The return of Tom Thibodeau looms…
Former New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau wants to coach again.
Thibodeau, who appeared on SiriusXM’s The Starting Lineup on Monday, said he wants to coach in the NBA next season.
“I’m preparing for the next opportunity,” Thibodeau said. “Hopefully I’ll be ready for it.” (Source)
Thibs wants to coach again.
And he deserves another shot.
Ime Udoka was making an intern blow snot bubbles and Mitch Johnson littlefingered Gregg Popovich.
My guy brought a team to the Eastern Conference Finals the other day.
And not just any team. A Knicks team that hadn’t been close to a championship in the new Willenium.
Tom Thibodeau has proven his ability to maximize a roster’s potential and he gets players paid. Sure, he cripples them, but not financially.
The league needs one more Thibs run.
But before we list off teams that could use his services, here are a few pre-reqs Thibs needs to succeed:
- Rim-protecting big man: Nerlens Noel finished the 2020-21 season 3rd in blocks. He was out of the NBA 3 seasons later.
- Starting five prepared to play 49 minutes a night: Donte DiVincenzo made the most 3’s in a single Knicks season simply by never being allowed to sit on the bench at any time.
- Dynamic point guard: Any GM looking to hire Thibs must keep a roster spot available for Derrick Rose.
Honorable Mention: Charlotte Hornets
The Hornets are on a 3-game winning streak, including 2 big blowout wins over the Sixers and Magic, legit playoff teams.
I’m in no hurry to kick out a young black coach, who will most likely never get a second chance to succeed, for an old man who skips showers and has failed to win a championship everywhere he’s been.
We stand with Charles Lee here at Deadseriousness.
So, for a blog titled “teams that should hire Tom Thibodeau yesterday”, the Hornets may not urgently need a coaching change, but I’m keeping my eye on them.
Let’s see how they finish the year before I handcuff them to Thibs. LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller better keep winning games or I’m sending them to Jenny Jones boot camp.
Okay, so here are the 6 teams that should hire Thibs right now, this second, hurry go:
1. Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings need to flip some used cars.
Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan are signed to the Kings for next season. Sabonis, the year after that.
All All-Stars.
All capable of providing value to new teams, just, not together on the Kings.
The Kings have 12 wins. Tied for dead last in the West with the 12-win Pelicans, but unlike New Orleans, Sacramento doesn’t have a roster full of impressive under-30s. Most of the players getting minutes are older and expensive.
The Detroit Pistons just ran the Kings out of the gym. They’re not even a competitive ball club. Teams treat Sacramento like Ladybird does.
Give Thibs a month with these guys and teams will be begging for Russell Westbrook at the deadline.
2. Washington Wizards
No one knows how to unlock Trae Young’s offense better than Tom Thibodeau.
Trae Young’s reputation was built on beating Thibs’s Knicks teams.
You’ll still hear a faint “Fuck Trae Young” chant at Madison Square Garden from Knicks fans who take way too long to tie their own shoes, like, do you need help?
Dynamic point guard: check.
Rim protecting big man?
20 year old Alex Sarr positioning himself as one of the best ISO defending big men in the NBA…
Great feet, recovery, and length acting primarily on instinct. 6th most ISOs defended in the league and is holding opponents to 39% shooting. Very impressive. pic.twitter.com/e2q7pk4Rcb
— Basketball University (@UofBasketball) January 26, 2026
Check.
Alex Sarr and Thibs could link up, fuck around and win a DPOY.
3. Milwaukee Bucks
Whether Giannis remains or not, one fact remains clear to everyone who follows the NBA, except the GMs who like golfing with him: Doc Rivers sucks at this.
He’s wasted the careers of NBA greats, Giannis, the newest superstar trapped in Doc Rivers purgatory.
The Milwaukee Bucks have one of the best basketball players on the world on their payroll and aren’t even close to making the play-in.
Jon Horst created a confusing roster full of big men that Thibs would turn into gold. Give Thibs Giannis, Bobby Portis, Kyle Kuzma and Myles Turner and opposing teams are done scoring in the paint. That’s just over.
4. Orlando Magic
The Magic were on the same trajectory as the Knicks, Pacers and Cavs, but a hot potato of long-term injuries between Banchero, Wagner and Suggs, plus their big swing (and a WHIFF) for Desmond Bane has them spiraling down the Eastern standings.
A team projected to be at the top of the East this year, newly equipped with one of the best 3-point shooters in the NBA, is on a 4-game losing streak, sitting in the 8th seed, a couple of losses away from 10th, looking up at the Chicago fucking Bulls.
Orlando is 20th in scoring and 29th in 3-point percentage. They are incapable of getting the ball into the basket, me at JV tryouts.
All of Thibs’s teams struggle with this.
It’s never mattered.
He gets players to hustle on defense. All the Magic need to do is lean into a defensive identity, they have the personnel for it, and turn the games into early-aughts ball, 77-70 finishes.
You walk into the Kia Center and you step out of a time machine, every fan has frosted tips and long sleeve shirts under their short sleeve shirts or just one big long white tee, you don’t even know if they have pants on. Ashanti and NYSYNC boom through the speakers.
Paolo Banchero leads all scorers with 14.
5. Los Angeles Clippers
Ty Lue won’t be fired.
However, Chauncey Billups was arrested by the FBI and lost his job in Portland. Ty Lue was named in that FBI investigation as someone who may have been privy and even benefited from the whole illegal, rigged poker game fiasco.
Shit, he may have benched players to help people win prop bets too.
The NBA is pretending like it’s not happening and Kash Patel is on a private jet with his girlfriend, who definitely likes him for his personality.
Ty Lue will most likely face zero consequences.
But if he does, bring in Tom Thibodeau.
Right now is the healthiest Kawhi’s looked in 6 years. Time to bring in the one man who will play him the full 48 minutes, making him a paraplegic by age 40.
That’s what you get for not planting one fucking tree, man.
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