Tom Thibodeau Crucial to Knicks Success

New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau holds the key for the team's path towards success.
Jan 10, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau coaches against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the third quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Jan 10, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau coaches against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the third quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images
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New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau is a big part of the reason why the team has emerged towards becoming a contender over the past few years.

However, he also may be part of the reason why the team's growth has stunted, reaching only the second round of the playoffs in each of the past two seasons. The Knicks' elimination from the playoffs in the past two years has been partially due to the team's injuries, which has been partially caused by Thibodeau's short rotations.

HoopsHype writer Mike Shearer believes Thibodeau is the X-Factor for the Knicks moving forward.

"Perhaps you think the Thibsian minutes narrative is overblown, but the Knicks have the two players averaging the most minutes per game, three in the top eight, and all five starters in the top 30 (as originally pointed out by Tommy Beer)," Shearer writes.

"Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart can take the abuse, but OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns have troubling injury histories. At this rate, Jalen Brunson’s tires will need an air compressor to keep him rolling into the postseason."

But it isn't just Thibodeau's rotations that make him the X-Factor for the team. The adjustments he makes in the second half of the year will have a strong impact on the Knicks.

"The way Thibodeau handles the eventual return of Mitchell Robinson will be fascinating. The Knicks may be better defensively with Robinson next to Towns, but they’ll almost certainly be worse offensively. To what degree that seesaws and how Thibodeau reacts to the data will play an outsized role in the Knicks’ success down the stretch," Shearer writes.

"Finally, can Thibodeau find a little more offensive variety? It hasn’t hurt him in the regular season, but the playoffs are about counters, adjustments, and flexibility. He must disprove a shaky track record on those axes for New York to meet their potential."

Thibodeau and the Knicks are back in action tonight as they take on the Philadelphia 76ers. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.

Make sure you bookmark Knicks on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!


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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.