Forbes praised Thibodeau: Learning leadership experience and perseverance from him

This article is compiled from Forbes by Mark LaSota

Although criticism is an inherent part of the work of top coaches, the recognition #NBA coaches deserve for effectively leading the team is often not reflected. #New York Knicks head coach #Tom Thibodeau is a classic example. In four of his five seasons in coaching the Knicks, the team successfully made it to the #playoffs. Before his arrival, the Knicks had missed the playoffs for seven consecutive years. After defeating #Detroit Pistons, the Knicks made it to the #East Semifinals for the third time in a row. While they will face a huge challenge to beat defending champion #Boston Celtics, Thibodeau will likely prepare the team for the series.

Shibodeau has coached almost every NBA season since 1989, devoted himself to his career. He worked for a long time as an assistant coach on six different teams, including as a defensive architect for the 2007-08 NBA champion Boston Celtics. Before coaching the Knicks, he also led two other teams, #Chicago Bulls and #Minnesota Timberwolves to the playoffs. In his first two seasons with the Bulls, the team tied for the league's best record. In the 2010 playoffs, the Bulls lost to the #Miami Heat, led by #LeBron James in the Eastern Conference Finals. The following season, regular season MVP #Derek Ross suffered a serious knee injury in the first round of the 2011 NBA playoffs, which had a serious impact on the team’s future. Despite this, the Bulls led by Thibaudeau remained competitive in the next two seasons when Ross was absent, making it to the playoffs every year, and even eliminating it in the first round of the 2012 playoffs by #Trip 7. During this period, he trained the former center and helped the current forward to grow into an NBA player.

Tibodeau led the Timberwolves to the playoffs for the first time in 14 years in 2018 after being inexplicably fired by the Bulls. However, less than halfway through the following season, he was fired by the Timberwolves. Although Thibodeau has been criticized for some for their rigid offensive strategy and preference for keeping players playing for a long time, he has managed to lead some mediocre teams to win and make the playoffs. The reason he made the starter play for a long time was to establish a tacit understanding between players. Thibodeau once said, "You must cross the fire together", emphasizing that players need to overcome difficulties together and cultivate tacit understanding on the court.

coaches' strategies and decisions in the game will be constantly questioned by fans and the media, although they do not understand the information the coach has. As an NBA head coach, Thibodeau often faces the challenge of making difficult choices and has to accept the consequences of worse results. Thibodeau was criticized for having few touch opportunities in the second game against the Detroit Pistons in the first round series. Since then, he has been constantly adjusting to lead the team to success. Last Sunday, in a post-match interview after the fourth game victory, Knicks point guard #Jaren Brunson defended his coach: “There are a lot of people who don’t approve of him, but I’m happy to say he prepared us and put us in a good position to let go and play.” Brunson went on to say that he has kept the Knicks in a good position to succeed since Thibodeau came to New York.

The best coach represents much more than the game itself. A distinctive feature of Thibodeau's leadership is consistently sticking to its principles. His leadership experience is not limited to basketball; he also teaches players how to be professional and how to play in the right way.

Stable team culture usually has a strong sense of identity. The Knicks are a competitive and defensive team that fully reflects the influence of their head coach. According to senior NBA statistics, the teams coached by Thibodeau ranked in the top ten in the league in 13 seasons in their 100 rounds in 13 seasons. In addition, his team ranked in the top ten in 9 times in limiting opponents’ second offensive scoring and 9 times in limiting opponents’ inside scoring. This shows that his team effectively limits opponents’ second offensive scores and easy scores. When he served as an assistant and defensive assistant for the Celtics from 2007 to 2010, the team he coached ranked in the top ten multiple times in all three statistics.

His team-first philosophy is not only reflected in data analysis. Thibodeau created an atmosphere in the locker room, encouraging players to “go out all out.” Over the years, he has successfully convinced stars like former league MVP Derek Ross and current Knicks All-Star Jalen Brunson to embrace his philosophy and style of play. This arduous game style may not score high in viewing, but his team can always fight hard and win games, even if the lineup keeps changing.

Injuries are part of basketball, and Thibodeau adheres to the concept of "Next Man Up" as a basic aspect of his leadership philosophy. This philosophy requires players to be prepared to meet more playing time and take on greater responsibilities. Thibodeau is good at leading teams to perform beyond expectations, thanks to the significant contributions made by unknown players.

Tibodeau's coaching philosophy can be traced back to his early years as head coach. Former substitute point guards Nate Robinson, C.J. Watson and John Lucas III all played a major role in Derek Ross' long absence due to injury. During the 2013 playoffs, former All-Star forward #Luer Deng missed most of the playoffs due to complications caused by spinal puncture. At that time, sophomore forward Jimmy Butler stepped up and performed well while Deng was absent.

In last year's playoffs, the Knicks overcame the injury of several key players, including Brunson's broken hand in Game 7 against Indiana in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals, and they eventually lost in seven games. At a press conference after Game 6 of the Indiana Series, Thibodeau said on NBA TV when asked about his “Next Stand Up” philosophy: “It’s the playoffs, you’re tested physically, mentally, and emotionally. No matter what we face, we can overcome it.”

The Knicks’ substitutes, such as Miles McBride, Landry Shamet and Cameron Payne, stood up while Brunson was out of the game with an ankle injury, providing support for the team. In addition, forwards #Micar Bridges and #OG Anunobi also took on more scoring tasks. With Brunson not in the roster, the Knicks had a good record of 11-6, which showed some resilience.

NBA coaches are often judged for their performance in the last game. The Knicks are not expected to win in the upcoming series with the Celtics, but they have the chance to shut up their critics. Tom Thibodeau always adheres to his principles and is not shaken by the views of his opponents. Injuries are part of sports and each season brings unique challenges. In the field of sports, whether a coach can fully realize the team's potential is often a reflection of his leadership ability. Thibodeau's career achievements as a coach are impressive, with the teams he leads showing extremely high standards in terms of defense stability, effort and readiness.