Revealing the real reason why Thibodeau was fired: There is a contradiction between tactical concepts and lineups, but it is not good to use Brunson + Downs

Another example highlights the potential weakness of the way Thibodeau coaches, which is how Towns used throughout the season and the struggles he faces.

Anyone who keeps an eye on the Knicks in the regular season and in the playoffs may notice a recurring pattern: Towns is often defended by wingers who are significantly shorter than him. It's not random - it's a deliberate tactic designed to fight his dominance in pick-and-roll situations, especially in pick-and-roll external action. By having a winger defend him and stick to a strict massive switch strategy, the defensive player is instructed not to leave him under any circumstances. Each screen is switched immediately to prevent any advantage, especially those that allow Towns to get a three-point shot from outside.

This strategy is particularly evident in the regular season against the Thunder. Despite playing for 42 minutes, Towns did not try a three-pointer. What is the reason? It was this tactic that the Thunder used to put their wings on him tightly and prevent him from getting any space he needed to make a long shot. This defensive strategy has been interfering with the Knicks' offense throughout the season.

This is exactly where the criticism of Thibodeau becomes justified. He failed to find a reliable offensive solution to make the most of the big man who many consider to be the greatest shooting style in basketball history. The inability to creatively deal with a fairly predictable defensive strategy is one of the factors that hold the team forward, and one of the reasons why despite all the results of Thibodeau, his sack was not as surprising as it initially seemed.

It is precisely based on the above-mentioned status quo that the Knicks decided to part ways with Thibodeau. Knicks Bondy reported that the decision to fire Thibodeau was made by basketball operations president Lyon Ross and was supported by team owner Dolan. Thibodeau just renewed his contract with the Knicks in July last year. According to New York media, Thibodeau's contract renewal is about 3 years and 30 million US dollars. Although Thibodeau was fired, the $30 million can still be earned.