Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau is officially up for a contract extension, and a deal should be a no-brainer for a coach who established a culture ushering-in back-to-back second-round playoff appearances at Madison Square Garden.
Thibodeau coached the Knicks to the Eastern Conference’s No. 2 seed despite a rash of injuries, most notably All-Star forward Julius Randle, who suffered a season-ending dislocated shoulder on Jan. 27.
The Knicks’ season ended with a 130-109 loss to the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 on Sunday, but Thibodeau’s team exceeded expectations given the depleted state of the roster entering the second round.
“Obviously I’m not too up to speed on what it was before he was here, but he’s been Coach of the Year, got this team to the playoffs, got this team to the second round, and you know, barring injuries, could have went further,” said Josh Hart, who joined the roster in a midseason trade last year. “So I think you’re seeing the foundation that he’s built — but we know getting to be a championship team is not flipping a switch and one season you just get there. We know you’ve got to continue to build, and that’s something that he’s done, something he built the foundation for, and it gives this city and this franchise hope moving forward.”
Under Thibodeau, virtually every available Knicks player enjoyed a career year:
- Jalen Brunson averaged 28.7 points per game in a historic scoring season for the franchise
- Hart became a triple double machine after being thrust into the starting lineup midseason
- Donte DiVincenzo set the Knicks’ new record for threes made in a game and threes made in a season. He also set a new record for threes made in a Game 7 and averaged a career-best 15.5 points per game, five points better than any season in his career
- Isaiah Hartenstein cemented himself as a starting caliber center after Mitchell Robinson’s early-season injury
- And Miles McBride became a household name, a gritty defender and reliable three-point shooter thrown into the fire after the Immanuel Quickley trade
Even Randle was on pace for another one of his best seasons prior to his injury.
He was one of only five players to average at least 24 points, nine rebounds and five assists this season. The other four have either won MVP or will win it in the near future: Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
McBride’s development is one of the strongest examples of Thibodeau’s impact at The Garden.
The third-year guard was out of the rotation altogether prior to the Quickley trade but made an immediate impact after and was a rotation mainstay the rest of the way.
“Man, he’s believed in me from the start,” said McBride. “Obviously my first few years, I didn’t play as much. But he told me to stay patient and keep working and it will show. Like other guys feel, I think he’s built a great foundation for us. I think moving forward obviously that’s up to management, I don’t make those decisions, and I’ma leave it at that.”
So to recap, a Knicks team ravaged by injury still managed to secure the Eastern Conference’s second seed, still managed to defeat the reigning league MVP Embiid and his Philadelphia 76ers in the first round, still managed to take a 2-0 series lead over the Indiana Pacers in the second round before OG Anunoby went down with a hamstring injury in Game 2, and nearly advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals had the basketball gods not answered Andrew Nembhard’s game-winning prayer in Game 3.
The Knicks lost Game 7, but Thibodeau is undoubtedly a winner this season — and even if he didn’t finish top-three in Coach of the Year voting this season, he’s proven without a doubt he’s the man for the job in New York.
“Thibs is the reason we, night in and night out, we fight to the best of our abilities,” said Brunson. “Even though things may not be in our favor result wise, he makes sure we have that mindset night in and night out.”
“I think he’s a great coach, well-prepared,” added Anunoby. “He does a good job preparing us, any game adjustments. He’s a great coach. I love coach.”
