With him as head coach, the New York Knicks are having their finest season in more than ten years. Following their crushing of the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday, New York is now 42-28 and tied with the Orlando Magic for fourth place in the Eastern Conference.
The Knicks’ current status is especially remarkable in light of their recent spate of high-profile player ailments. After missing three games due to elbow soreness following surgery, OG Anunoby is back on the sidelines. Due to a shoulder injury, Julius Randle hasn’t played since late January. Mitchell Robinson the other hand, hasn’t played since early December and is still recovering from ankle surgery.
Given their recent string of well-publicized player injuries, the Knicks’ current situation is particularly noteworthy. OG Anunoby has returned to the sidelines following three games missed due to elbow pain following surgery. Julius Randle hasn’t played since late January because of a shoulder issue. Conversely, Mitchell Robinson is still recovering from ankle surgery and hasn’t played since early December.
But regardless of how they perform in the postseason, this Knicks team’s nucleus should be back in 2024–2025, with Thibodeau back on the bench as its leader. The veteran coach’s current contract only has one season left on it, but this summer, he and New York are expected to “revisit” the idea of extending his deal.
“He intends to secure his future with the Knicks when both sides plan toDonte DiVincenzo revisit the topic this summer,” according to league sources, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic. “His current deal runs through the 2024–25 season.” “If things continue this way, the Knicks may find themselves wishing they had made a decision to work with Thibodeau before the recent spike in coaching salaries.”
The bold, meticulous, defense-first philosophy of Thibodeau has been a blessing for the Knicks, who battled for any kind of consistency prior to his hiring as head coach in 2020–21. When Thibodeau was hired, many people didn’t think he was the best candidate for the position because they thought his infamously outdated methods wouldn’t work well with the players in the NBA today.
Keep that information from Donte DiVincenzo. In free agency last season, the seasoned guard signed a four-year, $50 million contract with the Knicks, going back to his origins in the Northeast and rejoining teammates Josh Hart and Jalen Brunson from Villanova. But he signed with New York for more reasons than just familiarity and geography. It’s safe to assume that Thibodeau’s presence was also significant.
