Tom Thibodeau Praises Key Improved for Knicks

The New York Knicks have Tom Thibodeau looking forward to the season.

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-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

New York Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau is inheriting nearly the same team that he had a few months ago, but there's one big change.

The Knicks acquired Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets back in June for a multitude of future first-round picks and some salary-filling contracts. The Knicks will be able to line up with Bridges and OG Anunoby to give them a ton of defensive versatility in their lineup.

"What it adds to us is the versatility of both allows us to give different looks to a primary ball handler. We’ve been playing Donte [DiVincenzo] on those guys to start. Now we can come after that with Bridges, then OG, then Hart. We can constantly change up our look for who’s guarding that ball handler. Also, OG and Hart are very disruptive off the ball, so I like to use them that way. The versatility of the defense will be a big thing for us," Thibodeau said via NBA insider Steve Aschburner.

Sending different looks towards star guards is the easiest way to take advantage of them, and the Knicks might be able to do that more than any other team in the league thanks to players like Bridges and Anunoby. On top of that, the Knicks have a lot of wings that will allow them to switch defenders on nearly anyone, making it extremely difficult for offenses to get open shots up.

"I think the league overall has shifted," Thibodeau said. "Your 2s, 3s, and 4s are more wing-oriented now. Guys who can guard four positions – or in some cases, we’ve got guys who can guard all five – allow you to do a lot more switching. And if there’s a rebounding component to that, you’re not sacrificing your defense. You’re turning your opponent into more of an isolation type of team, where they’re working against the clock and settling, hopefully, for long mid-range shots."

Thibodeau has always been a defensive-minded coach with the Knicks, and now he has a group that could allow him to build his best defense ever, one that contend with all of the best offenses in the NBA.

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