DETROIT – In his first media interview about the Knicks in nearly three years, James Dolan explained that he fired Tom Thibodeau in part because the coach was averse to working together. The owner also shot down a potential trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo, declaring this season a Final or Bust.
“We want to get to the finals. And we have to win the finals,” Dolan said in an interview with WFAN’s Craig Carton on Monday. “This is sport and anything can happen. But to reach the final, we absolutely have to do it.”
If that lofty goal comes to fruition, it will happen without the coach who Dolan acknowledged laid the foundation — Thibodeau — and who was also surprisingly fired in the summer with three years and more than $30 million remaining on his contract.
“The team is really built on the shoulders of Tom Thibodeau. He built that core,” Dolan said. “We’ve gone as far as we did last year. So you really have to take your hat off to Tom. And the work he did. But we did come to the conclusion that we had an idea of how we wanted to organize the team. And that meant we had to evolve. Basically beyond the old traditional coaching formulas.”
“And we tried that with Tom. It really wasn’t his thing.”
Dolan suggested Thibodeau didn’t prioritize player development, despite young players — Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Quentin Grimes — flourishing in a previous Knicks incarnation.
“It’s not like the old days, the old Yankees where you get Reggie Jackson and this guy and this guy. And you put a team together. It’s almost impossible to do that in the NBA,” Dolan said. “You have to grow your talent at home, and that also builds trading currency, and that’s a team of people. There are literally 20 people specifically dedicated to developing the players to get the strategy on the field.”
“And that’s important for the development of a franchise,” Dolan said.
The owner said he spoke frequently with Thibodeau about his desire for change, but it fell on deaf ears.
“And Tom liked development, but he didn’t really think it was…” Dolan said before Carton stopped him from continuing.
Dolan’s other message was to promote roster continuity, with high hopes for the current structure. The 70-year-old dismissed an ESPN report that the Knicks and Bucks were in summer trade talks involving Antetokounmpo.
“Not that I know of,” Dolan said.
A league source said the sides had discussions but there was no traction and the Knicks remained skeptical that the Bucks were serious about dealing their franchise megastar.
“We love our team right now. They have chemistry, they all like each other. I’ve never seen a locker room that’s so copacetic,” Dolan said. “There is a lot of energy there. Leon can always overrule me. But I don’t see us making any major changes. Because we have to keep building this group. This group can win a championship. I believe in that.”
Dolan added that he doesn’t expect any major trades before the deadline.
Mike Brown, a veteran who signed a four-year contract worth a reported $40 million, became Thibodeau’s replacement after New York’s attempts to interview under contract head coaches were rebuffed by multiple NBA teams.
Brown’s start has been mostly impressive, but Dolan’s interview Monday came at a low point, with the Knicks on a three-game losing streak and struggling especially defensively. Through 35 games, Thibodeau’s Knicks were one game better (24-11) than Brown’s team (23-12) last season.
But Dolan clearly believes the Knicks can rebound all the way to the Larry O’Brien Trophy, finishing what Thibodeau started.
“We’re going to raise the flag,” Dolan said when asked about his decision not to hang a banner at MSG for the recent NBA Cup title. “We’re going to raise the NBA championship flag. That’s what we’re going to raise.”
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