After being the fourth seed in the 2020-21 season, the New York Knicks took a stumble this year. They failed to qualify for the playoffs, and in fact, they didn’t even get into the Play-In Tournament.
Julius Randle has reportedly struggled with attitude issues along with his on-court struggles. But that was just the beginning of the Knicks’ issues.
Add in the fact that their premier offseason signings didn’t pan out, and this season was nothing short of a disaster for New York. The cherry on top has been seeing the fans complain about Tom Thibodeau’s rotations.
Instead of playing young guys like Immanuel Quickley, Obi Toppin, and Cam Reddish, Thibodeau consistently trotted out Alec Burks and Taj Gibson. Despite the ire of some fans, recent NBA rumors have revealed that the Knicks don’t feel the same way.
NBA Rumors: Tom Thibodeau “safe” as New York Knicks head coach
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on a recent episode of NBA Countdown that Thibodeau has the support of ownership and the important players in the locker room. (H/T Bleacher Report)
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Wojnarowski reported that “he is safe in New York” and that the Knicks even picked up the fifth-year team option on his contract this past offseason after he won the Coach of the Year award.
It’s unsurprising that the team is backing up Thibodeau. As questionable as some fans may think his rotational decisions are, it’s been said that he’s loved behind the scenes.
The fact that Wojnarowski reported that the locker room supports Thibodeau should speak volumes. If they are comfortable and happy with him as the head coach, that should be more than enough for right now.
This isn’t to say that the Knicks don’t have other issues to figure out this summer. Re-shaping the roster should be at the top of their priorities list this offseason.
But based on these NBA rumors, parting ways with Thibodeau is not in their plans. In all likelihood, he’ll be the head coach of the Knicks next season.