Was Firing Tom Thibodeau the Right Move for the Knicks?
Five years ago, the New York Knicks hit rock bottom. They finished 12th in the Eastern Conference with a 21–45 record, resulting in a .318 winning percentage. That disappointing season led to the dismissal of head coach Mike Miller. In response, the front office looked to spark a turnaround, and on July 30, 2020, team owner James Dolan and president Leon Rose made a bold move by hiring Tom Thibodeau. Despite being let go by the Minnesota Timberwolves after a 19–45 season and a 14th-place finish in the West, Thibodeau arrived with a strong reputation as a defensive guru. He had previously helped lead the Boston Celtics to an NBA championship in 2008 and a return to the Finals in 2010 as their defensive coordinator.
Thibodeau quickly proved his value in New York. Over five seasons, he guided the Knicks to four playoff appearances, achieved two 50-win seasons, and led the franchise to its first Eastern Conference Finals appearance since 2000. However, recent playoff struggles drew criticism. In 91 minutes of playoff action with Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns on the floor together, the Knicks posted a defensive rating of 130.2—well above the league’s regular-season average of 110.6. This sharp decline in defensive performance raised concerns about Thibodeau’s in-game adjustments.
Despite those issues, the Knicks finished the regular season with a defensive rating of 114.3, which ranked 14th in the league and showed clear improvement. Still, failing to deliver in critical moments cast doubt on Thibodeau’s leadership. When asked if he was the right coach, Brunson responded, “Is that a real question right now?”
Ultimately, Thibodeau rebuilt the Knicks into a consistent contender. But in the unforgiving landscape of the NBA, even strong regular-season success is not always enough when playoff results fall short.
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