Rick Carlisle Coyly Supports Tom Thibodeau Following Knicks Firing

Tom Thibodeau had led the Knicks to their best season result in 25 seasons, but had apparently underdelivered.

Rick Carlisle Coyly Supports Tom Thibodeau Following Knicks Firing

Tom Thibodeau (FS Image)

One of the key narratives around the Knicks’ playoff exit was the notion that they got outcoached. The Indiana Pacers had the offensive talent edge as well as the depth edge, despite what the betting odds said. Yet, they also played a style that better suited their strengths and made the Knicks work more. Thus, the notion of Rick Carlisle running circles around Tom Thibodeau was one of the takeaways from the series.

Thibodeau had been facing a lot of criticism throughout the 2024-25 regular season. Much of this was due to the Knicks’ inability to beat any of the other top 3 seeds in both Conferences. The team also found it hard to integrate Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns on both ends of the floor. It took until the first round of playoffs for basketball fans to see that Thibodeau had a method to his heavy minute load.

However, the goodwill that Tom Thibodeau earned in late April and early May was gone by the Conference Finals. The Knicks had to wake up to the harsh reality that they couldn’t keep up with the Pacers’ pace. While there were flaws with the roster setup and how the stars performed on defense, the writing was on the wall – Thibodeau had failed to incorporate an offensive scheme that allowed everyone good open looks.

His firing yesterday was out of the blue for many NBA fans, including Magic Johnson and Stephen A. Smith. His opposite number Rick Carlisle was himself very shocked by the news, especially in the light of Thibodeau’s success in transforming the outlook of the Knicks, once considered the laughing stock of the league. Carlisle spoke about his reaction in the NBA Finals Media Availability on Wednesday:

Thibs went in there and changed so much. And so you look at all that, and then what happened yesterday. When I first saw the thing when it came out, I thought it was one of those fake, AI things, you know? ‘No way! No way that’s possible. And I know how the players feel about him too. There’s not much else to say. Teams and ownership can make these decisions unilaterally and it’s their right to do so. But Tom is certainly going to be fine, I don’t think he’s going to have any problem finding his next job.

NBA fans are largely supportive of Tom Thibodeau

There was a whole range of reactions within the NBA community to the Knicks’ firing of Tom Thibodeau. Leading a team to its best season in 25 years with an Eastern Conference Finals appearance would normally guarantee job safety. The fallout of this news is a mix of shock, gratitude, and debate among fans. Many view the decision as a bold but risky move, reflecting the Knicks’ championship-or-bust mentality.

Most, however, see it as a baffling overreach by Leon Rose, James Dolan and co, given Thibodeau’s success. Knicks superfan Ben Stiller praised Thibodeau for making the team relevant again, stating, “He brought this team back… I will always be grateful.” Similarly, Josh Hart expressed being “forever grateful” for Thibodeau’s leadership.

Critics highlight his stubbornness – in particular, his heavy reliance on starters like Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, and Karl-Anthony Towns. All three of these players played excessive minutes throughout the season, leading to fatigue concerns. Brunson had an injury ahead of the playoffs, which could be correlated to his heavy offensive load. Thibodeau also had X’s and O’s critics up in arms at various points of the season.

Nonetheless, he still has $30 million of guaranteed money to tide him over this period of unemployment.

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