The New York Knicks have shown interest in hiring Tom Thibodeau as the next head coach. Should they hire him? What are the arguments for and against?
The carousel of the New York Knicks head coaching position has been a long and painful one for fans. And we are entering yet another offseason with uncertainty over who will take the lead seat along the bench.
One report has former Knicks assistant Tom Thibodeau as the front-runner for the job.
"“For what it’s worth, several coaches and people with a vetted interest in Leon Rose’s first coaching hire believe it will ultimately be [Tom] Thibodeau — if he doesn’t retain Mike Miller.” via Ian Begley of SNY"
Thibodeau has a 352-246 career coaching record, good for a .589 winning percentage, plus he has made the playoffs in six of the eight years he has been head coach. You can add that he went to two NBA Finals, winning one with the Celtics as their assistant. He was an integral part of the defensive system they ran in Boston. Clearly, Thibodeau has an impressive resume.
But is he the right man for the Knicks? Is his style of coaching still relevant to the modern game? Has his time away from the job taught him anything? Can he mix his intensity and desire to win with a balanced approach to playing time for his key players? There are a lot of questions to ask in determining if Thibs is the best person to lead the Knicks out of the doldrums.
Let’s make an argument for and against the idea of hiring the old-school coach.