If the NBA has taught us one thing over the last several decades, it is that owners do not respect their head coaches. The New York Knicks firing Tom Thibodeau after losing to the rival Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals is the epitome of James Dolan lunacy. Thibodeau is not for everyone, but there was no reason to fire the guy. New York might not be able to find a better replacement now.
So what does this mean for the Eastern Conference as a whole going forward? Well, it might actually open up another window of opportunity for a team that has become increasingly overlooked of late in the Milwaukee Bucks. This is a team that is hoping and praying that its superstar player Giannis Antetokounmpo does not demand a trade out of town. He is a legend, but he also wants to win big.
Milwaukee Bucks to benefit massively from Tom Thibodeau's odd firing
In a way, the Knicks self-destructing has opened up a pathway for the Bucks to potentially get back to the Eastern Conference Finals. Jayson Tatum will be out all of next year for the Boston Celtics while working his way back from his Achilles injury. The Cleveland Cavaliers could conceivably trade either Jarrett Allen or Darius Garland this offseason. They might also lose an assistant to the Phoenix Suns.
The Pacers are still a real threat in the Central Division, but beyond Indiana, what about Milwaukee?
Right now, I would say that we are looking at the Pacers and Knicks still being atop the Eastern Conference next season. Boston may still find a way to be competitive without Tatum, but the Celtics could also circle the drain. Unless there is a team like the Detroit Pistons or someone out of the Southeast Division that could make headway, Milwaukee is positioned the best to take advantage.
Bucks, Giannis should recalculate Milwaukee's 2026 title chances
I may be a casual Atlanta Hawks fan, but even I know what kind of force to be reckoned with Antetokounmpo is when he is at the peak of his powers. I mean, he beat my team with my former head coach head-to-head during the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals. So much has changed over the last four years, I can tell you that much. Does Antetokounmpo have another title run inside him?
For the first time in who knows how long, we are guaranteed to have a team win its first NBA Finals in franchise history between the Pacers and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Indiana won championships in the ABA, while the Thunder won one back when they were the Seattle SuperSonics in the late 1970s. With seven different NBA Finals champions guaranteed to happen in seven years, 2026 is intriguing.
With the Eastern Conference in a bit of flux, it behooves Milwaukee to go for it with Antetokounmpo.