Almost immediately after the Knicks’ playoff run ended on Saturday night in Indianapolis, the fan discourse in New York began to closely resemble American politics: hyperbolic, binary and allergic to nuance. ...😄
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Knicks fandom is a hell of a place. Like the US political scene, it allows only two positions: praise or condemnation. Rational analysis rarely gains traction. Hyperbole prevails.
This season wasn’t a referendum on Thibodeau’s genius or ineptitude. It was something more complicated: a year of real progress, missed chances and rising expectations.
Hold on there now, Limey. 2024/25: 51-31 3rd place, 13 GB, 4-2 loss to Indiana in EC Finals; 2023/24: 50-32, 2nd place, 14 GB, 4-3 loss to Indiana in EC semifinals. "Real progress"?
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...Terms like “drop coverage” and “schemes” have become lazy shorthand for tribalized opinions.
But just like the disappearing middle ground in national discourse, the truth lies somewhere in between.😏
This was the Knicks’ first trip to the Eastern Conference finals in 25 years. That progress only happened because ownership finally stepped aside. Once James Dolan hired former agent Leon Rose and gave him room to operate, the team pivoted from star-chasing to smart-drafting, financially-disciplined and culture-building.
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But against Indiana, their momentum stalled. ...
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The hypocrisy of Thibs detractors borders on performative. ...
The Knicks played from behind in nearly every playoff game except Game 5. Critics use this as justification to call for Thibodeau’s dismissal. But 17 turnovers in Games 4 and 6 – not a product of coaching – were decisive. The team’s 19.5 assists per game in the series weren’t on Thibodeau either. He ran a wide array of actions – ...– but Indiana smothered secondary options, forcing Brunson and Towns into iso-heavy, low-efficiency looks.
Brunson recorded just five assists to Towns across the entire series. That lack of connection played right into Rick Carlisle’s hands. His game plan – blitzing on switches, walling off Hart and Bridges in the lane – was clinical. Carlisle outcoached Thibodeau. But there’s no shame in that. Carlisle is a champion and one of the sharpest minds in the game.
Okay, the turnovers and assists were not Thibodeau's fault but he got out-coached because Brunson's meager assists to Towns "played right into Carlisle's hands," whose game plan was "clinical". Thibodeau got outcoached, "But there's no shame in that" as "Carlisle is a champion."
I think you need to go around in circles a few more times. Look, whoever you are: The "Knicks" and their fans want a "champion". Is that hypocritical? Is it "performative hypocrisy" to want a champion coach? Should the org and its fans just accept Thibodeau since there is no "shame" in being outcoached by Rick Carlisle?
Thibodeau isn’t a fraud or a genius. He gave fans what they asked for: deeper rotations, experimental lineups, extended minutes for the Towns-Robinson twin tower pairing. It still wasn’t enough. The Pacers were simply better.
That's what he isn't? What is he. No, Thibodeau did not give fans "what they asked for," which is a championship. There is no "shame" in wanting that after 52 years.
