Morning Knicks 8/3: Possible Thibodeau Assistants, Player Reunions, and More
-With Tom Thibodeau in place as head coach, the next order of business is filling out his staff. Marc Berman of The New York Post reported some news on potential assistants, with Ed Pinckney expected to gain strong interest. The former Villanova star was an assistant under Thibs in both Chicago and Minnesota. Berman has more on Pinckney and other possible hires, as well as commenting that Mike Miller and Mike Woodson are "near locks to join the staff."
SNY's Ian Begley echoed the reports of Pinckney being a candidate, as well as Kentucky's Kenny Payne. Begley also said that the Knicks want "to hire a significant number of player-development coaches," which would presumably bode well for New York's younger players.
-It's not uncommon for new head coaches to bring in players on their former teams. So who could Tom Thibodeau add to the Knicks that he's coached in the past? Our own Jonathan Marci has the answers. Jonathan wrote about the top five former Thibodeau players that could join the Knicks and the likelihood of each happening. The list includes a star guard, a former/current Knick, and a veteran that Jonathan thinks has a very good shot of coming to Madison Square Garden.
-If winning press conferences led to success, it's possible the Knicks may have a few more playoff wins under their belts in the last two decades. That being said, it will be a long time before fans see how Leon Rose's moves pan out once the Knicks return to real games. Rose has received much praise for his well-respected front office hires, and our own Alex Wolfe felt that Rose said all the right things during the introductory press conference for new head coach Tom Thibodeau. Check out Alex's takeaways from the presser that has him believing Rose is doing the best he can.
Several other Knicks' writers had their own conclusions from Thibodeau's press conference. You can check out articles about the historic presser from Marc Berman of The New York Post about Thibodeau's excitement for the job and what his coaching staff may look like, The Athletic's Mike Vorkunov, and SNY's Ian Begley.
Berman also wrote an interesting article in regards to Thibodeau's comments about utilizing the G-League for young players who aren't getting enough playing time. This would be the opposite of what the Knicks have done in the past, as struggling players like Kevin Knox and Frank Ntilikina were not sent to Westchester. You can read more about how Thibodeau may use the G-League here.
-The Athletic's Jon Greenberg spent five years covering Tom Thibodeau when he was the head coach of the Chicago Bulls. Greenberg has seen it all with Thibs, from the highs when the Bulls were dominant, to the lows of Thibodeau's firing, to the organization struggling to find success ever since. Greenberg wrote a fantastic piece about how he's excited that Thibodeau is getting another shot and how he gives the Knicks a "fighting chance."
Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic also provided an different perspective in his latest article on the Knicks and Thibodeau. The former Knicks' assistant has had success in Chicago and even some in Minnesota. He's shown he has what it takes to win. He has a fiery intensity and works tirelessly to get the most out of his players. That should be enough to make him the right candidate, and Vorkunov believes that the simple choice was the right one.
-Thibodeau spent some of his time away from coaching last year by visiting other clubs to continue to be involved in the game of basketball. One place he enjoyed going to was Golden State, where Warriors' head coach Steve Kerr appreciated his advice. Kerr told Marc Berman of The New York Post about how Thibodeau helped him with Andrew Wiggins when the Warriors traded for the former top pick. Many people feel that Thibodeau had a tough time connecting with the young players in Minnesota, but Wiggins told Kerr he loved playing for Thibodeau.
-Knicks fans are surely excited to see who the franchise gets with its three draft picks, but our own Kris Pursiainen thinks a draft-and-stash approach with one of the picks isn't the worst idea. Kris wrote about the possibility of the Knicks selecting Leandro Bolmaro, a guard from Argentina who's smart, can pass the ball, but is still very raw. If the Knicks have a healthy mix of veterans with their current young core and bring in two draft picks, Kris likes the idea of grabbing Bolmaro, keeping him in Spain where he currently plays, and hoping to see him blossom down the line.
Another option Kris believes in is Patrick Williams of Florida State. The former Seminole is a versatile and skilled player who has the potential to contribute on both ends of the ball. If he's around when the Knicks pick later on, Williams has an NBA-ready body that could boost New York from the get-go.
-Our own Lauren Russell is back with an engaging Knicks' social media check-in. From pictures of Knicks' players excited for the WNBA, to a birthday post for Frank Ntilikina, to players getting excited for the NBA restart, you can check out everything the players are saying and posting on Twitter, Instagram, and more.
