Tom Thibodeau Firing Could Keep Knicks Core Together

The New York Knicks' decision to fire Tom Thibodeau could give a clue as to what the team wants to do with its core players.

New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau looks on. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The New York Knicks are preparing for life without Tom Thibodeau after the long-time head coach was fired earlier this month.

The Knicks knew they needed to make a change after being eliminated in the Eastern Conference Finals, and Thibodeau was the one to pay the price.

SB Nation columnist Michael Zeno believes this could lead to inactivity on the trade market this offseason.

"The overall trend is that Rose is always looking to shake things up. The Knicks haven’t started one season and ended the next with four starters staying the same in a long time," Zeno wrote.

"If the Knicks decided to give Tom Thibodeau a sixth season, a change would be warranted. You can’t fully run it back. But if you fired Thibodeau, you clearly believe that this group could be optimized further. You don’t give this core the opportunity to shine if you make a change before you see if a new coach can optimize their talent better."

The Knicks need to figure out why they can't win a championship, and they have changed what they believed to be the wrong variable each year they've gone deep but not enough in the playoffs.

The Knicks made massive changes to the rotation and got one step closer to the Finals by losing in the Conference Finals. Therefore, the Knicks should have some faith in their core before switching it up again.

The team hopes that a coaching change is all it will need to get over the hump and back in the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.

This doesn't mean trades aren't coming, but the possibility of a blockbuster deal is unlikely given how the core performed over the course of the season.

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