Knicks Rumors: Pros and Cons of hiring Tom Thibodeau in 2020

Con: Mike Miller

It was acknowledged earlier, but it deserves a more thorough evaluation: Mike Miller has done an excellent job as interim head coach. Wins and losses are an appealing metric, but there’s one area in which Miller’s influence cannot be overlooked.

While Tom Thibodeau has been accused of being out of touch with the new generation of players, Miller has managed to connect with a young and up-and-coming roster.

New York has gone 17-27 under Miller’s watch, including a 17-25 record since it fell to 4-20 in mid-December. The key to the team’s success has been a heightened effort on the defensive end of the floor and a willingness to move the ball.

That lack of effort was an unfortunate signature of the players who never seemed to connect with David Fizdale, whose approach isn’t terribly dissimilar to Thibodeau’s.

Miller, meanwhile, is a player development specialist who was the head coach of the Westchester Knicks before he earned the interim title at The Mecca. For a team that has two more first-round draft picks who could be added to the roster in 2020, that’s a captivating truth.

Thibodeau has quite the track record with veterans in the NBA, but there are questions as to whether or not he’d able to connect with a younger team.

Being that Miller has proven to be able to connect with this team, that’s a polarizing thought.