Almost all of the recent NBA discussion has been focused on the bubble, and for good reason, with all 22 teams traveling to Disney World this week to begin the months-long process of finishing the 2019-20 season. Still there are eight other teams in the league, and they’re all trying to figure things out as well.
The New York Knicks, who always seem to have something going on, have been busy searching for a new head coach. David Fizdale, who ran the team for just over a season, was fired in early December, and interim head coach Mike Miller took over for the remainder of the campaign.
After multiple rounds of interviews, the Knicks are expected to make a decision before the end of the month, according to a report from Ian Begley of SNY:
The Knicks’ second-round interviews are expected to conclude in the coming days. It is unclear if any candidates will be asked to interview a third time.
New York plans to make a decision its next head coach before July 31, when the NBA resumes its regular season in Orlando.
Former Bulls and Timberwolves head coach Tom Thibodeau is reportedly the leading candidate for the job at the moment, but he’s facing plenty of competition. The Knicks have interviewed Mike Woodson — who previously coached the team from 2012-2014 — for a second time in recent days, and are also interested in Jason Kidd, Kenny Atkinson and Mike Brown. Miller will also have a chance to earn the job for good.
Other, less notable candidates include a number of current assistant coaches: Chris Fleming (Bulls), Pat Delany (Magic), Ime Udoka (76ers), Will Hardy (Spurs) and Jamahl Mosely (Mavericks).
Whatever direction they end up going, it would be wise to pick a coach they are comfortable working with for a number of seasons. With a young roster, two more first-round picks coming this fall in the 2020 NBA Draft and star players making it clear they want no part of the franchise in free agency, fixing this team isn’t going to be a short-term project.
Constantly turning over head coaches like they’ve been doing the past few years is only making things harder on themselves.
