As the Knicks try to hire a full-time coach, Tom Thibodeau appears to be the favorite for the job. Brewer played under Thibs for over two seasons in Chicago before being swapped for New York. The ex-player thinks that his ex-manager gets a big hit from NBA people.
“Coach Thibs gets the short tip of the stick because of the comments that emerge that say he is hard on the players and that pushes the players too hard, but that’s what you want from a coach,” said Brewer. “This is what you want for your team and your organization, you want someone who is going to get down and grit, grind and fight for everything they can get. That’s all about Coach Thibs. He will make you defend and he wants the teams to move up and down the field … He is one of the best defensive coaches, he is good with staff, he is a player’s coach, but he is tough and if you are a strong player and you have a tough mentality, you will be able to thrive in his system. He will trust you and allow you to reach your maximum potential. “
During Brewer’s two full seasons with the Bulls, Thibodeau went 62-20 (2010-11) and 50-16 (shortened block season 2011-12). The swingman had a first-hand look at Thibs at his best. He was a key player on the bench and a possible starter for those bull teams. And he’s not buying that Thibs can’t teach young players.
“You want to go with a veteran who knows the ropes,” Brewer said when asked to knock on Thibs as a development coach. “I still think about the way we have practiced, it makes it impossible for you not to develop. When you come to work every day, bring your bucket for lunch. It will push you harder every day. It also pushes the assistant coaches of the individual positions to which they are assigned. When I was in Chicago, coach Adrian Griffin was my position manager. He had me, Luol Deng and Jimmy Butler and then we had Rip Hamilton. We were ready for war against each team. We went down a bit against Heat, with LeBron, Wade and Chris Bosh, but everyone else, we were ready for them as soon as they entered the field”.