Tom Thibodeau’s exit from the New York Knicks did not surprise people, including Carmelo Anthony. The former Knicks superstar felt it was the right end to Thibodeau’s time as the Knicks’ coach.
The New York Knicks had a spectacular 2025 postseason. They beat the Detroit Pistons and the defending champions, the Boston Celtics, in the second round. They put in the effort, but lost to the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Tom Thibodeau, who was at the helm, drew criticism due to how he used his rotations. Former Knicks superstar Carmelo Anthony gave his take on Thibodeau’s exit. He felt it was the right time, but he made sure to show his appreciation for coaching the Knicks.
Anthony dove deeper into what led to the Knicks’ firing of Thibodeau. Carmelo knows it was a warranted decision for what he saw during the coach’s tenure in New York.
While Anthony had complete appreciation for what Thibodeau did for the Knicks, he admitted it was time to part ways. Thibodeau was fantastic in New York, but Anthony felt they could not do any better after the 2025 Playoffs. Now, potential replacements are coming, with Taylor Jenkins and Mike Brown as candidates.
The Eastern Conference Finals against the Pacers was a series that the Knicks could have won. If Thibodeau had used his bench and had optimal rotations, that Knicks victory would have been possible. Unfortunately, that was not the case because Thibodeau went with what he was comfortable with.
That meant there were short rotations and limited dynamism on the offensive end. Thibodeau was mostly a defensive-minded coach who had limited offensive sets. Sometimes, he even had questionable defensive decisions, including making Karl-Anthony Towns defend the perimeter.
“Everybody else thinks that just happened overnight. That ain’t just happened overnight. That’s been a part of the conversation behind the scenes. Observing, analyzing, and scouting Thibs. He was under a microscope; that didn’t just happen,” Anthony said on his 7PM in Brooklyn show.
“It’s like a peak. You can get us here, but what adjustments are you going to make to get us over the hump? Your bench is a major issue, everybody knows that. He only plays six or seven guys; he’s a loyal guy.”
“The Knicks need a bench. I’m not saying he doesn’t have guys on the bench that can play. When you’re trying to win a championship, it’s a fine line of adjustments you have to make. And he didn’t make those adjustments.”
For a long time, New York had one of the worst NBA teams. They always struggled during the 2000s and 2010s. That changed in the 2020s when Thibodeau took over and led this team to the Playoffs. They have been a consistent top team due to Jalen Brunson’s star power. However, Thibs deserves some love.
Since Thibodeau is exiting the team, the coaching search is on. It has been a challenging time because coaches like Jason Kidd, Ime Udoka, and Chris Finch are unavailable. They contacted the teams to inquire about their availability, but they received immediate refusals.
Jenkins and Brown are the most prominent candidates at the moment. That could easily change if other candidates become available. Even Michael Malone is a good option, as DeAndre Jordan gave him his support for the job.
It will be interesting to see how the Knicks conduct their coach hiring. They must nail their decision because the Eastern Conference is wide open. The Knicks must capitalize on this and possibly reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.
