Donte DiVincenzo had seen the ballot.
Final April, because the playoffs approached and the New York Knicks have been nicely on their approach to the franchise’s greatest season in a decade, The Athletic revealed an nameless participant ballot wherein their coach, Tom Thibodeau, was the main vote-getter in a most unflattering class: The coach whom gamers would least prefer to play for.
It wasn’t even shut, both, with Thibodeau receiving 43.6 p.c of the votes and then-Houston Rockets coach Stephen Silas a distant second at 14.5 p.c. Add within the reality Thibodeau had turn out to be a two-time winner of this unwelcome award, having additionally taken the (dis)honor when this ballot was final revealed in 2019, and it’s protected to say his popularity as an old-school chief in these new-age occasions was alive and nicely.
However to see these Knicks (41-28) compete with that classic Thibodeau type on their 3-1 West Coast journey that ended with a loss at Denver on Thursday evening, and to marvel at their potential to stay among the many Jap Convention’s greatest (Boston however) regardless of a brutal run of accidents to pivotal gamers, was to comprehend that immediately’s gamers are simply flat-out incorrect in regards to the oft-criticized 66-year-old. Simply ask DiVincenzo.
“That ballot, for me — and excuse my language — but it surely doesn’t imply s—,” DiVincenzo, who performed for Golden State final season and signed a four-year, $50 million cope with New York final summer time, instructed The Athletic after the Knicks’ win over the Warriors on Monday evening. “I’ve seen the ballot, however I signed right here.”
His ringing endorsement continued from there.
“I don’t care (about Thibodeau’s popularity),” DiVincenzo continued. “I don’t care. Guys within the NBA now (are totally different) than earlier than. Everyone needs the sport all offense. No one needs to return in and follow. However me, being my first 12 months right here, I feel he’s executed an amazing job of balancing issues.
“From the surface world, there’s at all times (a distinct view). However in our home — in-house — now we have a great dynamic and we get pleasure from it and everyone enjoys being round one another. To the surface world, you don’t actually know. All you understand is notion. All you understand is the historical past from different groups (Thibodeau has coached) and his years with totally different organizations. However we’ve had loads of relaxation days, loads of off days.”
And rumor has it, I shared with DiVincenzo, that Thibodeau practices aren’t practically as laborious as marketed nowadays.
“They’re not,” DiVincenzo confirmed. “I performed for (the Warriors’ Steve) Kerr and performed for Coach Bud (former Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer). It’s not such as you come right here and swiftly you’re simply operating monitor on daily basis (in follow). I feel what he does by much better than anyone I’ve been round is he’s probably the most ready. So it doesn’t essentially imply you need to go for 2 hours in your ft and operating. However once you’re in there, you’re gonna lock in and also you’re gonna get the stuff executed and we’re gonna get out of there.”
On this “participant participation coverage” season the place the NBA has lastly pushed again on the load administration motion, and the place a public outcry for improved defensive play and elevated physicality has come together with it, there’s one thing becoming a few Thibodeau workforce displaying out in this sort of method. They’re robust, with a next-man-up mentality that has helped them survive critical setbacks for Julius Randle (out since struggling a dislocated proper shoulder on Jan. 27), Mitchell Robinson (out since ankle surgical procedure in mid-December) and OG Anunoby (missed 20 of the final 23 video games after having a unfastened bone fragment faraway from his proper elbow). They play laborious on each ends of the ground, with a seventh-ranked protection that has flourished regardless of the aforementioned absences (Robinson and Anunoby, particularly, are elite on that finish).
After wins at Portland (105-93), Sacramento (98-91) and the Warriors (119-112), these (severely) undermanned Knicks used that system to just about upset the defending champion Nuggets of their West Coast finale (they trailed by 5 halfway by the fourth and misplaced 113-100). It was one other robust signal, amongst so a lot of late, that the Knicks shall be a handful for any workforce that comes their method within the playoffs — irrespective of who’s in a position to take the ground.
But when Thibodeau’s Knicks can get wholesome in time for the postseason — and that’s a serious if — it’s not laborious to think about a world wherein they’re making the form of deep playoff run their franchise hasn’t seen since falling to Reggie Miller’s Pacers within the East finals practically 1 / 4 century in the past. In spite of everything, they’ve practically a month of compelling proof (Jan. 1 to Jan. 27) that they will play like title contenders when at full power.
Throughout that span that adopted their commerce with Toronto for Anunoby, and included Randle, the Knicks went 12-2 whereas boasting the league’s No. 1 defensive score, ninth-best offensive score and second-best internet score. It was a number of the greatest basketball any workforce has performed this season — Celtics included.
