Stubbornness Costs Tom Thibodeau Knicks Job

The New York Knicks relieved Tom Thibodeau of his duties after losing in the Eastern Conference Finals.

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

Former New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau is fresh off participating in a long playoff run that ended in heartbreak during Game 6 against the Indiana Pacers.

The elimination forced the Knicks' hand in trying to improve the team, and Thibodeau ended up taking the fall.

Thibodeau, 67, has been in the NBA since the 1980's, and he coached a traditional brand of basketball. Ultimately, his unwillingness to adapt to the NBA's new ways may have cost him his job.

"You can't teach an old dog new tricks. Old habits die hard. A Leopard can't change its spots," Bleacher Report contributor Andy Bailey wrote.

"You pick the cliche, it probably fits Thibodeau. He's been a head coach since 2010, and his tendency to run his best players into the ground has been the primary gripe about him the entire time."

"You almost certainly have to have more than five or six trustworthy players to win a title. And while a front office would get plenty of blame for not assembling a roster with more than that, a coach who doesn't develop his own players throughout the season deserves some blame too."

"Whoever is on the bench for 2025-26, New York needs him or her to give some real minutes to up-and-comers during the regular season."

The way the Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder are playing foreshadow a new era for the NBA. As the superheroes of yesteryear enter the twilight of their careers, they are unable to carry the weight of an entire contending team. The talent pool is growing, which means fewer players can have dominant runs in the league, and that there is strength in numbers.

If the Knicks can find a coach willing to go deeper in their bench, or if they can acquire players who are upgrades for these fringe rotation pieces, the team might finally get over the hump.

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