To say that the New York Knicks have been one of the most disappointing teams this season would be an understatement. After making a postseason appearance last year for the first time since 2013, Knicks fans were under the impression that things were finally beginning to look up for their beloved team. Now that they're set to miss the playoffs again this season, it just feels like New York has now taken two steps back after taking one step forward.

As such, it's no surprise that Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau's job security has been the talk of the town of late. Despite being named last season's Coach of the Year, this term's performance by his team has led to questions about Thibodeau's fit for the job.

According to ESPN's NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski, however, coach Thibs can rest easy knowing that his seat is not as hot as some people would like to assume:

“People have speculated about the Knicks and Tom Thibodeau, who was just Coach of the Year last year,” Woj said, via Scott Polacek of Bleacher Report. “I'm told he is safe in New York. He's got the support of ownership, Leon Rose the GM, and largely the locker room—the important players in the locker room.”

Woj's last tidbit is particularly interesting. He mentioned that Thibodeau has the backing of the “important players” inside the Knicks locker room. Does this mean that the other “unimportant” players are not in the same boat?

The first name that comes to mind is Kemba Walker, who saw his career come crashing down with the Knicks this season. Coach Thibs clearly doesn't see Walker's value for the team and he decided to completely remove the four-time All-Star from his rotation earlier in the season. This is despite the fact that New York signed Walker to a two-year deal worth $17.9 million in August of last year.

Be that as it may, the most important thing here is that the higher-ups still believe in Thibodeau. With the support of the front office, coach Thibs can remain confident in his stature as the team's head coach moving forward.

Woj also went on to say that Thibodeau still has a long way to go in terms of his current deal with the team:

“And one more thing, I'm told: He signed an original five-year deal to be coach of the Knicks. The fifth year was a team option, wasn't guaranteed. I'm told that the Knicks picked up that fifth year over the summer after he won Coach of the Year,” Woj added.

Coach Thibs signed with the Knicks in 2020 and his current contract will run through the 2024-25 season. Woj said that New York already picked up the team option on the final season of his deal, which means that unless they fire him, he's going to remain at the helm for at least three more seasons.

In 2020-21, Thibodeau led the Knicks to 41 wins en route to locking up the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. Prior to his arrival, New York won just 38 games — in two seasons, combined. Right now, though, the Knicks are 35-44 and are no longer in contention for a Play-In spot. It has been a forgettable campaign for Thibodeau and his men and Knicks fans are hoping for a bounceback season next year.