The New York Knicks just stamped their mark on New Year's Day, taking down the Minnesota Timberwolves. Behind a big offensive night from Julius Randle and big contributions from a newly acquired OG Anunoby, coach Tom Thibodeau surely has something to smile about.

Additionally, Thibodeau himself just climbed the Knicks record books following Monday night's win. With 143 wins under his belt for the city of New York, Thibodeau is now the fifth-winningest coach in franchise history, as per the Knicks' official X account.

 

How Tom Thibodeau emphasizes hard work and defense

Before starting his tenure with the Knicks in 2020, Thibodeau was widely known for his years with the Timberwolves and the Chicago Bulls. His stint with the Bulls, in particular, put his name on the coaching map.

The two-time coach of the year was known for leading the Derrick Rose-era Bulls team to multiple playoff appearances. Despite not being able to bring home a championship, the Bulls were serious contenders for the first time since experiencing a postseason drought during the early 2000s.

Now with the Knicks, Thibodeau continues to cultivate his defensive-minded, hard-working culture to the Big Apple's basketball team.

This season, the Knicks currently have the second-highest offensive rebounding percentage per game in the league at 33.3% and are sixth at total offensive rebounds per game at 12.6.

Additionally, the Knicks have the fifth-best defensive rebounding percentage (72.9%) and are the seventh-best team in limiting opponent points off turnovers — making sure their foes don't exceed 15.1 points per contest after giving the ball away.

Now with a formidable defender in Anunoby joining his ranks, Tom Thibodeau might just have a chance to make a deeper postseason run than what the Knicks achieved last season.

 

 

 

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