The Thibodeau era makes the Knicks a huge success: from lotto team to contender in five years

According to US sports media F/W reporter Nico Martinez. As one of the NBA’s most popular teams, all eyes will be focused this summer on the New York Knicks as they work to build their own roster. This season, the Knicks reached the league finals once after ranking third in the Eastern Conference (51 wins and 31 losses), and were eliminated by the Indiana Pacers in six games.

But after the NBA Eastern Conference Finals, the Knicks made their latest move this summer, their most controversial move to date: fired Thibodeau. The experienced coach has been working for five years before he was fired, and the team will have a lot of work to do to find his successor. Despite his flaws and ability to be questioned, he has largely achieved great success during his coaching period. Unlike many of his previous coaches, now they can compete in the next few years.

Knicks before Thibaud coaching (2013-2020)

- No Win Culture-0 .309 Win Rate (30th in the NBA)- Playoffs appearances were zero Knicks during Thibaud coaching (2020-2025)

- Win Culture- 56.5% Win Rate (8th in the NBA)- Four Playoffs

Before Thibaud was hired in July 2020, the Knicks were the laughing stock of the league and were like a headless fly. On the court, their roster was also a mess, winning only 31% of the games in six years. The worst part is that the team does not have its own winning culture. After years of failure and star rotation, the Knicks have formed a loser mentality, which has infected the entire lineup. The stars are unwilling to come here, and fans are embarrassed to watch them fail again and again.

Things finally started to change until Thibodeau got there. Using his previous experience with the Bulls and Timberwolves, the coach began to instill a proper championship culture in the locker room and eventually began to change the trajectory of the team. Under his leadership, the Knicks went from a 30-win team to a regular playoff team, winning 56.5% of the games in five years. In 2024, they reached the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Pacers and then most recently entered the NBA Finals.

Today, even after firing their coach, the Knicks are in a respected state with a lot of talent, a positive culture and future-oriented assets. Even if they have made great progress over the years, the team is not going to stop its momentum and they will take action to pursue the NBA championship in the coming months. While Thibodeau is no longer a part of it, his role in building a lineup will not be replaced for at least a short time and will never be forgotten. As a rising team, the Knicks must stop focusing on the past and prioritize offseason.

If they play well, the Knicks can be the best team in the East, with the right coaches and superstars to lead them. Whatever happens next, Thibodeau deserves praise for his role in helping the Knicks build this right dynasty in the East.