The New York Knicks controversially fired head coach Tom Thibodeau after the Knicks lost to the Indiana Pacers in six games in the Eastern Conference Finals. The move is surprising because New York has succeeded under Thibodeau.

However, Thibodeau was stubborn with his coaching style, grinding down his starters with high minutes and not using the bench nearly as much as he should. Thibodeau is also not a creative offensive coach, which has bogged down the playmakers the Knicks have.

The Knicks decided that they have hit their ceiling with Thibodeau as head coach. His shortcomings have also come back to bite the Knicks with injuries piling up due to how much he uses his starters.

Despite the reason why the Knicks moved on, the NBA media world seems very split due to the success Thibodeau has had up to this point while understanding that his style might not be able to push them over the top.

Sports media veteran Robin Lundberg and Senior ESPN NBA Writer Tim Bontemps were just a few of the voices who opposed Thibodeau's firing.

Lundberg said, “I guess I just don't see the Knicks roster as more talented than what Thibs got out of them.”

Bontemps also said, “Pretty hard to justify firing a coach who won four playoff series in three years when the Knicks had won a single playoff series in the prior 22 years.”

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Prominent NBA voices agree with Knicks firing Tom Thibodeau

However, prominent NBA voices Nate Duncan and Kevin O'Connor were on the other side and said that, while it's a tough call, they ultimately believe it was correct.

Duncan said, “I agree with the Thibodeau firing, even though I think he's largely done a good job in NY and even did a good job in the playoffs. But I think this group needs a better offensive system with more ball and player movement to reach the next level.”

Then, O'Connor said, “Firing Tom Thibodeau is a tough call, but the right choice. All year, I had to experiment with two big lineups. He didn't, even after Mitchell Robinson returned. He had to install layers to the offense all year, and he never did. Knicks need a more creative coach to take the next step.”

This decision has split NBA personalities. Many more, like Matt Moore at Hardwood Paroxysm, have said it's surprising but necessary. It is also worth noting that Thibodeau is the third coach to be fired despite having a winning record this season, following Taylor Jenkins and Michael Malone of the Memphis Grizzlies and Denver Nuggets, respectively.