There has been a lot of speculation about what the New York Knicks could do this NBA offseason. While some big changes are expected to occur, they will almost certainly all come on the roster as head coach Tom Thibodeau will more than likely be back for his third season with the team.
According to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, the plan, right now, is for Thibodeau to remain the head coach beyond the 2021-22 season.
“After weeks of leaguewide speculation that Tom Thibodeau’s tenure with New York was heading toward an unceremonious end, Thibodeau is expected to remain the Knicks’ head coach beyond this 2021-22 season, league sources told B/R.”
A lot of criticism has come the New York Knicks’ way this season, most of which has been warranted. The team made a surprise run last season, earning the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference and homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
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That created a new level of expectations, something that the team has been unable to sustain. Several factors have played into that, such as injuries to Derrick Rose and Nerlens Noel. The regression, especially on his shooting percentages, of Julius Randle, has also hurt the team a lot.
But, Thibodeau himself has seemingly taken a step back as well. His stubbornness with rotations has long been a point of contention. When the team is winning, as they were last season, it is one thing. They haven’t been nearly as successful this season, yet very few changes are ever made to the rotation and lineups unless an injury occurs.
The biggest disconnect came right before the NBA trade deadline. New York made a trade many people lauded as a smart, valuable addition when they acquired Cam Reddish from the Atlanta Hawks. Since the only player that went out of New York in the deal was Kevin Knox II, who was not in the rotation, Thibodeau wasn’t finding minutes for Reddish.
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It was something that irked two prominent members of the front office in William Wesley and Brock Aller. The front office worked hard to try and clear rotation space for Reddish, as Alec Burks was involved in numerous trade scenarios ahead of the deadline.
Nothing ultimately came to fruition. There was a framework of some deals, but according to Fischer, reports state that the New York Knicks got a little greedy seeking out draft pick compensation.
“They are always trying to squeeze out an extra second-round pick here and an extra second-round pick there,” said a high-ranking Eastern Conference executive.
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Reddish was only inserted into the rotation because of some injuries, as he slid into the role previously occupied by Quentin Grimes, who injured his knee but is nearing a return. Obi Toppin missing games also opened up some minutes in the frontcourt, as RJ Barrett and Reddish played some power forward as well.
That is certainly something the front office will look to address this offseason as well. Hopefully, Tom Thibodeau and the guys upstairs can get on the same page, as he was Leon Rose’s hand-picked head coach and won’t be going anywhere in the near future.
