Getty Head coach Tom Thibodeau of the New York Knicks reacts during the first half against the Portland Trail Blazers.
The New York Knicks put forth a brutal effort against the Dallas Mavericks Saturday afternoon, as they were bested in front of a packed MSG crowd by a final score of 121-100.
This defeat marks the fourth loss over their last five games and the sixth over their last eight and, in turn, the ball club boasts a lackluster, sub-.500 record of just 10-13.
The team’s current skid could be chalked up to many different factors such as poor perimeter shooting (converting at just a 31.5% clip since November 18), a middling pace of play, and incredibly inefficient defense, though, after their blowout matinee loss to the Mavericks, fans were quick to call out Tom Thibodeau as being the main culprit for their recent blunders.
With “Thibs” trending on Twitter, users can be found voicing their disdain for the two-time Coach of the Year’s efforts and decision-making as of late, with some going as far as to call for the headman’s dismissal from the club.
I’m officially on the fire Thibs train
#ThibsWatch
However, while the Knicks’ fanbase may find it easy to cast blame upon the 11-year head coach, some of the team’s players have come to his defense, with guard Jalen Brunson going as far as to suggest during the team’s post-game media session on November 3 that these recent shortcomings are not on Thibodeau but, rather, themselves.
“I think coach (Tom Thibodeau) has done a great job,” Brunson said. “He’s been able to put us in positions where we need to succeed and I think he knows where to put those puzzle pieces. It’s on us to actually execute and do things.”
Brunson would continue by stating that though Thibodeau is “going to get a lot of the blame” he believes that, ultimately, their follies fall on the players.
“It’s on us,” Brunson said. “I mean we’re the players out there not battling and his job is to put us in positions which he’s done.”
“I know he’s going to get a lot of the blame. It’s on us. We’re the players out there battling. His job is to put us in positions, which he’s done”
– Jalen Brunson on Tom Thibodeau
The Knicks entered halftime of their matchup against Dallas leading by a score of 59-52 and were seen converting on 55.3% of their attempts from the floor during this span.
However, coming back from the break, they would quickly find themselves losing the advantage, as New York would go on to let up 41 points in the third period alone (only managed to register 15 of their own) and, in turn, never came close to holding the lead again.
Would a Coaching Change Benefit Knicks?
Despite pleas from the fanbase, a mid-season coaching change for the Knicks likely wouldn’t make matters any better.
At least, that’s what one Eastern Conference executive seems to believe, as they recently told Heavy Sports’ NBA Insider Sean Deveney that their other options currently on the coaching staff don’t appear to be any more capable of running this team than Thibodeau.
“It doesn’t look like they have a clear next-guy-up if they fire Thibs. Johnnie Bryant would probably take over but that is a big job for him to step into,” the executive told Deveney. “It is a .500 team the way it is built, and that is about where they are.”
The executive would state that it’s not likely that the Knicks will part ways with Thibodeau during the regular season, though mentioned that the offseason could be a period where a coaching change could take place.
Knicks Could Go ‘Nuclear’
The New York Knicks are currently amid a major skid and, if things don’t improve on their own, the front office could look to start taking extreme actions.
In a November 29 article penned by New York Daily News writer Stefan Bondy, it was noted that there’s a real possibility that Leon Rose and company could opt to partake in a “nuclear option” where they simply hit the “reset button.”
“Trade Randle and/or Barrett and/or Robinson and begin a rebuild in earnest,” Bondy suggested as part of a hypothetical “nuclear” option. “At this point, it’s hard to imagine either player returning much value on their respective contracts.
It would require an admission of massive failure from Rose, who signed Randle and Barrett to nine-figure deals in the last 18 months.
But trading the pair serves a purpose of clearing the cap sheet — if not for next summer, then maybe in 2024. It also clears a path to playing time for rookies Immanuel Quickley and Obi Toppin, both of whom are eligible for extensions after the season.”
Barrett, though a favorite amongst the fanbase and the organization as a whole, may be the team’s most prized possible trade asset this season, though, as we learned this offseason, his recently signed extension makes him a hard sell should he be shopped on the trade market.