ESPN panel tabs Tom Thibodeau front-runner for Coach of the Year

Tom Thibodeau has worked wonders with the New York Knicks.

He joined the franchise in 2020, taking over a rebuilding roster. Since then, Thibodeau has consistently improved his team while implementing a clear style of play and a defensive mentality. Now, after a strong 2023 trade deadline and the addition of Mikal Bridges this summer, New York looks set to compete for a championship.

According to ESPN's staff writers , New York's position as a genuine contender in the Eastern Conference could see Thibodeau positioned in the Coach of the Year race. If New York continues its stringent defensive performances and stacks up wins throughout the regular season, he should find himself in the top five of voting.

“With another “Nova Knick” added to the roster, the hopes are high for New York," ESPN staff wrote. "Coach Tom Thibodeau is once again at the helm for the Knicks and was voted as most likely to take home Coach of the Year by our Summer Forecast panel. The award would be his third, after winning with the Bulls in 2011 and the Knicks in 2021."

Thibodeau isn't the type of coach who cares about individual success, not for himself or his players. Instead, he will be focused on the collective improvement of his roster. He's been a hardline coach for his entire career, and while he has started to show more personality in recent years, it's doubtful he would be moved by an award.

Nevertheless, should Thibodeau win the award, it would culminate a process that has taken the Knicks from the bottom of the Eastern Conference to a genuine contender in five seasons. During that time, his record with the team looks like this:

• 2020-21: 41 wins, 31 losses
• 2021-22: 37 wins, 45 losses
• 2022-23: 47 wins, 35 losses
• 2023-24: 50 wins, 30 losses

Thibodeau deserves to be mentioned in the Coach of the Year conversation. Whether he wins the award or not is irrelevant. He has proven himself to be an elite coach in the NBA, and that's a large part of why the Knicks are in their current situation.