It’s time for Knicks fans to apologize to Tom Thibodeau

Before the season, and even earlier into the 2022-23 regular season, many Knicks fans, including myself, had grown tired of head coach Tom Thibodeau and wanted the front office to fire him. While at the time, this was somewhat justified as the Knicks were disappointing and he was making several mistakes from a coaching standpoint, Thibodeau has since turned things around.

There are several reasons for this turnaround, which we will get into, but how well the Knicks have played as of late has a good bit to do with Thibodeau and the way he has been coaching the team.

A team can often only go as far as the players take them, especially in basketball. However, I don’t think there are many people who will doubt me when I say that Thibodeau has looked like a genuinely good coach in recent games and it’s time for fans to realize that.

It’s time for Knicks fans to apologize to Tom Thibodeau

Ever since the NBA trade deadline, the Knicks have looked like one of the best teams in the entire league and the stats show it. Not only does New York have the second-best record over that time period, but the team is top 10 in offensive, defensive, and net ratings.

While bringing in a player like Josh Hart certainly does help a team’s level of play, a good portion of the Knicks’ success is owed to Thibodeau for a multitude of reasons.

For starters, the way Thibodeau has consistently opened up the rotation and the lineups during games is something we’ve never really seen out of him before. It finally feels like a player is being punished for poor play by being benched down the stretch and players who shouldn’t be in the rotation aren’t receiving minutes.

Alongside this, Thibodeau’s defensive scheme has become much more consistent and better. Players like Immanuel Quickley and Josh Hart, who were already great defenders and can get the job done, but even lesser-known defenders like Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson have simply looked much better on that end as of late.

Now, I was incredibly critical of Thibodeau last year and early on in the season and while some of my criticisms may have been justified at the time, Thibs has honestly blown me away with how well he has coached this team. I’ve never been so happy to be wrong.

The Knicks won nine of a possible 11 games in February, claiming the team’s best record in the month since the 1989 season. This team feels like one that could very well make it past the first round and cause some problems in the semifinals, so hopefully, Thibodeau keeps up the good work as they enter the final stretch of the season.

New York has been rolling and a lot of the praise belongs to Thibs and just how well he has been coaching. He won’t be winning another Coach of the Year award, but he absolutely deserves praise from Knicks fans around the world.

3 reasons the Knicks can win a first-round playoff series

The New York Knicks aren't only on track to return to the playoffs, but they can legitimately win a first-round playoff series when they get there.