The New York Knicks have yet to name their next head coach and most know that Tom Thibodeau is at the top of the list. Several other candidates have also interviewed already, but most pundits feel that Thibodeau is favored to land the position, if only because of his good ties with new Knicks President Leon Rose.
Among the names linked to the head coaching vacancy are Mike Brown, Mike Woodson, Jeff Van Gundy and Jason Kidd. Although each has his own impressive set of credentials, the consensus is that Thibodeau remains the favorite.
Mike Miller currently serves as the interim coach for the Knicks. During the short period he has been at the helm, Knicks management has seen little progress under his leadership, with the Knicks one of eight NBA teams not invited to play in the Orlando bubble games.
As for Thibodeau, the 62-year-old is using the spare time to study past Knicks games. It could mean something or nothing. But in the eyes of critics, this could be a sign of things to come.
If Thibodeau is picked to head the team, he will have his work cut out for him. New York has struggled in the past years trying to rebuild the franchise. There were high hopes last season with the club's celebrated youth movement. However, all that went up in smoke, leading to the dismissal of David Fizdale, whose vision for getting the team off the ground failed. Thibodeau needs to come up with something much better to get the Knicks back on track.
The Knicks cannot progress until a new man at the helm is named. New players need to be brought in after a thorough evaluation of the current roster. Some players are likely to be let go depending on what new system Thibodeau has in mind.
For Thibs, this will not be a new territory. He was tasked to shape team when he called the shots for the Chicago Bulls and the Minnesota Timberwolves. Between the two, it was with the Bulls where he garnered success.
Unfortunately, he finds himself in a situation a bit similar to the one he was in with the Timberwolves. He would inherit a mostly young core of talent in RJ Barrett, Mitchell Robinson and Julius Randle, but Thibs is going to need a bigger dose of veteran leadership than just Randle if the team is ever going to be a contender again.
