It Sounds Like Tom Thibodeau Will Be Returning As Head Coach Of The Knicks Next Season
Brian Babineau. Getty Images.B/R- After weeks of league-wide speculation that Tom Thibodeau's tenure with New York was heading toward an unceremonious end, Thibodeau is expected to remain the Knicks' head coach beyond this 2021-22 season, league sources told B/R.
Knicks governor James Dolan had granted the front office permission to either remove Thibodeau or retain him, sources said. But team president Leon Rose has no plans to make any change on the Knicks' bench, sources said. Thibodeau maintains a frequent dialogue with Dolan following each game and often visits the owner's box.
So much for those reports of World Wide Wes trying to get Thibs shipped out of New York using his back channels in the shadows as the Knicks Master of Whispers. I mean it must be weird as hell for Thibs to read this report knowing that his boss' boss gave his boss the right to act as Commodus when it came to Thibs' fate as Knicks head coach before allowing him to stay on the bench.
But I don't think any Knicks fan can truly be surprised or upset about this. Yeah Thibs sticking to playing the vets over the kids has been INFURIATING, even though that has been a part of the Tom Thibodeau Experience for as long as he's been a head coach, and the comical amount of blown leads has caused me to question if last year's magical season was worth having expectations this year.
Then I remember what it's been like as a Knicks fan watching the team change coaches every other year, establishing no identity, and just being in a constant state of chaos. Which is why I consider Dolan not making this move himself without caring about anyone else's opinion an actual win for the Knicks franchise. And while I love tweeting pictures of Leon Rose wearing Air Pods, nobody on the planet with a working brain can possibly think this team is built correctly. Which is why I feel like this is part of the reason Thibs ain't going nowhere, since it puts another body with a target on it in front of King Leon.
New York brass also strongly values Thibodeau's ability and willingness to pose as the team's official spokesperson. "Thibs will stand there pregame and postgame, every day, and take the bullets for you," the coaching figure said.
As long as RJ continues to develop, the front office gets an actual point guard, and Thibs can even meet the fans halfway with minutes for the young'ns, I feel like things should be better next season. Orrrrrrr it'll be an absolute crash and burn scenario, which will allow the front office to make a clean break from Thibs, if not the entire Leon Rose Era.
Also as a Giants fan, I can tell you that a vote of public confidence from the front office a few weeks before the season is over doesn't mean a goddamn thing if Thibs decides to spew an 11 minute nonsensical rant trying to convince everyone that he does NOT work for a clown show organization in the middle of a massive losing streak to end the season and the Knicks do whatever the basketball version this is.
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Hopefully Thibs can take this vote of confidence and be okay with losing a couple extra games to improve our lottery odds in hopes we don't get buttfucked for once and actually move up in the draft along with maybe a star player forcing his way here for the first time since Me7o. I know that is asking a lot but the Knicks have to be due for one of those magical summers, right? RIGHT?!?