Many interesting tidbits surrounded the New York Knicks this past week, so it’s only right to do some dissecting and analyzing.
The New York Knicks had many tidbits dropped about them this past week. Between CP’s interview with Jon Krawcyznski, The Athletic’s Minnesota Timberwolves beat writer, and NBA ALL-STAR Julius Randle’s appearance on JJ Redick’s podcast, there wasn’t any shortage of interesting information about the Knicks.
Whether it be the Knicks’ keys to early success, Thibs’ coaching style (past and present), or the growth in Julius’ game, these interviews provided great insight that all Knicks fans would enjoy. In case you did not get a chance to catch up on these entertaining interviews, this piece will summarize all of the most noteworthy points you may have missed!
Who is Tom Thibodeau as a coach?
Tom Thibodeau has gained a reputation around the NBA as a demanding, intense coach with an obvious passion for winning. In fact, as the Knicks narrowed their sights on Thibs as their next head coach, we all heard and even bought in to a lot of rumors surrounding his coaching style. Yet, just over 30 games into his time as New York Knicks head coach and a solid run of early season success, many fans are still attempting to decipher the rumors from the reality as we learn who Thibs really is.
Between the insightful tidbits from both Randle and Krawcyznski, it is apparent that Thibs is a demanding coach who expects a certain level of professionalism from all of his players. However, despite this demanding nature and intensity that he is known for, Thibs isn’t truly as gruff as he appears. As Julius Randle worded it, contrary to popular belief, Thibs is “soft.” While his intensity during games may give a different impression, Randle stated that Thibs is actually very approachable and is a players’ coach.
While he is demanding, he also empowers players to play their games while instilling in them the confidence to succeed which has been a theme with this Knicks team. Krawcyznski supported this statement by alluding to Thibs’ relationship with Andrew Wiggins in Minnesota. Despite outbursts of frustration during the heat of battle, Thibs is not the type of coach to continuously blow up on players. For example, it was noted that while coaching Wiggins, the duo would often have soft spoken conversations after practice where both parties would discuss what they needed from one another in order to succeed.
Aside from his intensity, another stigma that followed Thibs around was the notion that he played players too many minutes. As it currently stands, Julius Randle leads the league in minutes, however Krawcyznski was sure to point out that these allegations were overblown. In fact, he stated that Thibs’ minutes allocations were never a topic of conversation in Minnesota, especially in todays’ NBA where the best players play inflated minutes. The other major stigma that surrounded Thibs was his reliance on veterans along with questions regarding his ability to develop players.
So far in New York, it appears he has struck a decent balance with Mitchell Robinson, RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley all being vital the Knicks success this season. However, Krawcyznski pointed out that Thibs always wants to win and win NOW, meaning his patience with younger players is often minuscule. This could present to be a concern, especially considering how close Thibs is with new team president Leon Rose. While it is not too much of a concern at the moment due to the Knicks early success under Thibs, it is definitely something to keep an eye on.
What went wrong for Thibs in Minnesota?
Despite leading the Timberwolves to the playoffs in his second season after a 14-year drought, Thibs time in Minnesota was rather brief. However, as insider Jon Krawcyznski told CP, his exit had little to do with his actual role as head coach. As head coach, Thibs was exactly as advertised regarding his preparation, attention to detail and intensity which displayed itself in the win column for the Wolves.
However, his dual role as both head coach and president of basketball operations was a juggling act that Thibs just could not master. As Krawcyznski put it, he had full autonomy over the organization which meant his intensity and demeanor was palpable throughout the entire organization. Thibs’ primary focus was always winning basketball games and he often overlooks the relationship aspects of the NBA business. This was amplified by the fact that he brought in a lot of his own guys to make up his staff. Therefore, nobody in the organization was equipped to handle the nuances that led to the Jimmy Butler debacle.
Krawcyznski stated it well when he pointed that it is hard for any team executive to keep their job after having a fallout with a star, especially considering the drama that Butler’s exit from Minnesota created. While it may have raised some red flags, Krawcyznski also pointed out that these problems are unlikely to arise with the Knicks as Leon Rose added people like World Wide Wes and Kenny Payne who make up for what Thibs’ lacks in the relationship department.
Knicks? Culture?!
While Thibs track record with younger players has been well documented, he appears to really enjoy coaching this group of young Knicks. Throughout the season, he has not been shy to speak glowingly of IQ, RJ, Obi and even Kevin Knox at various points. As Randle discussed on Redick’s podcast, Thibs loves players who want to work, who love to work and who strive to get better. He then went on to state that all of the Knicks young players fall into this category which has been essential to the team’s success as well as the comradery they have displayed as a unit.
When discussing the teams overall work ethic, Randle pointed out that this is the first time he’s ever been on a team where he’s not alone in getting up shots after games or even after returning from road trips. While these young players obviously have the desire to constantly improve, they also carry with them a certain confidence and swagger that has allowed them to thrive in big moments so far this season. As Randle put it, they don’t get too high or too low from game to game which is often the Achilles heel of younger players.
Randle went on to attribute a lot of the team’s early season success and corresponding confidence to their new level of preparedness instilled by the coaching staff. Julius stated that under this coaching staff, this is the most prepared he has felt night in and night out. This extensive preparation then provides the confidence to go out and execute the coaches game-plan which has resulted in wins to this point.
This preparation takes the form of extensive shoot arounds that resemble practices where the team goes over plays as well as scouting reports for the opposing teams. While Julius acknowledged how important this preparation was for him at this stage in his career, he is also aware of how much it will benefit the young players. For them to come into the league and be immediately met with this level of preparation, accountability and intensity, there is no doubt that it will pay massive dividends down the road.
The Growth of Julius Randle
Heading into this season, it was no secret that many Knicks fans were ready to ship Julius Randle out of town. However, after 9 months of hard work, a new mindset and a new coaching staff, Julius has captured the heart of Knicks fans and proved almost everyone wrong. Julius discussed that he loves the offseason because it gives him the time to focus on his craft and become a better player. His obvious hard work was then rewarded as he was recently named an NBA All-Star for the first time in his career, an accolade well warranted.
Aside from hours upon hours in the gym, the key to this turn around for Randle was his willingness to keep an open mind despite his struggles last season and the arrival of a new coaching staff. He was motivated by the feeling that he did not play his basketball last season, a fact that he does not shy away from. This growth was also massively benefited by his relationship with the new coaching staff, especially Kenny Payne who he had a strong relationship with since his days at Kentucky. The organization was open with Julius about areas he could improve to not only make himself a better player but also to contribute to winning in a more significant way which has propelled the Knicks to this point.
As the Knicks continue push for their first postseason appearance since 2013, these interviews provided great insight into their current successes as well as a look to what fans hope is a bright future for the organization! Stay tuned to knicksfantv.com for the latest Knicks news and rumors as the season continues!
