“I’ll be honest — I didn’t see this,” Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau said of Jimmy Butler’s ascension to one of the top players in the NBA.
Tom Thibodeau spoke extensively about Jimmy Butler and their past relationship on Friday, two days before the Knicks’ head coach will be tasked with game-planning against the red-hot player he once helped mold into an All-Star.
“I’ll be honest — I didn’t see this,” Thibodeau said of Butler’s ascension to one of the top players in the NBA. “I saw the things that stood out were his toughness, his competitiveness. He played a lot of power forward [in college].“But when you look at him, you say OK, we had the best team in the league [with the Bulls] — what I thought was the best team in the league — we had the best record in the league. So I felt like we were getting a rotation player.
“Really, the first opportunity he had to play was here at the Garden. It was midway, Luol was out. And he had to guard Melo,” Thibodeau said. “We started talking to the coaches before the game. I said, ‘Are we really playing him first game [in this situation]?’ And he was great. So that told me a lot about him right there. And then each year, he just got better and better.”
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Knicks’ Tom Thibodeau must keep ‘psychotic’ Jimmy Butler from becoming next Garden villainHis current coach calls him “maniacal and sometimes psychotic,” but Jimmy Butler’s first NBA coach will have to devise a plan to stop the familiar All-Star guard as the latest potential MSG playoff…
Read more »
Jimmy Butler And Tom Thibodeau: Kindred Souls Turned RivalsJimmy Butler and Tom Thibodeau remain linked. Not only because of their overlapping histories, but because of their shared approaches. Now they will do battle in an unexpected series.
Read more »
Meet the Designer Replacing Tom Ford at Tom FordJust two days after Tom Ford presented his final collection for his eponymous label, the brand has revealed the designer’s replacement, and it’s coming from inside the house.
Read more »
Tom Cruise, Joan Collins, Tom Jones Will Make Pre-Recorded King’s Coronation Concert AppearancesTom Cruise, Tom Jones, and Joan Collins have been added to the plans for the May 7 King’s Coronation Concert, The new additions will appear in pre-recorded sketches for the event. TV host Bea…
Read more »
Knicks ‘hopeful’ Julius Randle will be ready for Heat series after practice appearanceTom Thibodeau didn’t say whether the team’s leading scorer is expected to be ready for Game 1 of the second round Sunday against the Heat.
Read more »