But the uncertainty that comes with all these illnesses makes it tougher to handicap New York’s postseason prospects. It’s not but recognized when, or if, Randle will return. And as our Fred Katz wrote on Thursday, the Knicks have realized the laborious method earlier than that Randle speeding again after an harm is just not a smart plan.
![](https://cdn.theathletic.com/app/uploads/2024/03/22091534/USATSI_22342699-1024x683.jpg)
Julius Randle has been out of motion since late January. (Brad Penner / USA As we speak)
Anunoby’s timeline is unclear, too, as he returned for 3 video games not too long ago solely to wish time away once more due to ache attributable to lingering irritation. Robinson, in the meantime, was a full participant in Knicks follow on Wednesday however, per Thibodeau, will nonetheless want “some time” to regain his kind and should even be cleared to return by the workforce’s medical workers. Even huge man Isaiah Hartenstein, who has performed so nicely whereas serving to fill the void left by Robinson, stays on a minutes restriction due to an Achilles concern that has dogged him all season.
Which brings us again to Thibodeau.
As is the case with any coach whose contract scenario is in query, the result of the postseason will certainly matter on the subject of what comes subsequent. His present deal runs by the 2024-25 season, however league sources say he hopes to safe his future with the Knicks when either side plan to revisit the subject this summer time. At this charge, the Knicks would possibly wind up hoping they’d determined to get one thing executed with Thibodeau earlier than the latest explosion of teaching salaries.
For individuals who might need missed the financial increase on this entrance, check out this listing of latest offers which have drastically modified the market:
League sources say Thibodeau, by comparability, makes an annual wage within the neighborhood of $7 million. All indicators level to a well-deserved elevate doubtless coming his method.
It makes good sense too. This roster, which was largely constructed by the Leon Rose-led entrance workplace with Thibodeau’s gritty mentality in thoughts, is stuffed with gamers like DiVincenzo who thrive in a demanding {and professional} setting. In that sense, it’s a a lot better match than Thibodeau’s Minnesota mess that got here earlier than (the actual fact Jimmy Butler was the one core participant who was minimize from the Thibodeau fabric was … problematic).
Franchise centerpiece Jalen Brunson is thought to be amongst his largest backers, as is his father and Knicks assistant coach, Rick Brunson. Randle is his form of participant too, a bruiser who is unquestionably attempting to hurry his method again proper about now. Ditto for Anunoby, who fought by apparent ache in his recovering elbow earlier than the choice was made to offer it extra time to heal.
For a extra particular instance of their simpatico methods, think about that 29-year-old Josh Hart performed all 48 minutes of the Knicks’ win over the Warriors (tallying his fifth triple-double) and appeared ecstatic to do it. He’s signed by the 2026-27 marketing campaign. And as an intriguing and related apart, third-year level guard Miles McBride (a 2021 second-rounder from West Virginia) has proven the form of developmental progress of late (together with a career-high 29 factors towards the Warriors) that solely provides to their depth.
Even with all these accidents, in different phrases, the Knicks don’t have any scarcity of causes to be optimistic about what lies forward. As Katz reported after the Anunoby commerce in mid-January, the seek for one other star to pair with Brunson will proceed this summer time — whoever that could be. New York has all of its personal first-round picks going ahead, together with protected firsts from Dallas (2024), Detroit (2024), Washington (2024) and Milwaukee (2025). These sorts of property assist enormously, in fact, in these kinds of star-player pursuits.
Within the right here and now, although, Thibodeau’s focus is on these Knicks combating by all this adversity and elevating as a lot hoops hell as they will when it issues most. And the coach so many gamers would least prefer to play for, it appears, has complete buy-in from those who couldn’t be happier that he’s their coach.
“It’s a workforce, and that’s what we prioritize,” Thibodeau defined earlier than the Warriors sport. “That’s (why) we wish guys to sacrifice and put the workforce first. However there must be that perception. And I feel when your greatest gamers have that perception, your total workforce finally ends up having that perception. We all know now we have an amazing group that we work with. They’re nice to be round on daily basis. They offer you every little thing they’ve. So we all know we’re lucky, however we all know we nonetheless have a whole lot of work to do.
“And I feel confidence comes from demonstrated potential, like the truth that we’ve gained with gamers being out (means) there’s a perception that we are able to do it. If we keep disciplined and do the issues that we must always do, we’ll have an opportunity to win.”
(High picture of Tom Thibodeau and Jalen Brunson: Mike Stobe / Getty Photographs)