Knicks Rumors: Tom Thibodeau would be a good hire

The New York Knicks are reportedly interested in Tom Thibodeau as the next head coach. What would he bring to the franchise?

It was recently reported by Ian Begley of SNY that, if Mike Miller is not retained by the New York Knicks, Tom Thibodeau could be hired as head coach. Thibodeau hasn’t been a head coach since he had the job with the Minnesota Timberwolves, posting a 97-105 record in two and a half seasons.

However, he carved out quite the reputation during his time with the Chicago Bulls, where he won Coach of the Year in 2011 and consistently had a top-ranked defense.

If Thibodeau is brought on to be the next head coach of the Knicks, this wouldn’t be his first go-around with the team. He was an assistant coach on the 1998-99 team that reached the NBA Finals.

1999, of course, is the last time that New York made a Finals appearance.

Knicks fans should be very satisfied if team president Leon Rose decides to bring Thibodeau on as the next coach of the Knicks. Everywhere he’s been, he’s instilled a culture of defense and hustle, and players such as Jimmy Butler and Zach LaVine have made strides under his tutelage.

He would be a strong mentor for the young guns of the future, such as RJ Barrett, Frank Ntilikina, Mitchell Robinson, and so on.

The main knocks against Thibodeau have been his handling of the Butler trade request situation, as well as his hyper-focus on defense and his lack of offensive creativity. Knicks fans shouldn’t anticipate this as being issues in New York.

The Knicks don’t have a player on their roster who has the power to demand a mid-season trade, as the team is comprised of young developing players and veteran mentors. Thibs would be able to focus solely on coaching without the distraction of an alpha dog player.

Above all else, the Knicks should look at Thibodeau as a strong candidate because he knows how to win. Everywhere he goes, the team is better than it was before.

Having experience with consistently winning basketball games, and the game planning that goes into that successt, is a critical element of building a contender.

If Leon Rose brings in Tom Thibodeau, it would be a fantastic hire for the future prospects of the New York Knicks.