Tom Thibodeau: Knicks 'Starting at Zero'

The New York Knicks are starting from scratch going into the season.

Jeremy Brener | 3 Hours Ago

Sep 30, 2024; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau speaks during a media day press conference at the MSG training facility in Tarrytown, NY. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

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New York Knicks

The New York Knicks have a lot to build off of from the previous season after winning 50 games and coming away just one game shy of their first Eastern Conference Finals visit since 2000.

Even though they have a good starting point, they are essentially starting from scratch after losing Isaiah Hartenstein, Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo and replacing them with Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges.

With so many shocks to the system, Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau is treating the beginning of the season as if the team is starting from scratch.

“Obviously you start at a zero base and you build," Thibodeau said. "And that’s where we are. We’re building right now, but we have to understand that you build together. And so you’re asking everyone to share the floor, share the ball, and then be committed together defensively. And so that’s what we’re working on.”

While there is a lot that the Knicks can take from years past, there are significant changes made to the roster, and with that comes a new setup. They have to build chemistry while incorporating Towns and Bridges into the fold. There are reasons why it could be easy for the Knicks, considering the fact that Bridges played with Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart in college, but that doesn't mean they can cut corners.

Without their new additions in Bridges and Towns, the Knicks won't be able to get anywhere, so they need to be able to bring those guys up to speed along with the rest of the group in order to have the team on the same page going into the season.

Thibodeau is getting his team ready for opening night, which takes place on Tuesday, Oct. 22 when the Knicks the defending champion Boston Celtics at TD Garden.

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Published 3 Hours Ago

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.