The tale of the 2024-25 New York Knicks playoff run can be summarized by a Charles Dickens quote, “It was the best of times — it was the worst of times.” The good moments came with the defeat of the Cade Cunningham-led Pistons and the usurpation of the then-reigning champion Boston Celtics. The latter brought a sense of optimistic pandemonium across the Big Apple — fans mythologizing the team as if they were champions. The momentum of their run was special — until they were pummeled by the Indiana Pacers in six games. This led to a devastating morale pervading across and potentially led to the “bad times.”
Yesterday, the Knicks organization announced that Coach Tom Thibodeau would be relieved of his duties. A shocking turn of events considering the team made it to its first Eastern Conference finals in 25 years. Plus, his regular-season record is 226-174 and his four playoff appearances racked a 24-23 record — indicating a winning culture in Thibodeau’s 2020-2025 coaching tenure.
So, why was the 2021 Coach of the Year recipient fired? Apparently, Thibodeau did not appear to follow a structured offense. He doesn’t bother with rotations, albeit benching players, and often plays his starters the entire game — ultimately exhausting them to potential injuries. You saw how gassed Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns were in certain moments of the playoff run — sweating profusely like a dog. Furthermore, we can’t forget about their playoff run last year when most of their starters got injured left and right. I can understand why the Knicks moved on from him, but was it the right call?
Frankly — no. Thibodeau isn’t to blame for the Knicks faltering in the end. The players should take more accountability for their performance. This year had the team healthy as an ox, but their All-Stars have glaring weaknesses. Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns are scoring machines — the former being the point guard and the latter a titan in the paint. However, both of these guys are terrible defenders — they might be worse or lesser on that end than Trae Young. Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges are good players, but when you need them to take advantage of their matchups, they are nowhere to be found. OG Anunoby was a bright spot near the end, while Mitchell Robinson and Deuce McBride did not apply themselves in the clutch.
Clearly, the Knicks have to alter their supporting cast in order to aid the big two. There needs to be a sense of urgency and glue — which is why the Knicks should have run the core back together next year. Thibodeau needed an offensive-minded coaching assistant to balance his defensive game plans. Unfortunately, the Knicks appear to be gearing for someone of a championship caliber — such as Mike Malone. Not that the selection is a bad idea, but continuity is a benefit, and if not implemented, then it’ll just look discombobulated as the world observed in their Eastern Conference finals appearance.
