According to new reports from Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports, the dismissal of Knicks' head coach Tom Thibodeau was "spearheaded" by ownership, specifically James Dolan. The troubling report suggests that team exit interviews were conducted by Dolan, while team president Leon Rose took a back seat. The news should greatly trouble Knicks fans, as Dolan has a history of meddling with team decisions, which typically end poorly.
Perhaps the highlight of Dolan's ownership of the Knicks has been the hiring of Leon Rose and allowing him the authority to make basketball decisions. Rose ushered in a new chapter for the Knicks, who have become a playoff regular over the last handful of years.
Prior to Rose, Dolan had a resume marked by poor decision-making, ugly feuds, and fans calling for him to sell the team. If he has diminished Rose's decision-making power, Knicks fans should be extremely worried. The Knicks are at the doorstep of one of the biggest decisions in the history of their franchise: who the next head coach should be. It is a decision that they need to nail, and a decision that needs to be made by Rose.
Rose needs to pick the next coach
After making the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 25 years, the Knicks are at a pivotal point in time. They have the chance to do something special with a roster that is ripe with talent, but they need the right coach to utilize that talent.
Now, to be clear, I agree with the decision to dismiss Thibodeau at its core. While Thibodeau's time with the Knicks should be looked at as a great success, I believe he took the team as far as he could. Sometimes the one who sets the table isn't the most qualified to cook the meal, if you will.
That said, the decision should be coming from Rose, who has proved to be capable of pushing the correct buttons for this team. Not from an owner who has a history of making rash and poor decisions. If it was Dolan who made the final call, Rose must be given complete autonomy when it comes to deciding who should lead them next.
There has been no shortage of rumors about who that next coach might be. From Jason Kidd to Ime Udoka, to Johnnie Bryant, it appears the net the Knicks are casting for their search is far-reaching. It also should tell you that the Knicks didn't have a successor in mind when they made this decision, which is just as concerning as Dolan deciding to fire him in the first place.