The Knicks will soon begin the head coach hiring process to fill the vacancy left when the franchise fired David Fizdale earlier this season, according to Shams Charania and Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. At the top of their list will apparently be veteran NBA coach Tom Thibodeau, who has been out of a job since the Timberwolves let him go in January 2019.
Prior to this report, the Knicks officially announced Wednesday morning the rounding out of their front office, as well as a one-year extension for general manager Scott Perry.
.@nyknicks Announce Front Office Hirings pic.twitter.com/kTX4ARC4vM
— NY_KnicksPR (@NY_KnicksPR) May 27, 2020
The Athletic report, however, specifically said new president Leon Rose will be leading the coaching search, and he also is the one who hired the staff to fill out Perry’s front office. The implication here is that Perry is as close to a lame duck as a GM can get, but if he nails this coaching hire and continues to build out New York’s young core, there is hope he can become the team’s long-term lead executive.
In addition to Thibodeau, the duo reported former Brooklyn Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson will also be interviewed by the Knicks. These two candidates are quite different coaches, but in terms of pedigree, they are two of the most well-known established candidates on the market. If experience is what Rose values here, then having those two on his list makes sense.
The Knicks have the makings of a team that could take a step forward in 2020-21, after promising seasons for rookie R.J. Barrett and the continued development of prospects like Mitchell Robinson and Kevin Knox, not to mention whomever New York nabs from this year’s draft class. The right coach could help the Knicks become one of the most-improved squads in the NBA next season.