The New York Knicks were something of a Cinderella story last NBA season. They shocked the world, made the playoffs as a top-4 seed, and looked poised for a deep postseason run until Trae Young got the best of Julius Randle and company.
The offseason was promising. They added Kemba Walker at a huge discount and seemingly had found the playmaker and scoring guard they craved in the postseason. As you may know by now, that wasn’t the case.
Add Randle’s feud with the fans, a mid-game altercation with a video assistant, and the Knicks’ unparalleled ability to blow big leads and you have a recipe for disaster. And someone has to take the blame.
Knicks Could Fire Tom Thibodeau Amid Difficult Season
That’s why the latest reports coming from the Big Apple are pointing the finger at Tom Thibodeau. Per SNY, people within the organization think he’s to blame for their struggles and could even be fired midseason.
(Transcript via Ian Begley of SNY)
“No matter how you feel about the situation, your individual opinion won’t have much impact on what happens next with the Knicks. Whose opinion matters? Knicks executive vice president William Wesley. And in conversations with Knicks owner James Dolan this month, Wesley has been laying the blame for the season – at least in part – on Thibodeau’s coaching, per SNY sources.
Does that mean Thibodeau will be fired during the All-Star break? I don’t know the answer to that question.As stated previously, I would be a bit surprised if he were let go at this point. But stranger things have happened in pro sports.
The idea that Wesley is privately citing Thibodeau’s coaching as a significant factor behind New York’s struggles is noteworthy.”
Tom Thibodeau Is Aware Of The Rumors
Thibodeau is aware of the fact that he’s on the hot seat and NYC media is known for being ruthless. Even so, he’s not letting all the outside noise take a toll on how he takes care of business:
“A byproduct of losing is everyone wants to place blame. And I understand that,” Thibodeau told the media. “We all have jobs to do. (The season) has not gone as well as it has. It didn’t go great last year until the end, right? Lock into what we have to do. Don’t get caught up in getting distracted. And focus on how we can do better. That’s where I want the focus to lie.”
The Knicks enter the All-Star break sitting at the 12th spot in a crowded Eastern Conference. The playoffs seem like a long shot and all players not named RJ Barrett should be available in the offseason. This isn’t good at all.
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