Hired in 2020, Thibodeau went 226-174 with the Knicks. He became the first coach since Mike Woodson (2012-14) to end his tenure with a winning record and elevated a franchise that had been irrelevant for most of the 2010s.
While Thibodeau should be celebrated for what he accomplished, including leading New York to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000, the Knicks needed to make this move.
The team has a talented core, and it’s fair to wonder if Thibodeau got it as far as he could.
Despite being considered one of the game’s top defensive-minded coaches, the Knicks couldn’t stop the Pacers in their six-game series loss, allowing 116.8 points per game.
With the team’s biggest stars, point guard Jalen Brunson and center Karl-Anthony Towns, struggling defensively, Thibodeau’s style didn’t mesh with the team’s top talent.
The Knicks need a coach who can maximize their offensive strengths while minimizing their defensive liabilities. With a finite number of seasons as a bonafide contender, they couldn’t wait for (or expect) Thibodeau, 67, to become that coach.
Thibodeau also relied more heavily on his starters than any other coach, taxing the unit with substantial minutes. That wear-and-tear isn’t sustainable, and New York’s starters would likely have been subjected to the same usage in 2025-26 under Thibodeau.
The decision could backfire, but with some excellent candidates on the market, including recently fired former champion head coaches Michael Malone and Mike Budenholzer, plus younger former Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins, New York has intriguing options to get the organization back to the NBA Finals.
It’s reasonable to be skeptical of the Knicks, who we’ve grown accustomed to seeing get things wrong more often than they get it right.
Thibodeau’s firing comes with risks, but maintaining the status quo would have had its own consequences.
Instead of taking the same approach and expecting a different outcome, New York is trying something different. What’s so crazy about that?
