Last week, the New York Knicks hired former Bulls and Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau on a five-year contract to become the franchise’s next head coach.
Since the 1999 Knicks final, the team has had 14 different coaches and Tom Thibodeau is the last to put his hat in the ring to bring the sleeping giant out of the league back to the fore. The Knicks have been plagued by a myriad of instability and drama, and the franchise hopes that the strong and fiery Thibodeau will be a stabilizing figure for years to come.
Today’s Knicks are quite the opposite of the Knicks list when Thibodeau was an assistant. These teams featured a large group of veterans who aspired to a championship under the guidance of coach Jeff Van Gundy.
The team Thibodeau inherits now includes a large group of unproven young players and an organization that desperately needs a foundation. While the Knicks may not engage in real rebuilding, the team must engage in the development and promotion of their young core: RJ Barrett, Mitchell Robinson, Frank Ntilikina and their 2020 lottery pick.
Dennis Smith Jr. and Kevin Knox are the jokers since their future with the team is unclear. Regardless of whether or not they are reported, the Knicks’ success relies significantly on the success of their young players and whether Thibodeau can get the most out of them.
Thibodeau has experience in training young overseers of his days in Chicago and Minnesota. He has trained several young stars and helped many of them take the next step in their career.
Although the Knicks’ young talent is not comparable to the cores inherited from Thibodeau in Chicago and Minnesota, Thibodeau must get the most out of them to live his five-year contract.