The New York Knicks have found several players breakout onto the scene during the 2025-26 campaign.
The most recent coming-out party came on Monday night, when rookie Mohamed Diawara earned a starting nod in the wake of Josh Hart's absence and, in turn, erupted for 18 points and two steals while shooting 7-for-9 from the floor and a perfect 4-for-4 from deep in what ended up being a hard-fought 130-125 win over the Pelicans.
At face value, what this performance showcased is that the second-round pick has the makings of potentially becoming a quality, two-way contributor in the association one day.
However, on a deeper level, it only further vindicates the Knicks for their shocking decision to part ways with former head coach Tom Thibodeau this past offseason.
Tom Thibodeau's departure directly benefited breakout performances
Though the firing of Thibodeau may have initially taken many by surprise, especially considering he had just helped guide the Knicks to their first Eastern Conference Finals berth since the turn of the century, now 10 weeks into new headman Mike Brown's first season with the club, all signs point to it being the right move to have made.
Diawara's breakout is merely just the latest example of why.
Throughout his coaching career, Thibodeau built up a reputation for overusing his starters and rarely dipping into his reserve units. To Knicks Film School's Jonathan Macri, it seemed as if he "was petrified of doing anything that would increase his team's chances of losing."
Because of this, it was rather challenging for up-and-coming or unknown talents to secure consistent playing time in a Thibs-led scheme, which, in turn, held them back from potential on-court progress.
As Macri described it, however, coach Brown "looks at fear and gives it the bird," highlighting his willingness to experiment with lineups and players in an effort to find ways to elevate the team's ceiling.
As a result, Diawara, Kevin McCullar Jr., and, most notably, Tyler Kolek, guys who regularly were and, in Diawara's case, would have been overlooked by Thibodeau are now receiving ample opportunities within New York's rotation and, fortunately, are making the most of them.
This has directly led to deeper rotations being used on a nightly basis, better overall production from the Knicks' bench unit, and, more importantly, more rest for their star players like Jalen Brunson.
Though there are many cases to be made that Brown has been a much better fit for the Knicks than Thibodeau, the consistent breakout performances by previously neglected prospects are what truly set these two coaching regimes apart.