The Knicks made a surprise move to start their offseason, firing coach Tom Thibodeau after their best playoff run in 25 years. Thibodeau was canned even though the Knicks made it to the East Finals, plus Thibodeau’s five-year tenure included four playoff series victories.
New York is now on a head-coaching search as the Knicks are reportedly interested in a former Celtics coach. Per NBA insider Marc Stein, the Knicks have an eye on two active NBA head coaches in the Mavericks’ Jason Kidd and Rockets’ Ime Udoka. Stein, though, also reported that the Rockets would likely reject a Knicks interview request.
Udoka has done an impressive job with the Rockets after two years at the helm. He was 41-41 in his first season to miss the play-in tourney. But in Year 2, the Rockets went 52-30 to finish No. 2 in the West. While they lost in seven games to the Warriors in the first round, Houston’s been on the upswing for the past couple seasons.
The Knicks are going all-in with their current core and roster. They made a surprise run to the conference finals, upsetting the Celtics in six games in the second round. That was their best playoff run since 2000. But the Knicks fell in six games to the Pacers in the East Finals as they failed to take that next step.
New York has made some massive moves in recent years, including trading for Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns. They also have All-NBA guard Jalen Brunson leading the ship as the franchise is looking to capitalize on this current core. So this next head-coaching hire will be huge for the organization’s future.
But Thibodeau’s firing still shocked some around the league. He went 226-174 in his five seasons in New York, leading them to the playoffs in four of the five years. Considering the Knicks’ dismal history before Thibodeau, he helped build a winning foundation. However, it wasn’t enough to save his job as that’s life in the NBA.