-It’s time for Tom Thibodeau to start filling out his staff, and Leon Rose and the front office will give him some help. Kentucky associate coach Kenny Payne is considering one of the assistant coach positions, as reported by Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. Payne’s ties could give Kevin Knox a chance or help the Knicks land an ex Wildcat like Devin Booker, but in the end, Payne is a proven trainer who learned from one of the best college basketball players in John Calipari. This alone should affect the Brass of the Knicks.
-An ESPN teleconference about restarting the NBA has moved Tom Thibodeau’s rental topics, showing how important the Knicks are even when they are in trouble. Jeff Van Gundy spoke during the call to defend and praise his former assistant. There is the idea that Thibodeau could push his players too much and exaggerate them during the games, but Van Gundy rejected him on the call, calling him a “great slander”. Marc Berman of the New York Post has more on Van Gundy’s comments.
One person who took part in Thibodeau’s slander is former NBA champion David West. The big man played against the Timberwolves when Thibs was the coach and felt that Thibodeau had lost the team, saying that the players were not responding to him. It’s almost impossible to determine who really was to blame for the deteriorating situation in Minnesota, but it’s hard to blame Thibodeau entirely. Regardless of any praise or criticism it receives, it will take some time before it can test itself on the pitch. You can read more about West’s comments from Marc Berman of the New York Post.
