It will be hard to win if Brunson continues playing like shit. At least, they're keeping it close. Someone above said, it won't be even a very close game. lol
This game played out almost exactly as I feared/expected it would. I am literally begging now, Rose please fire Tibs. I said it last season, and was brushed off, now I am begging for Tibs to be gone. How many times did the Knicks get run out of the building to start the 2nd half, it happened numerous times. To me that is coaching adjustments at the half, one coach makes them, the other coach is Tibs. Put some pressure on the Knicks, and they are even more lost on O than they are usually. It's like they have no plan at all to deal with it. It's dribble in circles and almost turn the ball over 3 times for 20 seconds, then toss up a low % flailing shot. Again, that is coaching. Look at his career, Tibs has made the ECF twice in 13 seasons, and he's never made the Finals. He is a decent coach at best and can help a lesser team to win some games...why...because he has his teams play every game 1-82 like its game 7 of the NBA Finals. Then once every team plays that way in the playoffs, his teams collapse again and again. And when his team has more talent, they don't win anything because he wears them down and pounds them into the ground, refusing to play a bench. When it happens over and over and over again in his career, it's more than a trend, it's reality. Tibs is the most inflexible coach I have ever seen. He coaches his way, he plays his players crazy minutes, and it doesn't matter what game it is, or what the talent level of his team is, or what their strengths are, he only knows one way to coach. He's stubborn as can be, and it has to end. As I have stated before, do the Knicks as a whole play up to the individual talent on the roster...HELL NO. Until they fire Tibs and get a coach in here that can take them all the way, it is pointless watching this team. It is going to be extremely difficult for Rose to have the foresight to fire Tibs off an ECF trip, but he has to. From the epic all-time embarrassing collapse (which essentially ended the series after game 1 as I rightly called out after game 1), to mistake after mistake, to not playing a bench, to sloppy stupid low IQ mistakes, to looking lost on O in general and especially against any sort of pressure, it is time. I am begging, PLEASE ROSE, FIRE TIBS!!!
Let's take a look at my keys: 1. 17 turnovers, mistakes and sloppiness all over the court - I nailed this one unfortunately. 2. Knicks D was invisible. The Pacers outhustled the Knicks to every loose ball, and all game long. The Pacers wanted it WAY more. The Pacers shot 54.1% overall, and 51.5% from 3P range - I nailed this one unfortunately. 3. Towns played 38 minutes, and while he had 4 fouls, it didn't impact him too much. He had good stats but really had almost zero impact - Whatever here I'd say. 4. The Knicks were 17-26, 65.4% from the FT line, and Robinson didn't attempt any FT's so it isn't on him. Towns went 6-10, which is terrible for him - I mailed this one unfortunately. 5. Tibs did play 9 guys double digit minutes, which I'm happy he did, but it didn't matter as no one really came to play. Overall, I say again Tibs must go. But let's be clear, the players played awful when it counted most in this series. Time and time again they looked lost in the face of pressure. They collapsed in a pathetic way it game 1, which ultimately cost them the series. They didn't show up tonight, and quite frankly the players should be embarrassed by their "effort" and terrible slopingness throughout this whole series really. This is one of the lowest IQ basketball teams with talent I have ever seen. And I am convinced the Knicks have ZERO clue what a pump fake is, I don't think I saw one from them all playoffs. The fact they lost to Indiana two straight seasons as the favorite with home court, is quite damning of every single player, and the in over his head stubborn as F head coach. And I write that while also acknowledging the Pacers are a very good team, no doubt, but I am stating fact when I write the Knicks lost to them back-to-back seasons as the favorite with home court - NOT GOOD ENOUGH. Rose needs to fire Tibs before the draft (does he has to foresight and courage to fire a coach after an ECF appearance - not easy to do but Rose needs to do it), and he somehow has to pull a rabbit out of his hat and get another very good player in here, otherwise the Knicks will be in the worst place possible, a good team that is not good enough to win a title, but good enough to win 50 games, and make the 2nd round most seasons. The worst place to be IMO. This is a very interesting offseason for Rose, what will he do at coach, and can he pull the rabbit out of a hat and upgrade the good but not nearly good enough to win a title roster.
And BTW, the Pacers ran ALL GAME LONG, that was their gameplan all season/series, and it worked over and over again. Off turnovers, off made baskets, off misses, over and over again. Multiple uncontested layups off made baskets, which is INEXCUSABLE. Yes, the lazy as F players have to take responsibility for sure but again COACHING and adjustments and getting the message across to team is nonexistent from Tibs. He HAS to go!!!
