You listen to Tom Thibodeau long enough, as I have, and you wonder if there’s ever a moment he sits down to enjoy an accomplishment. Heck, even God rested on the seventh day.
But relaxation is difficult when, as the coach often repeats from his Book of Thibs-isms, “Everything is a concern.”
So right after the Knicks blew out the defending champions Thursday night for their fifth straight win — really annihilated the Nuggets, by the way — Thibodeau was already worried about overlooking some underdog opponent down the road.
“I know for you guys, that’s something [that we beat the defending champs],” he said in his postgame presser, adding later, “You let up just a little bit, everyone tends to look at a schedule like, ‘You should win this game.’ No, there’s no, ‘You should win.’ You have to earn your wins. You can’t overlook anybody. The challenge is to continue to build and not feel good about yourself.”
Therapists might disagree and that sounds like a miserable existence. But it works in the NBA as long as the players are buying in. And for 3 ½ seasons — the longest-tenured head coach on a Knicks sideline since Mike D’Antoni — Thibodeau has pushed enough of the right buttons to maintain the roster’s attention and his employment in the most volatile of job positions.
It helps, of course, when the unofficial captain, Jalen Brunson, is like-minded in focus. Thibodeau could’ve only asked for a better and more compatible leader if Taj Gibson suddenly grew superstar skills.
But it’s gone beyond the dogged effort and preparation that has defined Thibodeau’s career. The Knicks are trying hard but they’re more than just try-hards. They’re the product of development and a plug-and-play system that has maximized performances up and down the roster. Almost seven weeks ago we were wondering if New York’s defense would crater without Mitchell Robinson. It didn’t. Then we were wondering if Isaiah Hartenstein’s Achilles pain would destroy the good vibes. It didn’t.
Plug and play. We understand any hesitancy to believe fully in Thibs or sign him to an extension until playoff success is attained (his 31-41 postseason record is the career pockmark), but it’s hard to fathom better results from a different coach.
Knicks acquired him from the Raptors. Charles Wenzelberg
I’ve always maintained that the hallmark of the best NBA coaches is when they win with different roster iterations and elevate ceilings of young role players. Erik Spoelstra, whose Heat the Knicks face Saturday at MSG, isn’t the best NBA coach because he won two titles with LeBron James. He’s the best because he made Hassan Whiteside look like a star and Tyler Johnson worthy of a $50 million contract.
I’m not dismissing Steve Kerr’s accomplishments but we saw what happened when he didn’t have Steph Curry, Klay Thompson or Kevin Durant — the Warriors went 15-50 that season. Gregg Popovich is the smartest guy in every room (just ask him) but his record since Tim Duncan retired is 285-312.
Thibodeau finished fourth in the East three years ago with a rotation that included Elfrid Payton, Nerlens Noel, Gibson, Derrick Rose, RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, Alec Burks and Reggie Bullock.
All of them are gone. Three of them are out of the league. In fact, only one of the 12 players who appeared in the 2021 playoffs for the Knicks is still on the roster.
Julius Randle.
That’s it.
Now Thibodeau’s team is back in the fourth spot of the Eastern Conference, surging with a group with reimagined ceilings, both collectively and individually.
Up and down the roster, players are enjoying elevated seasons.
Brunson? Best of his career.
Randle? Evolved into greater efficiency.
OG Anunoby? Small sample size, but best of his career.
Hartenstein? Best of his career.
Robinson? Best of his career until the injury.
Donte DiVincenzo? Best of his career.
This stuff doesn’t happen without the touch of a great — and tirelessly focused — coach.
