Leading the Way: Tom Thibodeau Prepares to Navigate Knicks through High Expectations

The NBA offseason can be a peaceful time for those in its most demanding positions. Coaches enjoy being undefeated in September and referees have never missed a call. At the recent NBA Coaches Association meetings in Chicago, former coaches and referees came together, sharing smiles and handshakes, basking in the tranquility of the offseason.

And yet…

“It doesn’t take long for Tom,” said Monty McCutchen, NBA senior vice president, head of referee development and training. McCutchen, a game official for 25 years before assuming his current role in 2017, had stopped to say hello – and bust chops – with Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau.

“I was working the season opener for both teams one year and I throw the ball up for the opening tap,” McCutchen said, laughing. “While it still was in the air, I hear him yelling, ‘Aw, you don’t know how to toss that ball.’ And it went on from there.”

Even Thibodeau, known for barking and growling on the sidelines for 12 NBA seasons with Chicago, Minnesota and New York, had to laugh. Entering his fifth season with the Knicks, Thibodeau took over in 2020 a team that had missed the playoffs for seven consecutive years. He has taken them to the postseason three times, reaching the East semifinals in 2023 and 2024,

With the acquisition of Brooklyn’s Mikal Bridges, the re-signing of OG Anunoby and the ascension of Jalen Brunson as an MVP candidate, the Knicks hope in 2024-25 to go a step or two beyond those promising spring finishes. Thibodeau spoke while in Chicago with NBA.com’s Steve Aschburner:

NBA.com: What do you hope to carry over from last year’s playoff exposure to this season?

Tom Thibodeau: Obviously the OG signing was huge for us. And then adding Mikal was phenomenal. Getting Julius [Randle] back will be huge as well. We lost [Isaiah] Hartenstein, which is what we’ll have to replace. But I think we have versatility, where we can play smaller at times because of OG’s ability to guard big. Julius and [Josh] Hart can guard big as well.

How intrigued are you to build a defense around a pair of wings like Anunoby and Bridges?

What it adds to us is the versatility of both allows us to give different looks to a primary ball handler. We’ve been playing Donte [DiVincenzo] on those guys to start. Now we can come after that with Bridges, then OG, then Hart. We can constantly change up our look for who’s guarding that ball handler. Also, OG and Hart are very disruptive off the ball, so I like to use them that way. The versatility of the defense will be a big thing for us.

It’s pretty vital to have pesky wings, with Boston having Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.  

I think the league overall has shifted. Your 2s, 3s, and 4s are more wing-oriented now. Guys who can guard four positions – or in some cases, we’ve got guys who can guard all five – allow you to do a lot more switching. And if there’s a rebounding component to that, you’re not sacrificing your defense. You’re turning your opponent into more of an isolation type of team, where they’re working against the clock and settling, hopefully, for long mid-range shots.

People still seem to be amazed by or to underrate, Jalen Brunson. What do you see as the key to his success?

His fundamentals. He’s not necessarily relying on athleticism, although he’s an underrated athlete. But his ability to think on his feet, a great pivot game, great shot-making, he changes speeds, he’s herky, he can get you off balance, and then he can get to the spots on the floor he wants to get to. He’s very deceptive, he knows how to create space to get his shots off but also to make plays. Very good at scanning and reading the floor, and very comfortable in the paint.

Are the officials adapting to how they call his game, knowing better how he plays?

Well, he’s still getting fouled. Let me make that point [smiles].

Inch for inch, he’s arguably the best player in the league, isn’t he?

The hallmark of his career, whether it’s been high school, college or the pros, each year he’s gotten better. He lives in the gym. We have a team full of guys who are like that. They also understand you have to do it together. It’s not just about bringing the best out of yourself; it’s being able to bring the best out of your teammates.

What’s the common denominator with your Villanova guys? [Four Knicks – Brunson, Bridges, DiVincenzo and Hart – played together on the Wildcats’ 2015-16 NCAA championship teamn under coach Jay Wright.]  

Well, it just happened. The Villanova thing was a long time ago – that’s what people don’t realize, that these guys have all gone on to play at different places. So they’ve gained different experiences. And now they’ve come back. But you also have situations like with Mikal, who not only has played with those guys but he also has played with Cam Payne and [Keita] Bates-Diop [in Phoenix or Brooklyn].

I think we had the same thing when I was in Chicago – we had Carlos Boozer, Kyle Korver and Ronnie Brewer [who previously had teamed in Utah]. What that does is – it’s probably a little overrated but the fact that they’ve played together before probably helps them adjust quickly to a new system. That’s where the biggest advantage is, their comfort in playing off each other, understanding strengths and weaknesses. Not only have you played so many games together, you’ve also practiced together.

Getting Randle back from shoulder surgery – he was an All-Star before he got hurt in January – is the good news. What type of challenge is it to incorporate him into a team that changed while he was out?

I think Julius has always adapted to whatever challenge he’s faced each year. People forget the level that he’s played at. Four years ago, he had a monster season and we didn’t have the shooting we have now, so the floor is going to be more open. We got a glimpse of that in January, which was his last month of basketball.

People forget the guy was 25, 10 and 5. He’s had a lot of success and he’s been a big part of winning the last four years in New York. The more good players you have, the more sacrifices you have to make. Not only by Julius, by everybody.

I know he does more but at a time when low-post basketball seems like a lost art, does his skill at that give you a big advantage?

That’s one of his strengths. But he has evolved more than a lot of people realize. He’s added the 3-point shot, he can put it on the floor, he can play back to the basket, he can face up and play off the screen. He can run the floor – I always tell him, “You’re at your best in transition, getting downhill.” When he plays that way, he’s impossible to stop. It’s speed, it’s strength, it’s all those things. He commands two on the ball, and he’s got to trust the pass from there.

How do you begin to replace Hartenstein? [The 7-footer who was so valuable stepping in for injured Mitchell Robinson signed as a free agent with the Thunder in July.]

We went through that last year. We started the season where Mitchell was the starter and he was off to a monster start. When he went out, Jericho Sims started initially, then he got hurt. Then Isaiah came in and did what he did. But when he got hurt, Precious [Achiuwa] came in along with Taj Gibson. So we rotated guys at that position the entire year.

We’ll probably have to do it by committee. We’ll look at some different things, because we have versatility – we could see Julius more at the 5. I don’t want to do that for long stretches, it would take its toll, but to have him do it for 10 or 15 minutes, I think he can do it well. He also would create a lot of [offensive] advantages.

Has your approach to the NBA regular season changed over time, or do you perhaps tailor it to the level of team you have?

Your offseason is very important in terms of planning. You have to think long and hard about your team’s strengths and weaknesses. And you have to begin with the end in mind – what are we going to need at the end.

You have to build those habits from the beginning of the season. When you’re prepared and you understand what you’re trying to do, that allows you to play a lot more freely, a lot more confidently. You want to be playing your best going into the playoffs.

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Steve Aschburner has written about the NBA since 1980. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on X.

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