When the New York Knicks fired Tom Thibodeau last week, shockwaves were sent across the NBA landscape. As the team is riddled in a wild coaching search, more details are emerging on how the Knicks operated with Thibodeau leading the way.
According to a report from SNY’s Ian Begley, the Knicks did not work on critical late-game situations very often, and also didn’t scrimmage either, both of which are rather commonplace in the NBA.
It was evident all season that the Knicks lacked chemistry on the court which could be a result of Thibodeau’s unconventional practices.
“The Knicks didn’t have full scrimmages during an entire training camp one season, which is uncommon,” Begley reported. “The players found it odd that they didn’t scrimmage during the camp; Thibodeau’s Knicks didn’t scrimmage often in season, which is more common in the NBA. But the lack of scrimmaging hindered the players’ ability to develop cohesion, they’ve said”
Additionally, the Knicks’ 4th quarter offense was very off-putting at times, mostly relying on “Captain Clutch” Jalen Brunson to bail them out as the rest of the team stood in place and watched. Brunson got the job done often, but it wasn’t a pretty watch.
“Players were also surprised that they didn’t work on specific end-game situations during the season, which is something that most teams do,” Begley said. “They found it strange that the coaching staff didn’t go over those situations during practice.”
Begley adds that these issues alone might not have anything to do with Thibodeau being let go, but the players did question the approach. One might recall the viral quote that emerged last week during the Knicks’ exit interviews in which a player said they were unsure if they could play for Thibodeau should he have returned next season.
The Knicks have narrowed down their coaching search to focus on two candidates, Mike Brown and Taylor Jenkins, after initially casting a very wide net in their search.
