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NY Knicks: Analyzing Tom Thibodeau’s history with player development

By Yash Shrivastava

CHICAGO, IL - FEBRUARY 22: Head coach Tom Thibodeau of the Chicago Bulls gives instructions to Derrick Rose #1 during a game against the Milwaukee Bucks at the United Center on February 22, 2012 in Chicago, Illinois. The Bulls defeated the Bucks 110-91. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL - FEBRUARY 22: Head coach Tom Thibodeau of the Chicago Bulls gives instructions to Derrick Rose #1 during a game against the Milwaukee Bucks at the United Center on February 22, 2012 in Chicago, Illinois. The Bulls defeated the Bucks 110-91. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /
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CHICAGO, IL – FEBRUARY 22: Head coach Tom Thibodeau of the Chicago Bulls gives instructions to Derrick Rose #1 (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

Analyzing Tom Thibodeau’s track record with player development as head coach of the Chicago Bulls and Minnesota Timberwolves

Last week, the New York Knicks hired former Bulls and Timberwolves head coach Tom Thibodeau to a five-year contract to become the franchise’s next head coach.

Since the Knicks’ 1999 finals run, the team has had 14 different head coaches, and Tom Thibodeau is the latest to put his hat in the ring to restore the league’s sleeping giant to prominence. The Knicks have been plagued with a myriad of instability and drama, and the franchise is hoping that the loud and ardent Thibodeau can be a stabilizing figure for years to come.

The present-day Knicks are quite the opposite of the Knicks’ roster when Thibodeau served as an assistant. Those teams featured a large group of veterans who had aspirations for a championship under head coach Jeff Van Gundy.

The team Thibodeau inherits now includes a large group of unproven young players and an organization in desperate need of a foundation. While the Knicks may not commit to a full-blown rebuild, the team has to commit to the development and nurturement of their young core: RJ Barrett, Mitchell Robinson, Frank Ntilikina, and their 2020 lottery pick.

Dennis Smith Jr. and Kevin Knox are wildcards as their future with the team is unclear. Whether or not they are brought back, the Knicks’ success is significantly predicated on their young players’ success, and if Thibodeau can get the most out of them.

Thibodeau has experience coaching young rosters from his days in Chicago and Minnesota. He has coached multiple young stars and has helped many of them take the next step in their careers.

Although the Knicks’ young talent is not comparable to the cores Thibodeau inherited in Chicago and Minnesota, Thibodeau must get the most out of them if he will live out his five-year contract. In this piece, we analyze Thibodeau’s track record with player development from his two prior stints as a head coach.

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