New York Knicks have had a long search for a permanent head coach. After firing David Fizdale, there was a lot of speculation on who will be his long-term replacement. They allegedly had an 11-man shortlist featuring the likes of former Warriors coach Mark Jackson. however, the job ultimately went to Tom Thibodeau.
Coach T was arguably one of the most revered coaches available. He won an NBA Championship in 2008 with the Boston Celtics and would go on to win Coach of the Year with the Chicago Bulls in 2011.
While coaching the Bulls, Thibodeau had a young defensive beast in Joakim Noah at his disposal. Noah would become a Defensive Player of the Year and finished top 5 in MVP voting player under Thibodeau. However, Coach Tibs has a bad reputation, with a wide belief that he is one of the worst coaches to play for. Not for Noah, who has publicly endorsed Thibodeau on his Instagram.
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He put up a story in which he congratulated the coach on getting a job again. He also elaborated on why he feels it’s a good fit in an Instagram reply.
NYC Nation this is all you need to know about @nyknicks hiring Thibs from Joakim Noah. Just what The Garden ordered!
H/T @MichaelRapaport @iamrapaport IG pic.twitter.com/2rNpC5yhsM
— MichaelRapaport (@MichaelRapaport) July 25, 2020
New York Knicks on their way up?
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The Knicks have made wholesale changes this year after their disastrous 2019 free agency. They have tried bringing major influencers from the basketball world to help them recruit in World Wide West and Leon Rose. They now need to fix the basketball aspect and break this rut of them being one of the worst teams in the league. This starts with hiring Coach Thibodeau.
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He may not be the most player-friendly coach, but he is proven to bring out results. If players like Noah can appreciate his tough approach, maybe that is what this Knicks team needs. A culture setting coach could shape the future and make free agents look at this team as a genuine option in free agency.
The Knicks are looking to possibly trade for Zach LaVine. This may be the best move for them to fully commit to winning basketball again. We can only wait and see to evaluate what comes from this situation.
