Since being named head coach of the New York Knicks during the 2020 NBA offseason, Tom Thibodeau has overseen a huge turnaround for the team. Before he was hired, New York was passing through buses at an alarming rate.
Mike D’Antonio, who was the coach from 2008 to 2012, was the last Knicks person to make it to their third season as coach before Thibodeau. Before D’Antoni you have to go back to Jeff Van Gundy before the end of the century.
To say that Thibodeau’s behavior and down-to-earth way of coaching were necessary would be an understatement. He helped restore the franchise to respectability, echoing the style of play that fans loved and NBA opponents feared in the 1990s.
Under Thibodeau, the Knicks are playing a physical brand of basketball driven by their defense. When you go to Madison Square Garden, you better bring your helmet because you’re going to get caned for 48 minutes.
While not always aesthetically pleasing on the court, the Knicks get the job done. They are currently 41-28 and in fifth place in the Eastern Conference, a half game behind the Orlando Magic for fourth place and 3.5 games behind the Milwaukee Bucks for second.
New York is on track to reach the NBA playoffs for the third time in four seasons under Thibodeau, as this is the most successful stretch the franchise has seen in over a decade. Thanks to this success, we could see Thibodeau on the sidelines for many more years to come.
According to Fred Katz of The Athletic , extension talks between Thibodeau and the Knicks could occur this offseason. He currently makes about $7 million per year, but that number could rise significantly this offseason.
His current contract runs through the 2024-25 season, but league sources say he hopes to secure a future with the Knicks when both sides plan to revisit the topic this summer. At this rate, the Knicks may end up wishing they had decided to do something with Thibodeau before the recent explosion in coaching salaries,” Katz wrote.