Knicks’ Tom Thibodeau gets 100% real on possible contract extension

Thibodeau was hired by the Knicks to become the team’s head coach in 2020. New York had notable success right in Thibodeau’s very first season as its bench boss, as the Knicks recorded a 41-31 record and made it to the playoffs for the first time after a seven-year postseason absence. He also steered the Knickerbockers to appearances in the Eastern Conference semifinal round in the last two seasons, including this year’s trip to the playoffs.

With Thibodeau entering the final year of his current deal with the Knicks, his future in New York has become a topic of late and the noise around it has only been amplified further by New York’s second-round exit from the playoffs at the hands of the Pacers. That being said, Thibodeau has already sent a strong message about his desire to continue calling the shots for New York sans an extension contract at the moment.

“The Knicks have been great to me. This is where I want to be,” Thibodeau said during the postgame press conference following the Knicks’ 130-109 loss to the Pacers on Sunday (h/t Michael Scotto of HoopsHype).

Often criticized for his glaring approach when it comes to playing his top players incredibly large minutes, Thibodeau can still be praised for the way he helped the Knicks navigate the season, especially in the playoffs, despite a banged-up roster. The Knicks made it all the way to the seventh game of an Eastern Conference semifinals round while a number of their key players missed games due to injuries; Mitchell Robinson, Julius Randle, OG Anunoby, and Bojan Bogdanovic either missed the entire Knicks run in the 2024 playoffs or was absent in some of the games.

During a recent poll conducted by The Athletic, Thibodeau emerged as the coach players would least likely play for, though, Knicks players have since spoken up about how much they loved playing for the two-time NBA Coach of the Year award winner.

In any case, it will be interesting to monitor the Knicks’ plan for Thibodeau a testy season that ultimately ended in another failed journey in the playoffs, regardless of the circumstances.

Knicks exit 2024 NBA Playoffs after painful Game 7 home loss to Pacers

New York looked as though it was going to wrap things up fast in the second round when the Knicks won the first two games of the matchup versus the Pacers. But Indiana fought back and despite facing a 3-2 series deficit, managed to force a Game 7 and steal a win at Madison Square Garden. Donte DiVincenzo led the Knicks in Game 7 with 39 points, while Jalen Brunson only had 17 points before exiting with a broken hand injury.

At the end of the day, the Pacers’ shooting was just too hot for the Knicks to stop. Indiana shot over 67 percent from the field and nailed 13 of its 24 attempts from behind the arc.