CLEVELAND, Ohio — The game isn’t waiting anymore. On Tuesday, Tom Thibodeau became the latest coach to learn that lesson the hard way.
Yes, it was surprising. This is a coach who led the Knicks to back-to-back 50-win seasons. Four playoff series wins in the last three years, when the franchise had managed just one since 2000 before Thibodeau arrived.
Players vouched for him. Reports painted a locker room that still believed in his leadership. And yet, here we are. Thibodeau is out.
No matter how many games you win, how much your players vouch for you, or how much credibility you’ve earned — if your philosophy doesn’t evolve with the modern NBA, you’re on borrowed time.
Because now, it’s not just about results. It’s about _how_ you get them.
Thibodeau’s stubbornness with starter-heavy minutes has always been a point of tension, but in 2025, it was a reason for his release.
His approach, built on toughness, accountability and playing your best players until the wheels fall off, made him a stabilizing force for a team that desperately needed one. He got buy-in from stars.
But he didn’t adjust fast enough.
While teams like Indiana and Oklahoma City embraced their benches, keeping legs fresh and roles fluid, Thibodeau clung to the idea that his starters — especially Jalen Brunson — could carry the load night after night.
As the playoffs dragged on and fatigue became obvious, Thibodeau only started exploring his depth when his hand was forced. By then, it was too late.
Tom Thibodeau was fired by the Knicks on Tuesday, even though there were still players who vouched for him.(AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
Even Jalen Brunson — New York’s Clutch Player of the Year — was playing on fumes. His brilliance masked the fatigue. But the Knicks were outpaced by teams that moved the ball, moved their bodies, and moved with the moment.
That’s where Thibodeau lost ground. It wasn’t just rotations. It was philosophy.
As the league leaned harder into spacing and real-time adjustments, the Knicks were still relying on iso-heavy sets and trusting that a hot Brunson or a streaky Karl-Anthony Towns could get them over the top. It was an outdated formula. And the deeper they got into the playoffs, the clearer it became. The margin for error in today’s NBA is too thin for predictable offense.
But Thibodeau isn’t alone, either.
In fact, the NBA’s recent coaching carousel reads like a cautionary tale for anyone still clinging to old-school ideals. Just look at the last five NBA Coaches of the Year:
* 2021: Tom Thibodeau — fired
* 2022: Monty Williams — fired
* 2023: Mike Brown — fired
* 2024: Mark Daigneault — leading OKC to the NBA Finals
* 2025: Kenny Atkinson — helped Cleveland earn a 64-win season
Three out of five are gone. And none were fired because they suddenly forgot how to coach. They were fired because the game outgrew their approach.
Cleveland saw this coming.
The Cavs had just won their first playoff series since LeBron James left, and yet still made the decision to part ways with J.B. Bickerstaff.
It wasn’t about failure. It was about the ceiling. Bickerstaff had helped build one of the league’s best defenses, but offensively, the Cavs looked stuck — a team too talented to be that static.
Enter Atkinson. A coach known for creativity, pace, and developing players.
Cleveland wanted more than regular-season results — they wanted flow, movement, and a system that could elevate their stars _and_ unlock their depth.
In their first season under J.B. Bickerstaff and for the first time since 2019, the Pistons clinched a playoff spot. Then they won their first playoff game since 2008. That’s what growth looks like.AP
But unlike some coaches still looking for another shot, Bickerstaff didn’t disappear. He found a landing spot with the Pistons and reinvented himself. He had to.
To his credit, Bickerstaff adapted his ideals. He leaned into analytics. He gave spacing and pace more priority, blending those concepts with his strengths in defense and team culture. Matched with a faster, smarter system, a budding star and a chance to prove himself, he helped turn a struggling Pistons team from the worst team in the NBA into a playoff team.
For the first time since 2019, Detroit clinched a playoff spot. Then they won their first playoff game since 2008. That’s what growth looks like.
And that’s what the league is asking for now — growth.
Not just from players. From coaches.
The role of a head coach today goes far beyond scheming. It’s managing minutes. It’s optimizing spacing. It’s using second units as a weapon, not a stopgap. It’s balancing rest with rhythm, blending gut feel with data. You still need to motivate, still need to lead — but you also need to adapt. Constantly.
Thibodeau’s impact on the Knicks is undeniable. He brought pride and postseason relevance back to Madison Square Garden. He built a team that played hard, and finally gave the city something to believe in.
But in today’s NBA, effort and discipline aren’t enough. The game’s less forgiving.
The modern coach isn’t just a motivator. He’s a manager of minutes and emotions, a maestro of movement, and a partner with the analytics department. It’s not just about who can draw up a sideline out-of-bounds play anymore — while the Xs and Os are still vitally important — a successful coach in this league must also manage a roster like a chessboard.
So yeah, Thibodeau being fired may have caught people off guard. But in the end, he couldn’t modernize fast enough. And staying the same is the fastest way to fall behind.
For every coach still clinging to the playbooks and philosophies of five years ago, let alone ten — this is a flashing red light:
The game is evolving. Every day. And the coaches who survive are the ones who evolve with it.