Tom Thibodeau Compares Knicks to Bulls

The New York Knicks remind Tom Thibodeau of the team he coached with the Chicago Bulls.

Apr 5, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau gestures to his team against the Chicago Bulls during the first quarter at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images / David Banks-Imagn Images

Tom Thibodeau is entering his fourth year with the New York Knicks, and he's now expected to lead a group that features a core of players that won together in college at Villanova.

The team's pre-existing camaraderie and chemistry reminds Thibodeau of his first head coaching stop with the Chicago Bulls in the early 2010's.

"The Villanova thing was a long time ago — that’s what people don’t realize, that these guys have all gone on to play at different places. So they’ve gained different experiences. And now they’ve come back. But you also have situations like with Mikal, who not only has played with those guys but he also has played with Cam Payne and [Keita] Bates-Diop [in Phoenix or Brooklyn]," Thibodeau said via NBA insider Steve Aschburner.

"I think we had the same thing when I was in Chicago — we had Carlos Boozer, Kyle Korver and Ronnie Brewer [who previously had teamed in Utah]. What that does is — it’s probably a little overrated but the fact that they’ve played together before probably helps them adjust quickly to a new system. That’s where the biggest advantage is, their comfort in playing off each other, understanding strengths and weaknesses. Not only have you played so many games together, you’ve also practiced together."

Those teams Thibodeau coached with the Bulls were some of the best in the era. However, injuries and bad luck hurt them year in and year out and they never got out of the Eastern Conference during his tenure there.

Chicago made the playoffs in each of Thibodeau's five seasons with the Bulls, but they always fell short. That has appeared to also be the case so far as he coaches the Knicks, but he's hoping that the experience he had in Chicago will help him with this year's team in New York. It might help the Knicks get over the hump and grab that elusive championship the franchise has been seeking for over 50 years.

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