Yes I know Tom Thibodeau on the Knicks sounds unheard of since Mike Miller has done a terrific job as a Interim Coach so far and Julius Randle is
finally playing like an all-star. Kevin Knox,RJ Barrett, and Mitchell Robinson all look a lot better as well and it’s interesting to think what Tom could do for RJ and Mitch’s games defensively in order to make the Knicks one of the top defenses in the game. Julius Randle also needs to improve on defense to take his game to the next level and Tom Thibodeau is the perfect man for the job.
He has a reputation for running his best players to the ground to the point where Jimmy Butler himself said he needed a break, one of the NBA most fierce competitors on both ends of the floor. Barrett and Robinson who are deemed the only untouchables on the roster are young enough to develop under Thibodeau and would have the stamina required to play heavy minutes for Tom. The man wants to coach which is the most important factor and I think the Knicks should offer him the job now or in the off-season.
The Knicks currently rank 26th in Defensive Rating and 19tb in Points Allowed. They are close to last in Points Per Game at 103.3 so the offense and defense needs improvement and we’ve seen it under Mike Miller but he should not be a long term candidate in my opinion unless he gets the Knicks in the playoffs this season which is still possible if the Knicks can start winning 60-70 percent of their games the rest of the way. Tom Thibodeau coached the Bulls to the best record in the Eastern Conference 8-9 years ago and was an Associate Head Coach with the Boston Celtics 07-10. The man’s coaching background and body of work are second to none, I’m not judging him for his tenure in Minnesota, he at least got them in the playoffs despite the locker room issues between Towns,Butler, and Wiggins.
If he’s willing to inherit this young Knick team I think the Knicks should make him an offer, the puppies need to be developed but once they grow up the Knicks will be special and I speak of RJ Barrett and Mitchell Robinson. Defense is 50 percent of the game, I can’t stand to watch a team facing a deficit throughout a game not play hard on defense to create opportunities on the other end which is why I like the Denver Nuggets for the Finals due to Mike Malone’s ability to make the Nuggets play as unselfishly and hard as possible on both ends of the floor.
To conclude you need a top defense to win championships, it’s been proven in the 74 years of the NBA’s existence. The 94 Knicks almost won a championship taking the Rockets to 7 games and were known as one of the most historic teams in NBA history. Barrett has some dog to him, he wants to be pushed to be the best 2 way player possible and if he can become an All-NBA defender I think he could lead the Knicks to a championship over the next 4-5 years, Tom Thibodeau is the man for the job to help RJ Barrett become an NBA Champion. Happy New Yeara to everyone.
D-NBA 