Opposite to earlier stories that Knicks president Leon Rose made the choice to fireplace Tom Thibodeau, sources inform Vince Goodwill of Yahoo Sports activities that proprietor James Dolan spearheaded the transfer.
Dolan and Rose each held exit conferences with the group’s high gamers and members of the teaching workers after New York was eradicated within the Jap Convention Finals. Goodwill hears that Dolan dealt with the questioning in these conferences, whereas Rose was in additional of a help position. Sources additionally inform Goodwill that Dolan has by no means been a robust supporter of Thibodeau throughout his 5 seasons with the group.
Based on Goodwill’s sources, no less than two gamers complained that Thibodeau gave too many minutes to his starters and wasn’t keen to regulate that philosophy to altering circumstances. That has been a frequent criticism of Thibodeau all through his profession, relationship again to his days as a head coach in Chicago and Minnesota.
One other participant reportedly informed Dolan and Rose that he didn’t really feel like he may play one other season underneath Thibodeau.
Thibodeau’s failure to develop a dependable bench was evident within the playoffs, notably in opposition to a fast-paced Indiana group that has now eradicated the Knicks two straight years. Thibodeau’s insertion of Mitchell Robinson into the beginning lineup in Sport 2 of the convention finals and his choice to offer expanded minutes to Landry Shamet and Delon Wright may very well be considered as desperation strikes.
Thibodeau nonetheless had three years and $30MM left on his contract, and Goodwill emphasizes that he was fired as a result of Dolan needed to make a change, not as a result of he failed to succeed in the NBA Finals.
