Knicks: Josh Hart Breaks Silence On Tom Thibodeau’s Snub From NBA Coach Of The Year Race

Josh Hart hits back after the NBA snubbed Knicks HC Tom Thibodeau. During the Day 2 of the NBA postseason, the league announced the shortlisted candidates for various annual awards. The much-awaited candidates for the MVP race were also announced. However, the New York Knicks guard expressed his disagreement with the shortlisted candidates for the Coach of the Year Award.

Hart took to his X handle and reposted Bleacher Report’s post that showcased the shortlisted candidates for various awards. Importantly, he asked a stinging question to the league, concerning Coach Thibs’ snub. The post read, “50 wins, 2nd seed with an injuried roster for half the season and not a Coach Of The Year candidate…”

Josh Hart simply didn’t express his frustration but also pointed out the reasons behind it as well. The Knicks pretty much played the entire regular season without 60% of their starting line-up. With Mitch Robinson sidelined with an ankle injury in December, he was followed by two big men, OG Anunoby and Julius Randle.

Tom Thibodeau had no one except the 6 ‘1 guard, Jalen Brunson, to play the game. Even though Brunson orchestrated a successful season, averaging 28.7 points and 6.7 assists per game, he often faced controversial no-calls. The team also has several close games because of ‘no call’ from the refs with the plays relating to JB.  Despite the constraints, the team managed to nab the second seed in the East with a 50-32 record.

At the same time, Thibs may have a reason for not claiming the award this season. The 66-year-old coach has already won the award twice in his career. In 2011, he helped the struggling Chicago Bulls to reach the Conference Finals with 62 wins, he took that trophy home without a debate. 10 years later, he won again. In 2021, he won again for resurrecting the Knicks franchise from a 21-45 record to fourth seed. While the short-handed side seems like a strong case, he has already had it twice.

Who will win the Coach of the Year award?

Tonight, the league listed Mark Daigeneault (OKC Thunder), Chris Finch (Minnesota Timberwolves), and Jamahl Mosley (Orlando Magic) as the final candidates for the award. Notably, all three coaches have a similar storyline, where they have brought a struggling team to the top of the table.

Chris Finch may be unlikely to win this award because of the star-studded line-up. The team has superstars like Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Rudy Gobert. And on top of that, they made it to the playoffs last season. Whereas, the other two teams didn’t even qualify for the playoffs.

In the last season, the OKC could make it only to the 10th spot and missed its playoff berth after a loss in the Play-in Tournament. On the other hand, the Magic had an even worse situation, closing out the season in the 13th seed. However, in this season, both the teams pulled some strings and worked their way up in the ladder, where the Thunder finished top-seed with a 57-25 record and the Magic in the fifth seed with a 47-35 record.

So, Mark Daigeneault and Jamalh Mosley are favorites to win the award this year. Who do you think will win this year? Let us know in the comments below.