NBA: Who Should the Knicks Be Targeting as a Replacement For Tom Thibodeau?
by Tyler Doty | by Tyler Doty
There was an inevitability about the New York Knicks and Tom Thibodeau going their separate ways. It still raises some questions about the direction of the franchise, however, as Thibodeau had taken the Knicks to their first Conference Finals appearance in a quarter of a century and made them playoff regulars after years of irrelevance.
New York is locked into their current roster thanks to a generous below-market contract from their star point guard and a string of ambitious, win-now trades. The front office will be in the market for reinforcements this summer, but they are going to be tweaks rather than blockbusters, so let’s forget about any Giannis Antetokounmpo dreams.
The new coach will be working with a similar group to Thibodeau. Will they get more than a Conference Finals appearance out them in a woefully weak Eastern Conference?
Here are five names in the running:
Michael Malone
Michael Malone knows what it takes to coach a title-winning team around subpar defenders at center and point guard. Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokić are far from an identical pairing with Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson, but the similarities are there.
Malone has a championship-winning pedigree and immense playoff experience. He’s achieved where Thibodeau failed, overcoming roster challenges to build a functioning defense around an offense-first center.
The way Malone’s time in Denver soured could serve as a red flag for Leon Rose. Malone’s fiery, at times confrontational, nature might not be the best fit for a veteran core with a Conference Finals appearance under their belt.
Jay Wright
Do the Knicks quadruple-down on their Villanova ties? Jay Wright’s links to this job are obvious. He was the Villanova head coach for over two decades, including during Brunson, Josh Hart, and Mikal Bridges’ college stints.
Wright doesn’t have any NBA head-coaching experience. He’s also made a successful transition from all-conquering college coach into television hoops analyst.
Early reporting suggests Wright would turn down any advances from the Knicks. It wouldn’t be the first time a head coaching candidate changed their mind or played hard ball to get the best possible offer, but Wright calling the plays at Madison Square Garden seems like no more than a pipedream for the Knicks hierarchy.
Mike Budenholzer
A title with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021 and a career 520-363 record as a head coach puts Mike Budenholzer as a clear candidate for the Knicks job. Budenholzer is coming off a nightmare season with the Phoenix Suns, which featured conflict with star players and failing to reach the postseason.
Much of Budenholzer’s career has been defined by regular season success and a lack of flexibility to out-think the top coaches in the playoffs. Winning a ring four years ago has altered that perception slightly, but it’s fair to question if this is really the man to navigate this iteration of the Knicks through four playoff rounds.
Perhaps the biggest positive is there’s no risk of Budenholzer burning out his starters with big minutes. Knicks fans might find themselves in the unfamiliar position of asking for Brunson and co. to play more.
Taylor Jenkins
Similar to Malone, Taylor Jenkins was given the boot late in the regular season. Jenkins’ time with the Memphis Grizzlies had run its course with the franchise plateauing after breaking through a few seasons ago.
The jury is out on how responsible Jenkins was for Memphis’ situation. It was far from an ideal place to coach and he more than played his part in the development of various rotation-level players.
While he doesn’t boast the playoff success of Budenholzer or Malone, Jenkins would be a fascinating hire. His willingness to trust younger talents would be a welcome change from the veteran-obsessed Thibodeau, plus he has a playoff series win to his name and made the postseason in three consecutive years.
Johnnie Bryant
Johnnie Bryant joined the Cleveland Cavaliers after four years as an assistant to Thibodeau in New York. A frontrunner for the vacant Phoenix Suns head-coaching position, Bryant is thought to be in contention for the Knicks job after spending a lone season with the Cavs.
Think of Bryant as the alternative to the traditional Knicks move of hiring a name over a fit. Frank Vogel, Budenholzer, Mike Brown, and Malone all fall into this category. In an ideal world, Bryant would be a transition away from the Thibodeau era without a total overhaul.
A fresh face, someone with newer coaching principles, might be the right way to go after half a decade of Thibs.
