tom Thibodeau
If the Knicks did decide to part ways with the two-time Coach of the Year, Thibodeau would immediately jump to the top of the best head coaching candidates available.
Yet, he also has a certain reputation for riding his players harder than most coaches, demanding that they play a heavy dosage of minutes. Then again, his resume is hard to argue, with a 57.9% win rate and reaching the playoffs in 10 of his 13 seasons as an NBA head coach.
Related: NBA insider reveals whether New York Knicks core still supports Tom Thibodeau as head coach