Tom Thibodeau felt “a sense of betrayal” when the New York Knicks fired him immediately after making their first Eastern Conference Finals since 2000, according to a source who spoke with Ian O’Connor of The Athletic. While those feelings likely contain multitudes, the sentiment seems directed at one person in particular when reading between the lines.
And it’s Knicks owner James Dolan.
As O’Connor writes, the kazoo-playing billionaire “did a deep dive on the coach’s imperfections, invited himself to player and staff exit interviews, and decided the Knicks had crashed into their ceiling.” This is a level of insertion fans, and likely, front office members don’t want to see from the longtime-ridiculed owner.
It is also a bold conclusion to reach after winning two playoff series for the first time in a quarter-century.
The jury is still out on the Knicks firing Thibodeau
The boldness of New York’s thinking doesn’t make canning Thibs the wrong decision. The Knicks are decidedly in Finals-or-bust mode if you ask the fans. Heck, the organization said as much itself in the press release announcing and justifying Thibs’ firing.
To that end, he was far from perfect. He lacked offensive variability. Even though last year’s roster wasn’t the deepest, he overused his top guys, again. And he failed to adequately test out different lineup combinations, as well as defensive schemes. When he finally did start to experiment, it was the second round of the playoffs, or it was the Eastern Conference Finals, and it was ultimately too late.
Still, he was far from the Knicks’ only issue when looking at how they flamed out against the Indiana Pacers. Yet, given how much New York’s roster hasn’t changed in the aftermath of his departure, the implication is that the front office and/or ownership believed he’s the biggest.
Just consider how the Knicks conducted their coaching search. Before giving the gig to Mike Brown, they pursued no fewer than seven actively employed head coaches. That is a form of due diligence. It also speaks to how easy the Knicks’ brass believed it would be to upgrade from Thibs.
Thibodeau’s exit isn’t only on Dolan
While the Dolan of it all is uncomfortable, he wasn’t the only one questioning Thibs’ value. We have since learned that guys like OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges were not thrilled with how he ran things, and also that other Knicks players weren’t exactly lining up to demand Thibodeau keep his job.
This wider-spread disdain or uncertainty aligns with something else O’Connor’s source told him: “When you find out that people you helped either weren’t with you in the end or didn’t fight for you like you fought for them, that stings.”
Not one person. People. Plural.
This quote could be referencing team president Leon Rose or Knicks captain Jalen Brunson, both of whom are basically Thibs’ family. It could be a nod toward Anunoby, or Bridges, or both. It could hint at something we don’t yet know. Or it could cover a little bit of everything, and everyone.
Perhaps one day we’ll know the fuller story of how it all went down. No matter who drove the decision, though, the Knicks clearly decided Thibs wasn’t the guy to get this core over the hump. He disagrees. Time will tell who’s right.