Where do the New York Knicks turn after firing head coach Tom Thibodeau?
Thibodeau guided the Knicks to their first consecutive 50+ win seasons in 30 years and their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance in 25 years. However, his insistence on a short bench, a stubborn approach to coaching, and, ultimately, a disappointing loss to the Indiana Pacers were enough to send Thibodeau packing.
But, there is no clear heir apparent plan, and while Taylor Jenkins and Mike Brown are through to the second round of interviews, nothing is set in stone, yet.
The Knicks had requested permission to interview Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd, but were denied.
Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison said, “Yes, [Kidd] will be the coach next season… I thought I shut that down,” on Kidd’s future with the franchise.
Steve Popper of Newsday had this to add:
“Kidd, according to a league source, has not gotten clarity from the Mavericks other than the public statements from [Harrison]. And the Knicks, as you might expect, aren’t easing the Mavericks’ minds by announcing they are willing to walk away from their pursuit.”
One reason for optimism for Knicks fans is that Dallas has already lost a significant portion of Kidd’s coaching tree. Assistant coach Sean Sweeney is off to the San Antonio Spurs, and it sounds like fellow assistants Jared Dudley and God Shammgod could be on the move, too.
Should Kidd lose even more of his staff, it could increase his willingness to depart the Mavericks and rejoin New York, for whom he played out the final year of his playing career in 2012-13.
