The New York Knicks are preparing for a first-round playoff series against the Detroit Pistons coming off a 51-win season — their most since 2012-13 — and with their strongest team on paper since the 1990s.
Yet head coach Tom Thibodeau could be entering make-or-break territory, as questions surrounding his job security linger.
On SNY’s The Putback, Knicks insider Ian Begley hinted that a poor showing in the playoffs could result in Thibodeau getting axed.
“I do think there’s a strong possibility, a solid possibility, that changes are coming if they flame out against Detroit or if they’re non-competitive in the second round against the Boston Celtics.”
Newsday’s Steve Popper, who joined Begley on the show, echoed those sentiments.
“If the Knicks don’t get past the first round somehow,” he began, “there’s going to be changes, probably.”
New York is favored as the No. 3 seed in the East to move past the No. 6 Pistons, who are making the playoffs for the first time since 2019. The up-and-coming squad, though, took three of four from New York during the regular season, though a fully healthy roster should make those regular-season results an anomaly.
They would likely face the No. 2 seed Celtics in the second round, which is where the largest issue of the Knicks’ successful season lay. Thibodeau’s men were 0-4 against Boston and 0-4 against the No. 1 seed Cleveland Cavaliers — a clear indicator that they cannot beat elite opposition until proven otherwise.
The second round has also provided an impassable roadblock for the franchise as a whole. In each of the last two seasons, the Knicks were eliminated in the conference semifinals. They have not made the Eastern Conference Finals since 2000.
Thibodeau continues to draw criticism because of his overuse of his starting five. Josh Hart (37.6 mpg), Mikal Bridges (37.0 mpg), and OG Anunoby (36.6 mpg) rank first, third, and fifth in the entire NBA in minutes played per game. Jalen Brunson (35.4 mpg) and Karl-Anthony Towns (35.0 mpg) rank 14th and 20th.
Considering the playoffs are a time when rotations tighten even more, a tired-looking Knicks team would continue to heap ire toward Thibodeau.
