Are the New York Knicks Doomed After Firing and Unsuccessful Search for a New Coach?
On June 3rd, New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau was relieved from his head coaching duties. This comes after the Knicks won 51 games, finished third in the Eastern Conference, and went to their first Eastern Conference Finals in 25 years. Over the past week, New York has been looking for the guy who can help take their talented roster to the next level. However, things haven’t looked so good for the Knicks’ fortunes. They’ve been denied by several teams to speak to their head coach, and with limited options on the table, New York needs to find the right head coach before it’s too late. The Knicks want championship aspirations and the Larry O’Brien Trophy back in MSG once again. Yet are they doomed after firing Thibs and the unsuccessful search for their new head coach?
So far, the Knicks have been denied by the Houston Rockets to speak to their head coach, Ime Udoka, the Minnesota Timberwolves and their head coach, Chris Finch, the Dallas Mavericks and their coach, Jason Kidd, the Chicago Bulls with Billy Donovan, and the Atlanta Hawks with Quinn Snyder. Early talks and rumors had Michael Malone as an option; however, that noise has calmed down over the past several days. Former Sacramento Kings coach Mike Brown and former Memphis Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins have emerged as the two top candidates at the moment. However, do Brown and Jenkins have what it takes to take to get the Knicks to the NBA Finals? Brown had a 107-88 record in two and a half seasons in Sacramento. Jenkins was 250-218 during his time in Memphis. It seems like the New York Knicks have a lot of soul searching to do this off-season to determine who should be the guy they can rely on when it comes to smart play designs, late-game situations, and more.
Are the Knicks doomed? No, it’s too early to tell. Yet, they still have one of the best starting units in the Eastern Conference, and with key guys on the bench, they still have a huge opportunity to be a big factor in the East during the 2025-2026 NBA season. If New York is confident in their pick, we’ll have to convey this was the best option in their mind, and see how the results play out this upcoming season, and beyond. After the huge success they saw last season, I wouldn’t doubt we see it again; it just depends on whether the Knicks can take that next step or not, and that all starts with their head coach.
