Tom Thibodeau Cherishes New York Knicks' Continuity

Some have chastised the New York Knicks for sticking with essentially the same lineup from last year, but Tom Thibodeau appreciates the familiarity.

The more things change for the New York Knicks, the more they've stayed the same.

This year's Knicks will be burdened with expectations after their most lucrative season in a decade after winning 47 games and their first playoff series in a decade. Though the Knicks aren't among the Eastern Conference favorites, anything less than at least a duplication of last year's success will likely be seen as a disappointment. 

To that end, the Knicks didn't make many major adjustments to their roster, even as names like Damian Lillard and Kristaps Porziņģis respectively landed in Milwaukee and Boston. The biggest change in the team's primary rotation was trading Obi Toppin and more or less replacing him with former Golden State Warriors Donte DiVincenzo.

Some feel like the Knicks' inactivity will come back to haunt them but head coach Tom Thibodeau clearly values the budding bonds established. Continuity appears to be the word that has defined Thibodeau's outlook on the modern Knicks, lauding the concept in an interview with Steve Aschburner of NBA.com.

Tom Thibodeau (R) seen with Immanuel Quickley during the 2021-22 season / Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

"Continuity’s important, and we’re going into year four (of my Knicks tenure)," Thibodeau said. "We’re young. That’s the best thing about our team, that you can continue to get better. We’re looking forward to the development of the guys we do have. Getting the experience from last year was very beneficial to us, but we have to understand it’s a new year and we start over again."

Thibodeau joined the Knicks for the 2020-21 season. Of the 19 players that suited up for the Knicks that season, only four (RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson) are still with the team. But of that quartet, Barrett, Randle, and Robinson are set to reprise their roles in the starting five along with last season's entries Jalen Brunson and Quentin Grimes. Quickley will once again serve as the first man off the bench and is expected to contend for the Sixth Man of the Year Award again.

As the Knicks continue to work through the opening stanzas in training camp in Charleston, Thibodeau once again touched upon the team's familiarity with each other, this time reasoning the group's continued collaboration makes for a smoother trial-and-error process.

"It's five-man offense and five-man defense and I think the more experience that you have with each teammate, there's also value in that because you've been through a lot of things together, so you're also learning together," Thibodeau said in video from SNY. "How we move the group forward, I think one of the advantages that you did have is (that) you know your teammates well, you know the system well."

But with that privilege, Thibodeau warns, comes new responsibilities, especially if the Knicks have any intentions of building upon last year's success.

"Last year was last year," Thibodeau said. "It has nothing to do with this year. We have to understand that."

"This year" unofficially begins on Monday night when the Knicks face the Boston Celtics in their preseason opener at Madison Square Garden (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG).