The New York Knicks have fired head coach Tom Thibodeau, and experts have already speculated who could replace him.
The New York Knicks shockedly fired head coach Tom Thibodeau after leading them to their first Eastern Conference Finals since 2000, but the franchise seems confident that leadership changes will go beyond the hump.
Many candidates have been attracting many candidates, with experienced and qualified candidates at both the NBA and NCAA levels. There are realistic coaches and fan favorites like Jeff Van Gandy and Jay Williams, who won national titles with Jelen Branson, Josh Hart, and Mikal Bridges and the Villanova Wildcats.
However, because Thibodeau himself was a highly qualified coach with years of experience, there is a reason why the Knicks would like to add a coach who has never dealt with the bystanders before.
Rajon Rondo volunteered under Doc Rivers and Milwaukee Bucks this season, but has never served as a paid NBA coach.
Rondo is widely regarded as one of the smartest NBA players ever, and his prowess as a floor general is well documented.
He may have to move up his coaching ranks, but one former player believes Rondo is already able to lead the NBA team.
“I’m going to give you a thick horse, guys,” Jay Williams said ahead of time.
“When I ask NBA players how they feel about Rajon Rondo, they always have great IQs and offensively, he’s good at planning on the spot.”
Rondo will likely get buy-in from players who praised his game, and Rivers has long supported him and have returned to their days together with the Boston Celtics.
“Ask Doc Rivers, one of the championship teams he won,” Williams continued. “I’m not saying he’ll win, but I definitely think it’s the name people should consider to be an NBA head coach at this level because of his familiarity at the Eastern Conference.”
Rondo helped beat the Knicks in the first round of the 2011 NBA playoffs, but it’s hard to see them as a bad blood rival for the franchise, as his tenure with the Celtics didn’t exactly line up with the Knicks’ talent.
In recent years, former players like JJ Reddick have taken over as head coach despite having no experience, and over the next few years, Chris Paul has:
Rondo doesn’t have much coaching experience, but appears to be supported by a financing mentee.
Other candidates like Wright, Dan Harley, Vanguly, Michael Malone and Mike Budenholzer have already had an established culture in New York, but adding coaches on players’ shoes adds coaches with a core worthy of praise, but coaches who manage personality may be a better option than experiments.