Does Tom Thibodeau’s Knicks dismissal prove no NBA coach’s job is safe?

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On this date in 1987, Michael Cooper set a finals record with six made 3-pointers. At the time, single games averaged 2.8 made 3-pointers per game, so that’s the equivalent of someone hitting roughly 58 3-pointers in a finals game in today’s NBA. Feels like Steph Curry could do it. Also, nobody check that math.

New Voice Needed

Will Knicks replace Tom Thibodeau with clone?

Leading up to the playoffs, you’d hear a lot of rumors about the future of Tom Thibodeau with the Knicks. It often sounded like anything short of a conference finals appearance (or beyond) for Thibodeau’s Knicks was going to result in him being fired. However, it also just sounded like people trying to guess whether or not James Dolan was going to be an itchy owner once again.

Well, after making the Eastern Conference finals and losing to the Pacers in six games, the Knicks actualized those rumors. They relieved Thibodeau of his duties, which is a nice way of saying they kicked his ass to the curb. After five seasons with the Knicks, Thibodeau is out and the Knicks are now looking for a new head coach.

Before we get to the coaching possibilities, I’m not sure Thibodeau’s firing was warranted. Above all, the organization can definitely decide there’s a better voice out there. But in five seasons, Thibodeau gave the Knicks an identity, clicked with their new star player Jalen Brunson and brought them to the conference finals for the first time in 25 years. He’s the fourth-winningest coach in franchise history (226).

James Edwards III wrote that Thibs deserved another season and I tend to agree. He didn’t seem to lose the locker room. He seemed to learn in real time during the conference finals that he needed to adapt to more depth. His coaching and minutes didn’t lead to some big injury. I guess I’m failing to understand what the problem is. It feels like they’re firing against the potential problem of a fallout on the sidelines, rather than something actually happening.

That brings us to the top candidates, as of right now. The natural one that comes up, first and foremost, is Michael Malone. He just got fired from the Nuggets with three games left in the season. He’s a New York guy, he has a championship ring and he also is repped by CAA, which fits in nicely with the assumed preferences of the Knicks over the last couple decades (give or take a couple years).

Malone is a really good coach, but let’s remember what got him fired in Denver. The criticism from the Nuggets front office the coach was feuding with was he didn’t play enough of his bench, he played his starters a lot of minutes, and there were a lot of questions about their team defense. Thibodeau is known as a defensive-minded coach from his days as an assistant for the Celtics and as a head coach for the Bulls, but his teams really haven’t defended consistently since. Malone’s teams were getting pretty rough defensively, but he also had flawed rosters with questionable personnel and injuries to go with it.

Does any of this sound familiar? You’d essentially be hiring the same guy with a different voice and hairline. Maybe that works. Sometimes, a change in voice does do the trick. And Malone is a good coach. I’m just not sure he’s a better coach than Thibodeau. I have no idea if Malone’s “give the ball to Nikola Jokić” offense works with the Knicks, mostly because they don’t have Jokić.

Other candidates could include Cleveland assistant Johnny Bryant, who is one of the top candidates for the Phoenix job. There’s also Taylor Jenkins, who was just fired with nine games left in the season by the Grizzlies. Mike Brown, who was fired midseason by the Kings? All of these are good coaches or potentially good coaches. I’m just not sure they’re better than Thibodeau. Regardless, the Knicks have decided to make a change.

In the words of Knicks legend Charles Oakley, “If it ain’t broke, don’t break it.”

The Last 24

Finals flights had to avoid poor weather

✈️ Flight diverted. The Pacers actually had to land in Tulsa due to a tornado warning. Thankfully, everybody landed safely.

🏀 What a journey. The path of Pascal Siakam’s NBA career has prepared him. It’s time for another finals appearance. 

🏀 Progress? It’s been 12 years since Jason Collins came out as an openly gay athlete. Is it any easier? 

🚫 Thank Indy. The Pacers never cared to tank. Jason Lloyd explains why the NBA should rejoice.

🎧 Tuning in. Today’s “NBA Daily” discusses why Jalen Williams is the make-or-break player in the NBA Finals.

The Basketball 100

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Actual Haters

Are the Thunder a team people don’t like?

I’ve been trying to figure something out about this Thunder team as they seem to be on the cusp of winning their first NBA championship. Do people outside of Oklahoma City hate this team? Maybe hate is too strong of a word, especially considering how loosely it’s used in sports on the internet. But something I’ve noticed during this run by the Thunder, as they’ve trounced the league in front of them, is how little people outside of the Thunder fan base appear to be embracing them as a team they like and enjoy.

