If the Knicks hire Thibodeau, it makes sense to assume that he and his boss will get along. Rose and Thibodeau have known each other for a long time.
This would presumably have benefited the Knicks, whose coaches, general managers and team presidents have not always been on the same page in the past two decades.
Most recently, former team president Steve Mills and current GM Scott Perry have fired their selected coach David Fizdale for just 22 games in his second season. The Knicks had missed their best free agent goals last summer and entered the season hoping to compete for the playoffs. Fizdale started 4-18 and was widely viewed as a failure due to the club’s poor performance.
Mills was fired a few weeks after Fizdale’s layoff. Obviously, Fizdale has never managed to coach a New York team with much talent.
If New York hired Thibodeau, the obvious goal would be to surround him with the talent that Fizdale didn’t have. If the Knicks fail to do so, their next manager – whoever he is – could end up like many others they have employed since 2000: running away from the city long before his contract expires.
