Dick Motta
Bill Fitch
Gene Shue
Kevin Loughery
Rich Kotite
Mike Fratello
BTW, one of my fav NBA quotes of all time - it could be apocryphal - came from Loughery when asked the about the toughest part of being an NBA coach. He said it's making his players care about playing 82 times a year.
Truly crazy, and I say that as a Bostonian. Thibodeau and his team have done a great job making the Knicks legit contenders. Definitely an overreaction.
As a Raptors fan, this feels like when we fired Casey, which I think had to happen if we wanted to get over the top. Stubborn motivator can only go so far. I know people say Mike Malone, but he's the same in philosophy. 6-7 person rotation, and won't play young players. You need to find your Nurse.
The last time a firing like this happened when a coach made the conference finals was Doug Collin’s in 1989. Do the Knicks have a good assistant coach?? 😭
I don’t know. He arguably wore his team down too much last year and ruined their playoff chances. Then, this year he doesn’t play Shamet and Wright until it’s too late. He’s a good coach, obviously, but I can see an argument that an upgrade is necessary to get to another level.
I don't know who you replace him with, but he was routinely outcoached in the playoffs (how this guy STILL doesn't have any offensive scheme is beyond me), and his staple overreliance on his starters prevents his teams from having any bench come playoff time.
It’s a smart & timely move only if they have a specific NBA-established/ready replacement lined up, like the Rangers replacing Tortorella with Vigneault & not like the Yankees replacing Girardi with a front office puppet in Boone.
The Knicks lost because they turned the ball over and played terrible transition defense. That ain't on Thibodeau, that is execution. The Pacers defense, speed and ball movement was superior. I am a Knick fan and I call it like I see it.
Thibs isn’t the one to get them over the hump. All he can do is get his guys to play hard, no advantages on the X’s & O’s…..surprised at how many teams have not looked at Taylor Jenkins
I think he took them as far as he could. Perfect time to find a different voice to finish the mission. But he put them on the right track. Helluva job by Thibs.
This is Thib’s pattern. He rides the starters hard during the season, getting great results, but by the time the post season rolls around, the starters are worn out. If you can’t use and develop the bench, you can’t get to a title.
Yeah, and that’s where it makes some sense to me to think that someone else might be better suited to get them to the absolute peak. If that’s their goal at this point, I can’t blame them even if it’s also maybe somewhat unfair to Thibbs.
Ehhh it’s the way he let Brunson play and not playing the bench. Brunson doesn’t understand for him to get space to get a decent shot there needs to be ball movement. His handles aren’t that good to get him a good shot while holding the ball for 17 seconds.
Kobe and Jordan had to come to this realization. Brunson isn’t better than them or even close to being as good as them. The ball movement when Brunson is off the court is spectacular
Damn Thibs!!!!?? He didn’t play the bench as much as he should, but damn son I think he would’ve adjusted. No?! There was no doubt this team wasn’t going to the playoffs and going deep in the playoffs.
Comments
What’s a new coach going to say?
“Stop turning the ball over?”
Bill Fitch
Gene Shue
Kevin Loughery
Rich Kotite
Mike Fratello
BTW, one of my fav NBA quotes of all time - it could be apocryphal - came from Loughery when asked the about the toughest part of being an NBA coach. He said it's making his players care about playing 82 times a year.
Dan Hurley?
Johnnie Bryant?
When the Knicks don’t realize their the Knicks. smh
Sacrifice for what?
(genuinely)