In a city that never sleeps, the Knicks might want to consider taking a nap, because whatever this coaching search is, it’s exhausting to watch. Brooklyn has had its own share of missteps. No one here’s pretending otherwise. Coaching shakeups, star drama, rebuilds, you name it. Nets fans know instability when they see it. But that’s what makes the Knicks' current situation feel so familiar, and yet so distant. This time, it’s not the Nets being reactive and confused. It’s their crosstown rival, caught in a mess of its own making.
The decision to fire Tom Thibodeau after the Knicks’ first Eastern Conference Finals appearance in 25 years was absolutely shocking.. What’s unfolded since suggests the team is out of sorts. Instead of targeting proven, available candidates the Knicks are taking shots from way beyond the arc, throwing hail marys repeatedly trying to reach head coaches still under contract with other teams. So far every attempt has either air balled or has clanged off the rim.
Some names include Jason Kidd, Chris Finch, Ime Udoka, Quin Snyder, Billy Donovan. All coaches who are off-limits. All still with their respective franchises. The Knicks’ approach is not just aggressive, it is absolutely directionless.
So what exactly was the plan?
If you fire a coach who helped turn the franchise around , a coach who led you to back-to-back 50-win seasons, it would be safe to assume that there would be a clear replacement in mind. Someone who is ready and available. Instead, the Knicks have made their search public, scattered, and desperate. Meanwhile in Brooklyn, things are quieter. Not perfect, but at least purposeful. The Nets have a vision to sort out. What’s the next phase of the rebuild? Who stays or who goes? But at least in their situation, those are basketball questions.
The Knicks are working backwards. Fire the coach, then ask who wants the job. They had years of forward progress under Thibodeau and Leon Rose. And now it feels like it’s all at risk, because someone at the top decided change was more important than continuity.
Nets’ fans can finally have a little laugh
Nets fans have been through their fair share of ups and downs, but watching the Knicks trip over their own feet is something different. It’s almost like a full-circle moment. The Nets, once the laughingstock of New York basketball, are now operating with a clear direction, while the Knicks seem to be stuck in what seems like a clown show.
Brooklyn fans make sure to sit back and enjoy the show. The Knicks may eventually figure it out, but until then, you guys have definitely earned the right to sit back, relax, and laugh at the chaos happening surrounding your rivals.