5 reasons the New York Knicks could end with a championship in 2024
Why the Knicks could win a title this season: 4. Tom Thibodeau
Tom Thibodeau "Thibs" has been one of the best coaches in basketball over the last 11 seasons. He is very passionate on every single possession making sure his players play hard and smart. It is why he has had 57 percent winning percentage during his career.
What has made "Thibs" one of the most successful coaches his is defensive mindset and the intensity he puts on his players to play defense. He has been the coach of Defensive Player of the Year, Joakim Noah, while also the coach of eight top-8 defenses.
Looking at the Knicks roster, it's a gold mine for his coaching style. Mitchell Robinson is one of the best rim protectors in all of basketball. Quentin Grimesis, Josh Hart, Immanuel Quickley are all great permeter defenders. Isaiah Hartenstein is another great defender and Julius Randle is a tank in the paint.
This Knicks team is fully capable of having a top-10 defense in the league. What makes it all the more reasonable that they will be is that the players have bought into "Thibs' ' system. The Knicks did so when he got there in 2021 where they made their first playoff appearance since 2013.
Thibs is a great coach because he made changes throughout the season. The biggest was the switch to the nine-man rotation. Through the Knicks' first 23 games, they had a 10-13 record. Then Thibs made the switch to a primary nine-man rotation and the Knicks finished the season 37-23 which was the 6th best record in the NBA for that stretch.
Thibs ability to adapt his rotations and defensive mindset isn't the only thing he does great. Last season the Knicks had the third-best offensive rating in basketball. He did this by making the Knicks play with the fifth-slowest pace, minimizing the turnovers, shooting a lot of 3s despite their low percentage, and rebounding.
Thibs made the Knicks focus on the little things. Winning the turnover battle and having a slow pace limits an opponent's number of possessions giving them less opportunity to score. Shooting 3s is crucial in today's league. Most importantly were great at closing out possessions by grabbing rebounds but also great at second-chance opportunities with offensive rebounds.
Thibs' understanding of adapting his rotation, focus on winning the small battles, and of course effort on defense, makes him a great coach. If he is able to get them to lock down on defense while also playing offense at an efficient level, he could help coach the Knicks to a title in 2024.