It’s confusing for a few reasons. After all, this is a …

• Small-market team that should give hope to all.
• Extremely young roster with an average age of under 26 years old.
• Squad with a fun, fast-paced style of play that is dominant on both ends.
• Contender with an unguardable star player who just won MVP.
• Coach proving you don’t need a good haircut to succeed in life.

This Thunder team is deep and awesome, and yet I tend to find negativity thrown its way along this journey. I’ve wondered if some of this is just the bubble I’m in with friend groups and on social media. I have some friends with some basketball opinions I really respect, and so few of them have embraced enjoying this Thunder team. I’ve asked them what their issue is and these are some of the replies:

• “I don’t like that they’re this good and have all those picks.”
• “I don’t like that they stole the team from Seattle.”
• “The NBA facilitated their theft from Seattle and spent the last 15 years steadily changing the rules to benefit OKC.”
• “OKC represents a system that overincentivizes the draft.”
• “Their corny bullshit is an affront to the league I love.”
• “They’re corny.”
• “SGA is a free-throw merchant.”
• “The team interviews on the sideline are so stupid.”
• “SGA gets too many calls. Ruins the fun.”
• “They get away with too much contact on defense. But you can’t touch them.”

There were more, but this seems like a good representation. The most common ones were the accusations of corniness, the foul calls and the Seattle factor. But everybody also seemed resigned to the fact that they’re going to win the title, and were wondering if people will care at all, outside of OKC. It makes me wonder if 1) this is true and 2) if this is a fair question. So, I bring it to you, The Bouncers!

Here is a Google Form about whether you hate the OKC Thunder. We’ll share the results later this week.

Small-Market Watch

NBA, Stanley Cup Finals share similar vibes

Over at our behemoth of a newsletter The Pulse, Chris Branch had the fun idea of having a conversation between me and Sean McIndoe about the respective championship series we’re covering in our newsletters. Sean is one of the amazing scribes of Red Light, our incredible hockey newsletter. And … well …  you know me from this space.

The NBA Finals and the Stanley Cup Final both feature fascinating matchups. We have a battle of some of the smallest markets in the NBA with Indianapolis (25th) and OKC (47th). In the NHL, we have a fun rematch of last year’s seven-game chaotic series between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers. Branch asked us questions, and we gave answers.

Branch: What’s the most interesting thing to you about the other sport’s title series?

Sean: Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so I think it’s cool how you guys have copied the NHL’s longstanding “the best player in the final is a Canadian” gimmick.

Zach: They move around on knives! How does this not freak people out?! I also find it fascinating that we haven’t had a Canadian team win a Stanley Cup title in over 30 years, and a team from Florida could block the Oilers two years in a row.

There is anxiety over the marketability of both series. What are you most wary about?

Sean: The concern these days in the NHL isn’t that smaller-market teams are having success. The problem is whether those smaller markets now have an advantage over the bigger ones, due to financial factors and player preferences, among other things. There’s debate over whether this is actually a real problem at all. But as a league, and a business, you don’t want the markets that are driving your revenue to feel like they’re falling behind. That narrative, accurate or not, will only get stronger with another Florida win.

Zach: I think I’m most wary about this being a short series. The basketball should be really good. But you can have good basketball in all of the games and end up with a sweep. Just ask last year’s Pacers, who played the Celtics extremely well in the conference finals but ended up getting swept. This is a great basketball matchup, but the Thunder might make quick work of it.

Concerns aside, there are superstars here aplenty. Outside of the obvious names, who’s the most interesting player a general fan should know before puck drop/tipoff?

Sean: Let me go off the board here with my pick: Sasha Barkov, the Panthers center who may be the best two-way player in the league. On a team full of rats (and proud of it), he just quietly goes about his business, dominating at both ends of the rink. He’s kind of the Phil Hartman of the Panthers, the glue guy who makes it all work even if he isn’t the one getting most of the headlines.

Zach: Chet Holmgren and Pascal Siakam! Holmgren moves around like his shoulders are held up by a wire coat hanger. He can do it all on the court and is 7-foot-1. It’s like watching a Tim Burton drawing audition for a new “Space Jam” movie. And despite Siakam giving himself the horrible “Spicy P” nickname, he’s been a tremendous weapon. He’s scoring within four seconds after opponent baskets and has been the Pacers’ leading scorer.

In 25 or fewer words, give us one wild yet realistic prediction for your series.

Sean: The Edmonton Oilers become the greatest Canadian Stanley Cup winners of the last 32 years.

Zach: The Pacers will win Game 1, and Haliburton will have his teammates mock the Thunder by doing the sideline interview together.

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