With Tom Thibodeau no longer the head coach of the New York Knicks, many have wanted to know what exactly led to his firing. For many, his firing came as a shock given that they had reached the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 25 years.
New details reveal issues with Tom Thibodeau’s coaching structure
However, new details have emerged about Thibodeau’s structure in practice, which turns out to be fairly jarring. SNY’s Ian Begley reported on the matter and detailed how that structure left some players starstruck.
“The Knicks didn’t have full scrimmages during an entire training camp one season, which is uncommon. The players found it odd that they didn’t scrimmage during the camp; Thibodeau’s Knicks didn’t scrimmage often in season, which is more common in the NBA. But the lack of scrimmaging hindered the players’ ability to develop cohesion, they’ve said,” Begley wrote.
Begley added that late-game situations were not prioritized in practice, which was another surprise to them. That lack of experimentation may have played a part in some of their collapses, such as Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals when they blew a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter.
“They found it strange that the coaching staff didn’t go over those situations during practice,” Begley added. “Are these reasons to fire Thibodeau? Probably not. But the players involved questioned the approach.”
The Knicks needed to make a head coaching change
Thibodeau’s approach to the game has long been scrutinized by those around the league. His most criticized tactic was his rotation, as he relied heavily on his starters and inconsistently utilized the bench, which may have also led to a lack of cohesion.
There were many things that Thibodeau did coaching-wise that players did not agree with. The hope is that a fresh, new face can better resonate with the players and also have them properly prepared to take on the league’s best.
The Knicks are still conducting an extensive search for a new head coach, but whoever that coach becomes will have immense pressure to snap the 52-year title drought.
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