Morning Knicks 6/2: Knicks Organization Stays Silent, Potential Thibs Coaching Staff, and More
-Pablo Torre tweeted out that Knicks players and employees are "furious" that the organization has yet make a statement about George Floyd. Torre's post included an email from Knicks owner James Dolan defending the decision to stay silent. The Knicks and the Spurs are the only two NBA organizations that have not made a statement on the situation, although Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich did an interview about the current American moment. It is a moment that most other teams and individuals have decided cries out for words and actions.
-Tom Thibodeau is the heavy favorite to be the Knicks next head coach, which was discussed in yesterday's roundup. While nothing is official, fans can start to speculate what it would be like with Thibs in charge. Marc Berman of The New York Post wrote about who Thibodeau could look to bring onto his staff should he get the job. The list includes current head coach Mike Miller, people that Thibodeau worked with in Chicago and Minnesota, and even a former Knick player.
-Our country has endured a truly terrible week that has again brought injustice to light. This is all happening in the midst of a global pandemic. While fans will no doubt be looking forward to the NBA returning for some positivity, given all the current circumstances, it has our own Jonathan Macri asking a difficult question: Is it worth it? Jonathan wrote an important piece about what an NBA return would bring given current health and safety concerns. Everyone wants to see basketball back, and money is generally the driving factor in these decisions, but Jonathan asks the tough questions that need to be considered.
-Berman also released another mailbag, hitting on several topics, such as why Patrick Ewing hasn't been considered for the Knicks' head coaching position and how the organization views the Ball family. However, the part I found most interesting were his comments on Killian Hayes. Berman said "Hayes might be too much of a point-guard project for (Leon) Rose," and that the Knicks' president could lean toward a guard like Cole Anthony.
This line of thinking may be a bit frightening for fans to hear, as it sounds like the same old Knicks decisions: preferring an inefficient shooter like Anthony to a more well rounded (if raw) prospect in Hayes. Additionally, it shows where Rose's head may be at. If Hayes isn't a target because the organization wants to avoid a slow rebuild, Rose may try to use his connections to attempt to make a team this team a winner as fast as possible. Unfortunately, this strategy of cutting corners on a rebuild has been a sin of Knicks' team presidents and general managers in the past, so Rose will need to make sure his plan is foolproof.
