Knicks Coaching Job Among Best in NBA

The New York Knicks have one of the most attractive coaching positions in the league.
May 19, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau coaches against the Indiana Pacers during the second quarter of game seven of the second round of the 2024 NBA playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
May 19, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau coaches against the Indiana Pacers during the second quarter of game seven of the second round of the 2024 NBA playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
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Not too many people in the profession have it better than New York Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau.

Thibodeau, 66, has coached the Knicks since 2020 and he's taken the team to new heights in his four years leading the bench. When he started, the Knicks job was attractive, but it was far from what it currently is now.

According to CBS Sports writer Sam Quinn, it's the sixth-most attractive job in the NBA.

"The Knicks now have one of the NBA's deepest rosters. Virtually everyone is either currently underpaid or was when they were acquired. New York still has plenty of tradable draft capital. The miles Tom Thibodeau has already put on his best players are always a concern, but any new coach could mitigate those concerns by immediately instituting a more traditional rotation," Quinn writes.

The only teams that ranked higher on Quinn's list were the Dallas Mavericks, San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets, Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Knicks job has grown over time, and a lot of that has to do with the players the Knicks have acquired in recent years. The only players from Thibodeau's first year that have remained with the team throughout his tenure are Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson.

Now, he's got a squad around those guys, including Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby, Donte DiVincenzo and Isaiah Hartenstein. Granted, Anunoby and Hartenstein are free agents this summer, but that nucleus was able to win 50 games for the Knicks this past season, leading them to the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. With a little bit more luck on the injury front, it's very possible that the Knicks could have advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000.

Heading into his fifth year, Thibodeau has a chance to build off of what he has done over the past four years and turn the Knicks job into one of the best in sports. With Brunson leading the way, the Knicks' vibes are at an all-time high, and that should make Thibodeau's job as easy as it is exciting.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.