The New York Knicks‘ exit after a loss in Game 6 of the ECF has ushered in a lot of potential changes for the team. While the criticism has been distributed all around, former NBA player Jeff Teague very directly blamed Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau and his approach to the matchup. While speaking on the matter on the “Club 520 Podcast“, Teague said:
“I think Jalen Brunson is a better individual player than Tyrese Haliburton. But, for a team aspect, the way Tyrese plays, I think it would fit the Knicks well. They’ve got really good players on the Knicks team.”
Teague’s comparative analysis continued as he added, “But also, I don’t know, the way Thibs coach, if they switch coaches, I think they win… I love Thibs. But the way he coach offense is old. His style is old.”
The former NBA player proceeded to systematically break down the plays from Thibodeau’s book, noting that it always ends up becoming a pick-and-roll with Jalen Brunson in the end.
“If you ain’t learned anything about the league, go look at how Steph Curry plays, how other people play when you’ve got a scoring guard like him,” said Teague. “They play off the ball, they set pindowns and backscreens and get other people a lot of layups… They ain’t used that recipe at all this series.”
What Teague pointed out was a very fundamental difference in the Knicks’ system and the Warriors’ system. The Knicks, under Thibodeau, remain an old-school, half-court offense, with Brunson drawing upon the task of creating plays from the top of the key.
Meanwhile, the Warriors, under Steve Kerr, have a dynamic, motion offense. A pathbreaking system in every sense that has resulted in the development of some of the best perimeter shooting opportunities the league has ever seen. With a player like Stephen Curry becoming the beneficiary of it, Kerr ensured that his star would do whatever was required to ensure the best look at the rim.
Curry’s effort off the ball guaranteed a lot of success for his team. While this didn’t diminish his ability while dribbling the ball, it has been widely acknowledged that the Warriors guard was at his most lethal when he was moving without it.
Implementing this may be a bit of a challenge for a player like Brunson, who is so ball-dominant. His usage rate of 28.9% in the regular season saw a massive uptick in the playoffs, jumping to 31.5%. While it was an effective strategy for the guard, it is a clear indication of how static New York’s offense becomes, even when Brunson notched an average of 7.0 assists in the playoffs.
The offseason will usher in a lot of adjustments for the Knicks, who are expected to see some personnel changes, potentially trading for a superstar as well. Meanwhile, Thibodeau may also sense some discomfort as he could see his position up for grabs amidst looming uncertainty.
