Analyst Defends Knicks Firing Tom Thibodeau

The New York Knicks controversially fired Tom Thibodeau as their head coach, but it may have been the right call.

New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau looks on in the first quarter against the Indiana Pacers. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The New York Knicks said goodbye to Tom Thibodeau last month after five seasons with the team.

Despite helping the team grow from a lottery mainstay to the Eastern Conference Finals, the Knicks felt Thibodeau was holding them back from reaching their true potential.

CBS Sports writer Sam Quinn defended New York's decision to let go of Thibodeau.

"The Tom Thibodeau firing was controversial, but justified. The Knicks of the regular season underperformed," Quinn wrote.

"They overperformed in the playoffs, but due in part to uncontrollable shooting variance. There is room for improvement here, but without draft picks to trade, it wasn't going to come through substantial roster upgrades. It therefore had to come through coaching, and Thibodeau tends to be so stubborn that he just didn't seem likely to grow out of his worst tendencies."

"If Mike Brown just maintains the basic culture he installed, tweaks the offense slightly and is more open-minded about lineups and minutes, that alone could be enough to take the Knicks to the Finals. The Knicks took a risk here, but potential reward is usually proportional to risk. They had to take a swing, and all things considered, this was a sensible one."

The Thibodeau firing will be justified if Brown does a better job. If he doesn't, then it could be considered the wrong move.

Thibodeau was a good coach, so the only reason there is to fire him if there is someone better than him. Brown has the potential to be that for the Knicks, but he has to prove that during the season for New York.

In the meantime, the Knicks prospects are participating in the Las Vegas Summer League with the other 29 teams in the NBA. Their first game comes against the Detroit Pistons at 6 p.m. ET.

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