Just like every other contender in the Eastern Conference, the New York Knicks’ goal is to reserve their seat in the NBA Finals. It’s been left unachieved for far too long, and to show desperation, the front office made a coaching switch from Tom Thibodeau to Mike Brown. Unfortunately, that may be the reason the Knicks won’t go as far as they aspire to in the coming weeks.
In fact, the Knicks’ rationale for changing coaches was that it would give them the best chance to compete. To a certain degree, they were right: Brown runs a great system, the pace has been stronger, and the offense's firepower has been fully maximized.
However, the Knicks’ last game of the regular season is right around the corner. With there being more questions than answers, leaving Thibodeau right where he was may have been in the team’s best interest.
Tom Thibodeau could have carried the current Knicks’ squad all the way
To this day, it is still shocking that the very offseason after the New York Knicks made the Eastern Conference Finals, their first time doing so in well over two decades, they fired Thibodeau. He was the coach who helped them go as far as they did, and there is reason to believe he could've gone even further with the roster Mike Brown is working with.
How so? Well, Thibodeau was a mastermind behind the scenes. He had years of experience under his belt, knowledge of how to mask weaknesses in the playoffs, and a defensive mentality built to claw towards success.
It took some time, but these characteristics were all on display in the Knicks' 2025 playoff run.
Now, with several of the same stars, plus a strong rookie class and impactful deadline acquisitions, it’s clear Thibodeau could have entered the coveted NBA Finals territory soon after falling just short.
With Mike Brown, the Knicks are certainly good on the whole. But the current holes and weaknesses in the rotation seem like they'll carry over into the playoffs at this point in the season, which is a recipe for disaster.
Soon enough, everyone will realize the Knicks should’ve kept Thibodeau. His fit was better than fans seemed to think. But most importantly, he was let go at the wrong time.