And good riddance to TNT doing NBA games. It pains me to say it, but them putting Miller on these games was a flat-out disgrace, TNT should be embarrassed by that. I had to watch on mute most of the series. I just hope Miller doesn't end up at NBC or going to ESPN. I think he sucks at his job in addition to being in the tank for the Pacers, right down to the suit he wore to the game tonight and his comments about what time it was. Another disgrace, shame on TNT which I usually am a big fan of. This article sums it up perfectly: Reggie Miller's Pacers bias reaches new heights with Game 6 arrival
Here's the bottom line. Tom Thibodeau has been a head coach in the NBA for 13 seasons. His teams have made the Conference Finals twice, his first year as a HC in Chicago and this season. His teams have never made the NBA Finals. Two years ago, the Knicks lost to the Heat in the 2nd round as the favorite with home court. Last year, the Knicks lost to the Pacers in the 2nd round as the favorite with home court. This year, the Knicks lost to the Pacers in the ECF as the favorite with home court. For two straight years in the playoffs, he was badly outcoached by Rick Carlisle. The guy is ridged, unflexible, unadapting, it's his style, his way, he plays his starters a billion minutes whether it's game 1, game 46, game 82, or game 7 of the ECF. He never utilizes or develops a bench, which hurts his teams a lot because there is no cohesion and confidence from the bench/role players, not to mention it burns out his starters. Leon Rose needs to have the foresight to see this and understand it. Make the extremely rare, and tough, decision to fire a coach who led his team to the Conference Finals. I appreciate what Thibodeau has done here as coach, helping to turn the Knicks into a respectable franchise, who can maybe feel like there's a chance you can win a title. Leon Rose needs to say, thank you Thibodeau, I greatly appreciate what you have done here, but we must move on to take the next step. Everything in Thibodeau's coaching career tells you he is not the guy for this next step. Rose needs to bring in a coach who is creative, innovative, flexible, sets up a system and a strategy that plays to his players strengths. It is time to make this move, I hope Rose sees what is very obvious to those paying attention, if he does not there is no point in watching the Knicks moving forward.
All good guys, read your one sentence and move on, no issues. Outside of me and maybe a few posts from Step, NO ONE is even posting right now, but let's complain about the one poster who is posting. It's funny actually. Again, all good, you guys do you, come on post nothing and read nothing. That's an awesome lively message board.
90% of what you wrote is the same over and over again... How about the players be held accountable for their sloppy play. Double digit turnovers, mostly unforced, is not a coaching problem Missed free throws is not a coaching problem Defensive lapes in judgement ..maybe a issue on the coach Guy taking a three and no one thinking of covering back is definitely a coaching problem. The only coaching problem I saw was how quickly the Pacers got a rebound and had wide open players up court. KAT not defining the pick and roll better..was that a coaching problem or a player problem, you simply dont know what the coaches want him to do to say who's to blame.
Totally agree, the players absolutely need to be held accountable. They were sloppy, and lazy, and soft, and didn't hustle/get back on D, and didn't play with the energy, passion, and intensity needed. As I stated, Rose needs to add another very good player to this roster in order to be championship level. With that said, it doesn't change who Tibs is, it doesn't change Tibs career record as a coach, and it doesn't change the Knicks losing three straight years as the favorite, with home court, with different players. Simply put the players have their accountability to own and live with and hopefully grow from, but the coach needs to go if the Knicks want to take the next step to win a title. Look no further than Thibodeau's career as a coach and it becomes very clear that is the case.
I also think they need a coaching change. Thibs is a good coach but they might need someone who can instill some sort of a system. Rose might just tweak the roster though. The Knicks are very good team that aren’t excellent at anything in particular. They need to have an identity like the 90s Knick teams.
Former Nuggets coach Mike Malone is available (he led them to the title in 23). Former Lakers and Pacers coach Frank Vogel is available (he led the Lakers to the 20 title - and the Pacers to the ECF twice). There are good assistant coaches looking for their opportunity as well. Even though I think it would be a big mistake, my guess is Rose does not fire Tibs though as it's not likely a coach who makes the Conference Finals gets fired. I also think it will be difficult to add a very good player this summer due to the Knicks cap situation. I'm sure Rose will tweak, but unfortunately, I don't see anything major happening unless Rose can pull off something shrewd with outside the box thinking. The Knicks are in a tough spot, and Rose may not be able to do much outside of replace the coach, which again I see as doubtful he pulls the trigger on that.
I think Thibs deserves more than one year with this group especially after beating Boston, The problem isn't coaching it's execution by the players, aside from Bridges Thibs has greatly improved the game of most of the Knicks he's coached. When Thibs left Chicago and Minnesota they didn't get better, firing him would be a step backwards.
