🚨🚨Breaking News🚨🚨Knicks Head Coach Tom Thibodeau fired by the team after winning 2nd Round Championship. The Haliban Caught a Body.
- Thread starter Raquinotj
- Start date
The most obvious of fires should have been Rick Brunson. Massive conflict of interest to hire the father of your star player.
Once you get rid of him, Brunson definitely won’t look the same but he’s gotta go.
Hes been Thibs long time assistant since Chicago. Im sure the new coach is going to want his own staff so Brunson pops probably is gone as well.
Took a 100 mill paycut , coach he endorsed is gone, pops gone. Knicks better hope the dice rolls their way with this decision of a new coach.
Strategic Basketball Reasons for Firing Tom Thibodeau1. Lack of Offensive Spacing and Floor Balance
• Poor spacing principles were a constant issue, hurting both offense and transition defense.
• Players often stood in the wrong spots (e.g., strong-side dunker spot instead of weak side), leading to:
◦ Clogged driving lanes
◦ Poor floor balance, resulting in being outnumbered in transition
• Bad spacing directly contributed to losing the Pacers series, where transition defense failures were decisive.
Consequence: Easy to guard in half-court + vulnerable to fast breaks.2. Overuse of Starters Led to Bad Habits and Fatigue
• Thibs played top players heavy minutes all season in the name of playoff conditioning.
• Resulted in:
◦ Fatigue and disengagement on defense
◦ Poor attention to detail
◦ Reinforced bad in-game habits
• When adversity hit (e.g., Game 6 vs Indiana), the team reverted to undisciplined habits instead of fundamental execution.
Consequence: No in-season development of bench; stars worn down; no foundation to fall back on in crisis.3. Lack of Offensive Variety and Player Involvement
• Offense was overly Brunson-centric and static.
• Did not fully leverage the multi-faceted skill sets of players like:
◦ OG Anunoby
◦ Mikal Bridges
◦ Carl Anthony Towns
• In contrast to the Pacers' modern five-out system, the Knicks ran:
◦ Fewer actions
◦ Less side-to-side ball movement
◦ Little adaptability or rhythm-building for secondary scorers
Consequence: Predictable offense, stalling possessions, and underutilization of talent.4. Poor Defensive Habits and Execution
• Team’s defensive breakdowns were structural, not just personnel-related.
• Example: Carl Anthony Towns was exposed not only for physical limitations but for:
◦ Consistently bad positioning
◦ Poor instincts
◦ No accountability from the coaching staff
• Lack of help defense rotation discipline and floor awareness persisted all year.
Consequence: No reliable defensive identity despite having athletes and switchable wings.5. Inflexibility and Lack of Tactical Adjustment
• Thibodeau’s rigid approach did not evolve with the team’s changing talent profile.
• Didn’t lean into:
◦ Aggregate playmaking
◦ Ball movement
◦ Positionless spacing and pace concepts
• Missed opportunities to:
◦ Develop bench depth
◦ Run diverse offensive sets
◦ Match opponents' modern schemes (e.g., Thunder, Pacers, Celtics)
Consequence: Knicks were behind tactically despite being talented.======
What the Knicks Need From Their New Head CoachTo move from playoff-caliber to true championship contender, the Knicks' next coach must deliver in two key areas:
1. A Coach Who Hunts Margins (a “Low-Hanging Fruit” Specialist)
The NBA is increasingly won in the margins — subtle, detail-driven advantages that compound over time. The Knicks need a coach who maximizes the little things that don’t require elite talent, just commitment and structure.
Key Margins the Coach Must Prioritize:• Transition defense structure
◦ Ensure proper floor balance after every possession so players are in position to recover on defense.
• Turnover discipline
◦ Emphasize possessions that end in a shot, not a turnover — limit fast-break opportunities for opponents.
• Offensive rebounding vs. defensive balance
◦ Teach when to crash and when to get back, maintaining pressure without sacrificing defense.
• Pace and conditioning for tempo advantage
◦ Push opportunistically in transition to generate 6–8 “free” points per game.
• Closeout technique and rotation timing
◦ Drill defensive fundamentals so players instinctively cover for each other on kick-outs and switches.
Why it matters: These are non-talent-dependent wins — they can be trained, scaled across the roster, and sustain a team during cold shooting nights or injuries.2. Build an Offense Around Equal Opportunity Principles
Thibodeau’s Knicks leaned heavily on Jalen Brunson-centric, ISO-heavy play. That caps your ceiling. The next coach must build a system that empowers all five players — especially since this roster has multiple creators.
System Design Priorities:• Modern 5-out spacing principles
◦ Use the full width of the floor; have shooters and playmakers at all levels (corners, wings, top).
• Multiple actions per possession
◦ No more “one-action, one-pass” sets. Flow from initial pick-and-rolls into secondary motion or handoffs.
• Keep everyone engaged
◦ Touches and reads for OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, even Carl Anthony Towns — not just Brunson.
• Read-and-react dynamics
◦ Allow players to make quick decisions based on how the defense reacts (like Indiana or Denver).
• Balance Brunson’s usage with movement
◦ Use Brunson as a trigger, not a crutch. Let others initiate to keep defenses honest and Brunson fresh.
Why it matters: This turns the Knicks from a “top-down” offense into a fluid, matchup-proof attack. It also builds rhythm for all players, especially in high-pressure playoff moments.3. Maximizing the Aggregate Offensive Talent
The Knicks have:
• Jaylen Brunson – elite half-court scorer
• Mikal Bridges – capable PnR initiator
• OG Anunoby – bully mismatches
• Carl Anthony Towns – pick-and-pop sniper, post mismatch option
• Josh Hart / Quickley / Deuce McBride – connective, versatile wings
This isn't a team that needs to create stars — it needs a coach who knows how to:
• Recognize the collective playmaking potential
• Craft schemes that rotate usage based on matchups
• Build habits through consistent ball/player movement
• Teach players how to read the defense, not just run scripted sets
Big risk with wrong coach: This level of talent can be wasted in a rigid or ISO-dominant scheme. Marginalizing multiple creators turns a 5-man weapon into a 1.5-man show.
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VegetasHairline
Veteran
Why now? Who's next? Five big Knicks questions after Tom Thibodeau's firing
NBA insiders examine why the Knicks parted ways with coach Tom Thibodeau and which candidates could be right for New York.
34TheTruth
All Star
“2nd round championship” 
AlbertPullhoez
The Takeover
Dan Hurley gonna get Sprewell'd if he bring that shyt to the NBA
They don't have to trade him. The main thing Brunson and KAT have to do is commit to not being liabilities on defense. The changes they have to make come down to desire and mindset more than anything. For the Knicks as a whole? Commit to an offense where all 5 get involved or at the very least, the guys aren't just standing around waiting for a miss.
Neither man may ever become a straight-up stopper, but they can at least put up resistance against whoever they have to guard. Surround them with upper-level defenders and see what happens.
Join the lakers coaching staff
Spidey Man
Superstar
Luka will have a medical episode if he has to play thibs minutes
Buddy would have no choice but to stay in shape.
AlbertPullhoez
The Takeover
Luka would have that man fired
Marlow Stanfield
Superstar
T-K-G
Veteran
Zion touches down in cities and starts buying bodies for every chick that glances at him.Million Dollar Question
Giannis is a pipe dream since Knicks have no picks.
Maybe Zion? But if you thought hoes were running game on him in the Boot, oh lord if he gets to NYC
Visible impact to the city
